Admin

The park's historical significance is tied to a bell tower erected in the middle of the Civil War for Lawrence's Plymouth Congregational Church in 1863 but rejected because of a crack According to an article published in 1930, the citizens of Council Grove needed a bell to signal the start of school and church. That story also claimed that the bell was used to warn of raids by area Native Americans, but that part appears to be fictional for a variety of reasons from a lack of proof to the fact that such conflicts predate the 1863 arrival of the bell. The tower was destroyed in a storm in 1884 leading to damage, so a local resident repurposed the bell until 1901 when it was incorporated into a stone monument to honor the late President William McKinley following his assassination in 1901. The park is the centerpiece of several local legends that cannot be verified, including a story published in the late 19th century claiming that Giovanni Agostini, a Catholic priest, chose to live in the small cave near the monument for a series of five months.

The McKinley Monument containing the bell that came to Council Grove from a Lawrence church in 1863

This public park in Council Grove was established in 1901 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places for its connection to the history of Council Grove. The park is home to a small cave that is the center of an unverifiable local myth about a priest who allegedly lived in the cave for five months. In 1863, the hill at this park became home to a wooden tower with a church bell that became available after a Lawrence congregation became aware that it was cracked. The bell tower was located here until 1884 when it was destroyed in a storm. The bell was damaged by vandals and repurposed as a flower pot until the fall of 1901 when area citizens returned it to this location and incorporated it into a small stone monument honoring President McKinley following his assassination. In the early 20th century, local boosters made multiple attempts to connect this park to the larger history of the Santa Fe Trail in hopes of boosting tourism.

Hermit's Cave and William McKinley Monument

This tour starts at the Madonna of the Trail monument and moves on to Hays House, a restaurant that has been serving travelers since 1857. The tour includes numerous landmarks along the city's main street including a historic trading post along the Santa Fe Trail as well as historic churches, the Carnegie Library, Simcock House, two historic downtown bank buildings, and landmarks related to the city's pioneer past. Additional highlights include the Seth Hays home and the historic Kaw Mission. 

<div>In the late 1920s, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) commissioned twelve identical Pioneer Mother monuments in the late 1920s for a dozen states stretching from Maryland to California. In part because there were so many of them spread across the nation, Leimbach’s statues would become arguably the best-known American pioneer mother monuments ever erected. The project began when a group of Missouri women decided to mark the Santa Fe Trail route. In 1911 the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) set out to mark the “Old Trails Road” stretching from Maryland to California. DAR women worked with the National Old Trails Road Association to mark the old Santa Fe Trail and other western migration routes. In keeping with gender norms of that period, the men of the National Old Trails Road Association “handle[d] the basic and practical side of the question,” while the DAR’s national committee “handle[d] the historic and sentimental side.”<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">1</a>&nbsp;In 1927, Association president (and future U.S. President) Harry S. Truman and President Coolidge received congressional approval for the creation of a national memorial highway stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Initial plans called for painted mileage markers throughout the route. Inspired by Alice Cooper’s 1905&nbsp;Sacajawea&nbsp;statue for Portland, Oregon, DAR women abandoned mileage markers in favor of 10-foot-tall pioneer mother statues. Twelve identical statues would be placed in the 12 states through which the “Old Trails Road” passed. National DAR Commission chairperson Arlene B. Nichols Moss and her artist son worked with architectural sculptor August Leimbach to design the DAR statues. Sculptor August Leimbach envisioned a scene in which she is looking for her husband whom she believes to be in danger. Each&nbsp;Madonna of the Trail&nbsp;strides purposely westward, dressed in a simple homespun prairie-style gown and wide-brimmed sunbonnet. Like other Pioneer Mother statues erected during the late 1920s, the 12 DAR statues balanced strong, active roles for women with softer maternal symbolism. The statues were cast from algonite (a form of cast stone produced from a mixture of crushed marble, Missouri granite, stone, cement and lead ore) at the cost of $1,000 per statue.&nbsp; The statues were placed along key white migration routes, such as the early-19th-century National Road (later U.S. Route 40) and Santa Fe Trail (later the infamous Route 66). But the precise location of the monument within each state was selected based on both the site’s historical significance and the influence of local DAR and National Old Trails Association chapters. The Kansas statue was dedicated September 7, 1928, in what was considered the most historic town on the Santa Fe Trail through Kansas. In 1825, U.S. commissioners signed treaties with representatives of the Osage and Kaw&nbsp;at Council Grove, granting Americans and Mexicans free passage on the Santa Fe Trail.&nbsp;The monument was placed in the former Santa Fe Camp Ground, which was renamed Madonna Park. In the 1960s, the Kansas Society DAR added a flag pole and cement benches beside the statue. </div>

One of 12 identical statues depicting white pioneer women migrating along 19th-century western trails. Commissioned by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), they were dedicated in 1928-29 in 12 states stretching from Maryland to California.

Madonna of the Trail (Council Grove, Kansas)

Even among other historic bars, the Hays House Restaurant and Tavern is especially unique. This establishment is the oldest restaurant in Kansas, one of the state's oldest buildings, and the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River. Like many other early Council Grove businesses, the Hays House was built during a time when travelers frequented the area in the early stages of the Santa Fe Trail. This city was a popular stopping point as the last opportunity for travelers to stop, rest, and stock up on much-needed supplies before embarking on the remainder of the Trail, a trip that would take at least two more months.The Hays House was established in 1857 by Seth Hays, a local businessman who was the first settler and founder of Council Grove. Hays ran a shop nearby with one other called S.M. Hays &amp; Co., which was a multiuse establishment serving as "a trading post, restaurant, hotel, courthouse, post office, printing office, meeting and social hall." Understandably, as the town grew, so did the need for these operations to run out of separate buildings, leading to the founding of new businesses like the Hays House. For a time in the 1860s, Hays sold his business interest in the company to his business partner, G.M. Simcock, before moving to Colorado for several years. However, in 1866, Hays came back, taking ownership once again of the original store building, while Simcock moved his business to the building later known as the Trowbridge Building. From then on, the Hays House became a popular stopping point for locals and travelers alike, offering meals and rooms to those preparing for the long journey to Santa Fe. Patrons over the years included Jesse James and General George Armstrong Custer. According to the Kansas Press:<blockquote>“Those who have occasion to stop at Council Grove, on the Santa Fe Road, will do well to ‘put up’ with Charles A. Gilkey [Hay’s hotel clerk]…mine host of the Hayes House. [They]…cannot but help feeling quite at home.”</blockquote>Use of the Santa Fe Trail declined after the completion of several area railroads following the Civil War culminating with the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad in 1880. Council Grove was not chosen as a stopping point for the new train system, so many local businesses, like the Last Chance Store, lost customers. This restaurant was able to continue in operation through both World Wars, the Great Depression, and numerous local recessions. Today, the Hays House Restaurant and Tavern is famous for its longevity and its ties to the early history of Council Grove. Along with its reputation for a consistent menu and service, the iconic Kansas landmark also houses historical artifacts, including artwork, arrowheads, Native American relics, and a collection of crystals. There is also an outdoor exhibit in front of the building.

Established in 1857 by town founder Seth Hays, the Hays House Restaurant and Tavern is notable for being the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi. This is also one of the oldest buildings in the state of Kansas. In its early years, the Council Grove was frequented by travelers heading along the Santa Fe trail, as this was the last place where travelers along the trail could rest and resupply before traveling the remaining two months to New Mexico. As such, the Hays House was a popular stopping point. The Santa Fe trail saw declining use following the completion of western railroad lines from the first Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 which ran across Nebraska, to several other routes by 1880 when the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad was completed. The ATSF railroad bypassed Council Grove and many businesses catering to travelers closed, but Hays House was able to stay in business by focussing on nearby residents. Today, the restaurant remains popular among locals and attracts many tourists who make a point of stopping at this restaurant because of its connection to Council Grove's history. The restaurant also showcases some exhibits from local Native American cultures.

Hays House 1857 Restaurant & Tavern

Malcolm Conn was one of the earliest settlers in the area that later became Council Grove. Along with the Choteau brothers and town founder Seth Hays, he established himself as one of the town's first established merchants, even when Council Grove was still a trading post and had not yet been incorporated as its own town. Earlier, he likely sold goods out of a more temporary wooden structure, but as the town became known for being the last point travelers could resupply before traveling the remainder of the Santa Fe Trail, Conn saw the need to expand into a more permanent location. The stone structure known as the historic Conn Store Building was built in 1858, marking Conn's elevation from just another seller to a rival merchant to Hays, who ran a similar business across the street.Business apparently quickly boomed for sellers all across town, with Conn selling $24,000 in merchandise in just one month in 1864 by trading with freighters, government workers, Kaw Indians from the neighboring reservation, and citizens of Council Grove itself. In addition to selling general goods, Conn, like his rival, also provided rooms, meals, and stables for travelers passing through the city. Meanwhile, he also became involved in civic life, eventually serving as treasurer of the Town Company, which plotted and sold town lots, as well as the county clerk. In 1866, he sold the store to Shamleffer &amp; James. They renamed the store and took a well-known historic photo of the building sometime during the 1860s but quickly left again to run a similar outlet in Augusta, Kansas. It has housed various owners and businesses ever since.Today, the Conn Store is one of the oldest standing buildings in Council Grove. It currently houses a small local branch of Butler Community College. As one of the most important trading stores in the area during Council Grove's Santa Fe Trail era, as well as a part of the city's historic downtown, it was included in a group entry in the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

Constructed in 1858, this historic structure belonged to Malcolm Conn, an early settler in the Council Grove area who was a prominent businessman and rival to town founder Seth Hays. Conn's business boomed, a reflection of Council Grove's status as the last city on the Santa Fe Trail before the final two-month stretch to New Mexico. The Sana Fe Trail operated until the completion of the Atchison, Topeka, and Sant Fe Railroad in 1880. During those years, Conn Mercantile offered a variety of goods as well as lodging and food for those passing through town. After Conn retired, the store had a short stint as the center of operations for Kansas merchants Shamleffer &amp; James. Today the historic storefront is home to a local branch of Butler Community College and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, along with many other structures in the city's historic downtown.

Conn Store Building

Originally chartered in 1878 as the Morris County State Bank, in 1900, it received a national charter as the Council Grove National Bank. After a fire in 1886, the bank commissioned architect J. H. Leedy and builder Louis Peterson, both of Council Grove, for a new building that opened on April 28, 1887. It opened at roughly the same time as the Famers &amp; Grove bank purchased its lot across the corner. Both banks emerged during the last year or two of the town's (and state's) most extensive period of growth. Initially known as the Morris County State Bank, when it opened in 1878, the bank received its national charger in 1900 and consequently changed its name to Council Grove National Bank. The bank operated out of a rental facility from 1878 until moving to its first permanent facility in 1887. A year before the new bank opened, in 1886, a fire destroyed the rented bank building along with six adjoining businesses. The fire inspired the bank's board of directors to acquire their own place of business; they purchased a fire-damaged lot one week after the fire. The bank hired two Council Grove residents to design and build the new bank. Architect J. H. Leedy designed the historic building while Louis Peterson, a contractor and builder, oversaw its construction, which took place between October 1886 and March 1887. The bank moved its effects into the new bank on April 28, 1887. Additionally, professional and medical offices occupied parts of the building while a barbershop operated out of the building's basement. In 1900, the bank secured a national charter and subsequently changed its name to Council Grove National Bank.The bank's opening in 1878 coincided with robust growth for Kansas (and Council Bluffs). The state population grew from 364,339 in 1870 to 996,096 in 1880 and then 1.4 million by 1890, a few years after constructing the now-historic bank building. However, just as the bank enjoyed its new facility, the population growth nearly came to a halt. Another historic bank, Farmers &amp; Drovers (located on the opposite corner of Main Street), also purchased their Main Street property in 1887, but the suspension of the healthy growth delayed its construction until 1893. Nevertheless, both banks served as anchors for nearly a century. While Farmers &amp; Drovers remains a bank, the Council Grove National Bank ceased operating as a bank in 1978 after a fire severely damaged the building. Restoration work after the fire restored the building to its 1887 appearance and the structure holds a variety of offices. The historic building also serves as a reminder of Council Grove's rapid commercial growth following the previous decades of westward migration during the second half of the nineteenth century.

This building was completed in 1887 and was originally home to Morris County State Bank, which was established in 1878. After a fire in 1886 destroyed its previous home, the bank commissioned architect J. H. Leedy and builder Louis Peterson of Council Grove to construct this building. The bank later changed its name to Council Grove National Bank. Together with Farmers &amp; Drovers bank, located just across the street, these two banks represent the immense growth for Kansas and Council Grove leading up to the turn of the century.

Council Grove National Bank

The Farmers and Drovers Bank opened for businesses on January 26, 1882. William Henry White, son of one of the town's original surveyors, served as the bank's first president, and the White family continues to manage the bank's affairs. In 1887, the bank's directors acquired and cleared the site at 201 West Main to construct an expansive bank building. However, the bottom dropped out of the nearly two-decade-long population boom and, consequently, construction projects almost came to a halt. It took roughly six years for the bank to complete construction on the now-historic structure, but the bank continues to call the building erected in 1893 its home. Born on August 27, 1847, W. H. White came to Council Grove from Kentucky with his parents by wagon train in 1857 (His mother died during the long journey). W.H. helped his father Thomas survey the original town and the family's first homestead. (Council Grove was established on the ancient grounds of the Kaw American Indian until Americans arrived in 1825 and set up the area as a supply point along the Santa Fe Trail.) But, his father passed away when William was only seventeen years old. So, at a young age, W.H. had to take a job moving cattle. Legend has it that W.H. sold his cattle in Colorado for a healthy profit in the late 1860s. He stayed in a hotel while holding $3,000 in paper money, but no secure door, so he kept a revolver under his pillow. When an intruder came into the room, W.H. pointed the gun at him and turned him away (thus thwarting the robbery attempt). Whether that "Old West" tale is accurate or not, the experience of having a sizable amount of money at his side showed W.H. the benefits of a bank, which inspired him to establish a bank roughly fifteen years later.The bank opened in 1882 when Kansas' (and Council Bluffs') enjoyed robust population growth. Indeed, Kansas' population grew from 364,339 in 1870 to 996,096 in 1880 and then 1.4 million by 1890. However, the growth slowed dramatically by the late 1880s, So, when the bank group purchased and cleared the land (in 1887) where the now-historic building stands, the boom had practically disappeared. It took five years for construction to begin on the bank in 1892, and the bank finally moved into the new facility in March 1893. The building's superb architecture consists of brick and stone masonry, Romanesque arches, a Byzantine dome, and spires.When the bank opened, it occupied the first floor while a newspaper occupied the basement and the second floor consisted of two dentist offices and a law firm. Over time, the bank's success and subsequent expansion resulted in its filling the entire building. And, in 1981, the Farmers &amp; Drovers Bank expanded into another building erected during the same era when it moved into the adjacent Indicator Building, constructed in 1902. Today, the bank continues to use the historic building as its main office and banking center. It's not only a physical reminder of a time of robust western expansionism in the U.S. but also of a family whose history dates back to the town's early settling during the 1840s.

Constructed in 1892, this historic Council Grove building was home to the Farmers and Drovers Bank. The origins of the bank can be traced back to the arrival of W.H. White in Kansas. In that year, the family loaded up a wagon in Kentucky and headed to Kansas territory. White opened the Farmers and Drovers Bank in 1882 and later acquired this parcel and began construction of this building. 1893, the bank moved into the building where it continues to operate led by White's descendants. The White family has played a significant role in Manhattan since arriving. W.H. White's father proved instrumental in the town's original layout. White helped his father survey the town before his father passed away when White was only seventeen years old. As a result, White turned to cattle driving. When White collected a substantial payment in Colorado for his cattle delivery, he had to come home carrying thousands of dollars without much security; the experience showed him the value of banks.

Farmers and Drovers Bank

The Cottage House resulted from several buildings and additions constructed over a period from roughly 1867 to the 1890s, with wings and additions erected as late as 1914. The Cottage House served two principal purposes in its first few decades: providing housing and entertaining for Lewis Mead's business associates and a gathering place and home to the many members of the Marks family. But, because the town also served as a significant spot along the Santa Fe Trail, guests often stayed there, too. The hotel enjoyed humble beginnings as a three-room cottage and Blacksmith shop, built in 1867 by George Biglin. In 1871, the Reverend and Mrs. Joab Spencer bought the property and subsequently built a two-story brick house engulfing the cottage. The Spencers sold the house in 1879 to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Mead. The historic building provided a comfortable means of entertaining and housing for Mead's numerous business contacts and associates. A few of his business associates stayed at the hotel on a long-term basis and developed their own private enterprises, while others, such as traveling salesmen or "drummers," stayed only a day or two. Meanwhile, the Cottage House also provided a unique and close-knit environment for the many members of the Marks family, all of whom had emigrated to Council Grove from Moscow, Michigan, between 1869 and 1884. Some of the Marks family lived in the hotel, while others lived in a house across the street. However, they all dined together at the hotel. Still, while the Cottage House mainly served Mead and the Marks family, it also catered to travelers (notably traveling business people), not as a hotel but as a type of boarding house.  The Cottage House grew in many stages, demonstrated by the various design styles of each segment. In 1897, the Mead family purchased the two-story, brick Italianate "cube" house built in 1871 or 1872. The cube engulfed a three-room cottage dating back to 1867. In 1898, The Mead family erected a 5,000-square-foot Queen Anne addition to the Cottage House, which marks the house's transition into a hotel. Unlike most hotels of the time, the Cottage House offered guests a home-like atmosphere; the rooms appeared like spare bedrooms of one's house, and the dining area resembled one's dining room (akin to today's bed &amp; breakfast hotel model in appearance).  Although the hotel gradually lost some of its allure after Lewis Mead's death in 1924, Josephine Mead operated the Cottage House until she died in 1932. In 1934 the hotel was sold at a Sheriff's sale to the Bratton family, who owned the property until 1960. Although they mainly rented single rooms and apartments, the Braxton family did lease the site to the U.S. Government in 1943 to provide housing for staff at Delavan Air Base. In 1960 the hotel was sold again and became known as the Stagecoach Motor-Tel, which speaks to the rise of automobiles and highways that allowed people to traverse the nation. When new owners purchased the property in 1982, they restored the interior woodwork and floor plan and reclaimed the Cottage House Hotel name. Today, the historic Cottage House functions as a unique hotel. Its presence serves as a reminder of the town's connection to its early history, two early families that helped settle Council Grove, its place along the Santa Fe Trail -- Great Prairie Highway, and later the growing U.S. Highway system.

What started as a three-room cottage and Blacksmith shop in 1867 has grown into a landmark hotel that has served Council Grove for more than a century. A series of additions, notably the 5,000-square-foot Queen Anne structure that was added in 1898, has allowed the property to grow into one of the landmarks of the city with a guest list that speaks to the town's history. The hotel initially served raveling salesmen and businessmen during the late-nineteenth-century along with a large family that moved west from Michigan. Council Grove was part of the Grand Prairie Highway (Santa Fe Trail) and on Highway 56 (and close to Interstates), leading to the operation of a roadside motel in the years of auto travel prior to the construction of interstate highways. Today, the hotel's victorian appearance has been restored and it operates as a historically-themed hotel similar to a bed-and-breakfast.

The Cottage House Hotel

One of the earliest homes built in Council Grove, the Simcock House emerged during Council Grove's early settlement and development. Additions to the original block mark three distinct periods of occupation from 1857 to the early twentieth century. Goodson and Mary Simcock served as its first residents after Goodson help survey the area before its incorporation. The couple grew into one of the town's wealthiest residents before his business failed. Another successful retailer, David Webb, purchased the home from the Simcocks, followed by W. H. Marks, whose family owned the home for seventy years. Goodson M. Simcock first visited the land now called Council Grove, Kansas, in 1849 while accompanying a government survey party mapping a mail route to New Mexico. He returned to the settlement three years later and worked as a clerk in a store which supplied Santa Fe Trail travelers and local Native Americans from a nearby reservation. In 1854 at the age of 25, Simcock married Mary White of Council Grove. The young couple spent the winter of 1855-56 at Columbia, a settlement southeast of Council Grove. In 1857, however, the Simcocks returned to Council Grove. The couple moved into a log cabin while Goodson also entered into a mercantile business, which he maintained with a partner until 1861 and then on his own until 1873. Also, in 1857, Simcock became one of the organizers and stockholders of the Council Grove Town Company. The territorial legislature approved of the town's incorporation one year later. Five years later, in 1863, Simcock took the position of county treasurer. The Simcocks built the historic house sometime around 1860, roughly when the first lots in the city were sold to its residents. The home enjoyed a Greek Revival design commonly found in Kansas homes from the 1850s through the 1870s. The house speaks to Simcock's success in the mercantile business as the city enjoyed a boom during the 1860s, mainly tied the town's position on the Santa Fe Trail. However, the arrival in 1866 of the Kansas Pacific Railroad and its ability to connect people to Denver severely hurt the wagon-freighting business attached to traffic along the Santa Fe Trail. Furthermore, the government displaced local Native Americans (who also supported Simcock's business) by sending them to a new reservation in the Indian Territory. Thus, by the late 1860s, Simcock's company nearly collapsed. He became a partner in the operation of the Morris County Mills from 1867 to 1873 and established a branch grocery store in Salina, Kansas. He served as county commissioner in 1869, president of the new Council Grove Savings Bank in 1870, and a private farmer from 1873 to 1875, none of which provided him with the economic success he realized when his mercantile business boomed. Consequently, the Simcocks left for New Mexico in 1875 in an attempt to establish a new mercantile business, but that failed, too. The couple returned to Council Grove in 1879, and Mary died soon after they returned. Goodson Simcock passed away in 1886. Though he once existed as one of the wealthiest men in Council Grove, he died a relatively poor man. Still, his son, Albert, went on to take numerous civic and private jobs in the town and proved instrumental in forging its musical scene. One can still reside on Simcock Street, a testament to the influence of both Goodson and Albert. In 1884, two years before Simcock died, he sold the historic house to  a promising Council Grove businessperson named David C. Webb, who had operated a dry goods &amp; clothing store in Council Grove since 1876. By 1883 he had a second store in Strong City and four farms in Morris County. Additionally, he served as director of the Morris County Bank. Webb's purchase of the Simcock house confirms his success as the most considered it a local showplace. Not only did he purchase the lauded home, but he also enjoyed enough wealth to add a one-story stone wing on the east side of the main block to provide two extra bedrooms. Webb moved to Kansas City in 1893. His wholesale mercantile business in that city was the largest of its kind for several years. Webb also had investments in manufacturing and real estate. Despite moving, Webb remained the historic property owner until 1902, when he sold it to W. H. Marks, whose family kept the house until the 1970s. W.H. Marks served as one of the county's largest landowners. He also invested in the Council Grove Development Company in an unsuccessful attempt to bring to the city an oil or gas well. Despite that setback, his landowning and business ventures allowed him to evolve into one of Council Grove's most prominent citizens. After acquiring the Simcock House, Marks added a frame second story to the stone wing and two sizeable two-story frame wings to the rear. Marks enlarged the Simcock house to provide rental rooms and apartments; the building became known as the Marks Apartments.Today, a sign adorns the Simcock House, denoting its place on the old Santa Fe Trail (or Great Praire Highway, as some refer to it in Kansas). And, the "Simcock House" name serves as a reminder of Goodson and his son, Albert, who helped establish and develop the town. As well, Goodson's rise and fall in the mercantile business speaks to the town's transition from one tied to the Santa Fe Trail and nearby Native Americans to one that sought to remain significant in the era of the railroad. After Goodson Simcock's wealth vanished, the house's allure enticed two profoundly, financially successful families to purchase and add to the home.

Gordon M. Simcock helped survey the area that became Council Grove, Kansas, and then he chose to make it his home along with his wife, Mary. Gordon opened a highly successful mercantile business that served people along the Santa Fe Trail, as well as nearby Native Americans. The historic home he built in 1857 speaks to his financial success. The evolution of the railroad and the displacement of the Native Americans to the Indian Territory (Oklahoma) led to the decline of his business. Still, two other wealthy entrepreneurs, David Webb followed by W. H. Marks, took ownership of the home after Simcock sold the property: Both Webb and Marks added to the home's square footage, with Marks turning the home into an apartment building. The Marks family owned the historic home until the 1970s, nearly 120 years after Simcock built the house.

Simcock House

In 1850 the Methodist Episcopal Church South signed a contract with the government to establish a mission and school for the Kaw Indans (Kanza Indians) at Council Grove. When completed in 1851, the school included a large schoolroom for the Kaw people and a small room for White children. Regarding the education of Native Americans, the school existed as part of a broader movement in the U.S. of attempting to displace Native Americans physically or "Americanize" them (or civilize them) by assimilating Native American youth into Euro-American culture. A lack of participation and rising costs forced the government to withdraw its support in 1854, meaning the mission closed its doors to the Kaw people, but the school continued to serve White children. The Kaw eventually got displaced again to modern-day Oklahoma. The state name of Kansas is all the remains of the Kanza people, as the last full-blooded member of the Kaw nation died in the year 2000. An 1846 treaty with the Kanza (or Kansa or Kaw Indians) relegated them to a diminished reservation measuring twenty square miles, which included the site of present Council Grove. The Methodist Episcopal Church South, which had served as missions to Kaw Nation since 1830, sought to build a mission and school for the Kaw people. In addition to math and reading skills, the school provided a distinct Euro-American style of education that could help Native Americans assimilate into American society. The government-funded building, completed in 1851, could house up to fifty students plus teachers and mission workers. However, the Kaw people showed little interest in the mission; thus, they kept most of their children away from the school. Average attendance amounted to thirty students per year, primarily orphans and dependant boys. The lack of interest shown by the Kaw Nation coupled with the high cost of the mission resulted in the school closing only three years after it opened, finally closing its doors to Native Americans in 1854. The bounds of the Kaw reservation grew smaller in 1859, reduced to a 9- by 14-mile tract. And then, in the 1870s, the government forced the Kaw people to move to the Indian Territory or modern-day Oklahoma. The constant decrease in land and movement resulted in an ever-declining Kansa Nation population. The last full-blood Kanza, William A. Mehojah, died in 2000. The school also included room for up to fifteen white children when it opened in 1851, one of the first schools for White children in the Kansas Territory. The school for Whites remained open after 1854 despite the government funding coming to an end. The Huffaker family purchased the building in 1865 and maintained ownership of the building for more than eighty-five years. In 1951, the Kansas Legislature approved the purchase of the mission property; the Kansas Historical Society managed the historic mission building. Today, the building functions as a museum that offers visitors insight into the Santa Fe Trail, the school, and the Kaw people. An additional feature at the museum involves a small, stone "Indian Hut" adjacent to the mission building. The hut appeared much more like a small cottage or home, typical of homes built by Americans. It is one of 138 of these structures the federal government constructed on the diminished Kaw Reservation in 1861 as intended residences for the Kaws. However, generations of Kanza people lived happily in animal-skin tepees and bark-and-mat lodges. Hence, they wanted nothing to do with their new federally-built homes. Instead, they stabled their horses and dogs in them. It speaks to the Kaw's lack of interest in taking part in what the federal or state governments offered them, including the school. They showed little interest in being "Americanized" or "civilized," as White Americans deemed it. Nevertheless, efforts to save their culture failed so that by the year 2000, the Kanza people, for whom the state of Kansas is named, ceased to exist.

As part of a broader policy of allotment and assimilation, the U.S. Government first limited the Kanza (Kansa) people of Kaw Nation to twenty square miles of property (Kaw Reservation) in and near Council Grove. The Methodist Episcopal Church South also worked with the government to operate a mission school, fully funded by the government, which opened in 1851. The Kaw people had no desire to send their children to the school, other than orphans and other dependent children. The lack of participation forced the government to withdraw its support by 1854, but a part of the school meant for White children remained open. The Kanza people, for whom Kansas is named, eventually saw their reservation decline in size before the government forced them to move to Oklahoma. Despite their attempts to maintain their culture and way of life, the last full-blooded member of Kaw nation died in the year 2000.

Kaw Mission

This building was built by one of the earliest settlers in the Council Grove area after it was opened for settlement under the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Tom Hill arrived here in 1857 and immediately began making his living selling supplies to travelers heading west along the Santa Fe Trail. For his operations, Hill constructed a simple, one-story, one-room building out of rough, locally quarried limestone on the western end of Main Street. His store became known as the Last Chance Store because this was the last opportunity for travelers to purchase essential supplies before setting out on the remainder of the 625-mile trek to Santa Fe, a trip that took around two more months.Understandably, as long as the Santa Fe Trail welcomed travelers, Hill's business thrived. He also welcomed Native Americans from the nearby reservation, who could come here to trade skins and pelts for manufactured and processed goods. However, he began to struggle as traffic through Council Grove dropped, especially after the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad expanded its service west. Although the AT&amp;SF followed much of the same route the trail had, Council Grove, the historic "last chance" stop, was not chosen as a depot. Instead, Emporia and Cottonwood Falls welcomed most passenger traffic, and those who did not stop there waited until they were further west to disembark. The town waw reconnected later to other rail lines and prospered agriculturally, but much of its commercial importance as a supplier on the Santa Fe Trail had ended by the mid-1870s.When Hill's store closed, it was initially repurposed into a post office building. Later, it was a government trading house, and in 1858, it served as a polling place when citizens voted on the Lecompton Constitution. Over the years, it has also served as a "trading post, residence...refuge for enslaved people, grocery store, corn crib, loan association building, antique store, and storehouse. For many years, it sat empty and received little maintenance, although it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 for its importance in the history of the Santa Fe Trail, Council Grove, and its Frontier Prairie Vernacular architectural style. Only more recently did it get more much-needed attention. When Connie and Don Essington donated the building to the Kansas Historical Society in 2015, the KSHS Cultural Resources Division spent much of the following years exploring the building's archeological significance. The KSHS also discussed plans to convert the building into an interpretive center for the Santa Fe Trail, with the initial opening date anticipated to be in the spring of 2017.

Travelers along the Santa Fe Trail had one final chance to purchase necessary supplies before starting a log stretch of the 625-mile trek to Santa Fe, New Mexico here, at the aptly named Last Chance Store in Council Grove. Built in 1857 at its critical location by Tom Hilll, this is one of the first stores ever built in the area and the oldest surviving commercial building in town. In addition to servicing travelers along the Santa Fe trail, the shop also provided Kaw Indians from the nearby reservation a place to trade buffalo robes, deer and wolf skins, and other pelts for manufactured products. Later, this building was home to a post office, a government trading house, a polling place on at least one occasion, and, eventually, a display house for its owner's antiques. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 for its importance along the Santa Fe Trail and in the history of early Council Grove and Morris County. In 2015, it was donated to the Kansas Historical Society, which planned to restore it and convert it into an interpretive center for the Santa Fe Trail.

Last Chance Store

The First Baptist Church has served the Council Grove community since 1870. The historic church building, constructed between 1909 and 1913, is an example of twentieth-century eclecticism, which often led churches to enjoy a mixture of traditional architectural styles. The First Baptist consists of a mix of Romanesque and Gothic Revival attributes. The congregation met in the historic church from 1909 to 1993 before moving to a new location. The First Baptist Church, established in 1870 and then again in 1873 after a period of dormancy, built its first church building in 1884. A flood in 1903 destroyed the building, forcing the community to purchase a new property. Although construction started in 1905, significant delays kept the cornerstone from being laid until 1909. By 1910 (seven years after the flood destroyed the first building), work progressed enough to allow the congregation to meet in the east lecture room on the main floor of the newly-constructed church building; construction finished in 1913. The Romanesque Revival style, characterized by massive articulated wall structures, round arches, and grand vaults, consists of classic Roman and Byzantine elements from the early eleventh century. The style (mainly in church designs) grew popular in the U.S. during the second half of the nineteenth century. Meanwhile, Gothic styles have roots in the Middle Ages, but its revival occurred during the nineteenth century in England before spreading to the U.S. The Gothic Revival style is characterized by a steeply pitched roof, wall surface extending into gable without a break, and windows that stretch to the ceilings. In ecclesiastical interpretations, such as the First Baptist Church, gable roofs are typical, as are entryway arches, string courses, and towers. The First Baptist Church used the historic building continuously until August 1993, when they moved into a new facility. The Council Grove Community Center took ownership of the building in 1994. It has most recently served as the Bowers Community Center and, as of 2021, the home to the Kansas Farm Management Association. After vacating the old church, the First Baptist congregation removed the stained glass windows from the main floor of the building and incorporated them into their new building. Also, they removed the 1909 cornerstone and relocated it to the new building; otherwise, the building remains largely intact.

Established in 1870, the First Baptist Church built its first permanent church building in 1884 only to have it destroyed by a flood in 1903. After six years of fundraising and construction delays, the congregation finally met in the new, now-historic building in 1909. The structure enjoys a mix of Gothic Revival and Romanesque styles, part of a early-twentieth-century trend known as eclecticism. The church community used the facility until 1993 when it transitioned into a community center until 2020.

First Baptist Church of Council Grove

The Stella Opera House was constructed by local builder T.W. Whiting, who named the establishment after his daughter. After opening in 1916, it showed live musicals and theater productions and was renamed the Stella Theater in 1918 when it began to screen motion pictures. In 1936, it was renamed the Ritz Theater but became commonly known by either name. Over the years, it became a staple of downtown Council Grove, with residents across several generations sharing their fond memories of spending time here. According to Helen Judd, Stella Whiting's daughter, called the theater the town's "public form of recreation."As with many other small-town businesses, the Stella Theater sadly suffered from decreased demand when the population of Council Grove began to fall. The city's population peaked prior to World War II and has been steadily dropping ever since, especially from the 1970s. As a result, the theater was forced to show its last film in 1999 and its last play the following year. After some use in 2000 for special events, it closed its doors permanently and has remained unused ever since. As a result, its condition has seriously deteriorated, facing a number of issues in need of fixing. Neither of the building's two bathrooms comply with modern disability laws. Plaster has fallen onto the theater seats from the ceiling, water leaks from the walls, and the ceiling has begun to sag. In 2001, it was purchased by Mick Ranney, owner of Footprints, a shoe store in Lawrence. After a few years of ownership, Ranney stated that his purchase "was a mistake" and that he wanted to sell the theater, but only to someone who would save it. He publicly offered to give it away for free if the new owner was willing to pay the estimated $400,000 needed for repairs. However, no one was apparently willing to take him up on this offer, and the Stella Theater sits vacant to this day.

Constructed in 1916, this former theater and film venue was a popular gathering place for Council Grove residents for much of the twentieth century. After its construction by T.W. Whiting, who named the theater after his daughter, it was renamed the Ritz Theater in 1936 but remained known by either name. One of Stella Whiting's children called the theater Council Grove's "public form of recreation." Sadly, though, as the city's population dropped, so did demand for small businesses like this one. The Stella showed its final film in 1999 and its last play the following year. In 2001, it was purchased by a Lawrence, Kansas businessman. Upon realizing the extent of needed repairs, the new owner offered to give the building away as long as the new owner was willing to pay the estimated $400,000 needed for repairs. Despite some early interest from local historians, though, no one apparently took him up on his offer, and the Stella remains vacant today.

Stella Theater

The Council Grove Library Association, established in 1876, received the $10,000 Carnegie Library grant in 1903 and built the Neo-Classic library building in 1917. The historic library was one of sixty-three Cargenegie Libraries constructed in Kansas during the first three decades of the twentieth century.An exceptionally wealthy industrialist, Andrew Carnegie (1835 -1919) enjoyed a complicated relationship with laborers and the lower class. In 1882, Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick colluded to beat down the striking steelworkers during the Homestead Steel Strike (workers sought better pay and improved working conditions), one of the worst labor conflicts in American history. Seven years later, in 1889, Carnegie wrote "The Gospel of Wealth." In the article, he explained spelled his views on philanthropy: "In bestowing charity the main consideration should be to help those who help themselves." His well-documented philanthropy amounted to $333 million (ninety percent of his fortune), most of which went to public buildings and community projects, which he deemed "the improvement of mankind." Much of his wealth went to building libraries. Indeed, more than $56 million of his wealth went to constructing more than 2,500 libraries. Though many of his laborers said, "What good is a book to a man who works 12 hours a day, six days a week?" Carnegie felt that raising wages would not help as workers would probably spend it on better food or drinks instead of what he thought they "needed." Ultimately, The Carnegie Corporation significantly impacted the development and expansion of public library systems worldwide. Between 1886 and 1921, Carnegie funds assisted in the construction of 1,681 city and 108 college libraries in the United States. Kansas ranks approximately eleventh in the number of Carnegie Libraries built, with sixty-three Cargenegie Libraries erected in the state during the first three decades of the twentieth century.Communities initiated contact with the Carnegie corporation indicating their desire for a Carnegie-funded library. The funds paid for the library construction while the town provided the money to pay for the building's maintenance. Thus, most Carnegie library projects involved both the grant request and voter support of a referendum in a public election. Before 1910, the Carnegie Corporation did not provide design guidelines for the libraries that it funded because the library existed as a relatively new building type; few architects or builders had experience with its design. In 1910, Carnegie's personal secretary James Bertram developed model specifications and floor plans for proposed libraries, entitling his work Notes on Library Buildings. The Notes on Library Buildings provided the first widely circulated guidelines for library design in this country, such as a need for the librarian to oversee the library from a central position with the housing of books on the main floor, comfortable accommodations for reading them by adults and children, and a (basement) lecture room. The thirty-six Carnegie Libraries built in Kansas after 1910 reflect Bertram's library model.

This historic library opened in 1917 thanks in part to a matching grant from Andrew Carnegie and public funds. Council Grove's library association formally organized in 1876 and submitted its grant proposal to the Carnegie Corporation in 1903, but it took organizers many years to secure the required matching funds and construct the now-historic library. Carnegie's road to his storied philanthropy included a long and complex relationship with the working class. For instance, an 1892 strike at one of Carnegie's mills culminated in hired "detectives" killing several striking workers. Later in life, Carnegie spent ninety percent of his fortune (more than $330 million in 1915 dollars) on community projects, including thousands of libraries. More than sixty of those Carnegie-funded libraries were built in Kansas, including the Council Grove Carnegie Library.

Council Grove Carnegie Library

Seth Hays arrived in 1847 and is widely recognized as the founder of Council Grove. Roughly twenty years later, he built this home (sometime between 1866 and 1867). The home speaks to the success he and his early partner, G.M. Simcock, enjoyed as mercantile businessmen on the Santa Fe Trail. Hays, who never married, lived in the home with his adopted daughter Kittie and his former slave Sarah Taylor who gained her freedom in 1861 when Kansas entered the Union as a free state. The Hays family referred to Sarah as "Aunt Sally," a moniker many white families utilized in the era before and after slavery to reinforce the racial hierarchy of the day while insisting that African Americans they owned or employed were treated "as family." Sarah Taylor chose to stay with Seth and worked as a servant, taking care of Kittie and performing household duties for the Hays family. When Sarah passed away in 1872, Seth insisted she would be buried in his cemetery lot rather than a small and separate portion of the cemetery where African Americans were buried at that timeSeth Hays was the great-grandson of Daniel Boone and cousin to Kit Carson, was born in Missouri on April 23, 1811, and grew up in modern-day Kansas City. In April 1847, two Santa Fe Trail traders — Albert G. Boone and James G. Hamilton — established a trading post on the Kaw Reservation near today's Council Grove; they possessed a Kanza Indian trading license. The two traders commissioned Hays to build a store and trade with the Kanza, or Kaw, Nation. As a result, Hays became the first white settler of the town that evolved into Council Grove. In addition to trading with Native Americans, Hays interacted with those traversing the Santa Fe Trail; Council Grove evolved into a popular stop along the trail. Hays constructed a log cabin where he lived and conducted his trading business. He lived with Sarah Taylor, an African-American slave commonly referred to as "Aunt Sally." In 1852, he bought out Boon and Hamilton and traded under his own name. Five years later, in 1857, he constructed a larger building to accommodate the increasing Santa Fe Trail traffic. That same year, he partnered with G. M. Simcock (See Clio Entry "Simcock House") to form S.M. Hays &amp; Company, a trading post, restaurant, hotel, courthouse, post office, printing office, meeting and social hall, and bawdy form of dinner theater. Both Simcock and Hays grew wealthy by 1860 when a Rocky Mountain gold rush increased traffic through Council Grove. By 1860, the newly-formed Council Grove Town Company sold lots, which led to a home-building boom. One year later, Kansas entered the Union as a free state; thus, Aunt Sally earned her freedom, but she stayed with Hays as his servant. Also, in 1861, Hays took into his home Kittie Parker Robbins, whose mom died shortly after giving birth (the father moved, her two sisters were placed in foster care, and the family never reunited). Sarah raised Kittie, hence how she became known as Aunt Sally.In 1862, Hays moved to Colorado after selling his store's business interest to Simcock, but Hays retained ownership of the building. During the three years he spent in Colorado, the Santa Fe trade grew exceptionally lucrative. Simcock estimated that $40 million in freight traveled through the town. Hays returned to Council Grove in 1865 and on January 1, 1866, Simcock moved his business across the street to the building that is known today as the Trowbridge building. Hays resumed trading in the original store building, selling supplies and room and board to travelers, including such famous guests as Jesse James and General Custer. The success of Hays' business allowed him to build the now-historic home in 1866 or 1867, roughly the same year he formally adopted Kittie. On his fiftieth birthday, he recorded the home's deed, where he lived with Kittie and Sarah (Aunt Sally), who lived in private quarters located in the home's basement. In 1870 Hays started a newspaper called the Council Grove Democrat as well as the first bank in town, the Council Grove Savings Bank, which was sold in 1872 and renamed the First National Bank. When Sarah's health began to fail in 1871, Hays sent Kittie to live with friends in Kansas City (then known as Westport). One year later, in 1872, Sarah died. Though African Americans were routinely buried together in the corner of the cemetery, Hays insisted Sarah be buried in his lot, where Hays was buried near her one year later in 1873. Today, the Seth Hays Home stands as a monument to the founder of Council Grove and serves as a museum managed by the Morris County Historical Society. Meanwhile, his store continues to operate as the Hays House Restaurant, the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River.

Seth Hays founded what became Council Grove when he arrived in 1847 as the area's first settler of European origin. Hays opened a trading store that conducted business with the local Kaw Nation (Kaw Reservation) as well as travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Hays and G.M. Simcock, another person instrumental in founding Council Grove, entered into a mercantile business that provided financial success to both of them. Hays built his home in either 1866 or 1867 and, although he was unmarried, lived with his adopted daughter, Kittie, and Sarah "Aunt Sally" Taylor. Sarah, an enslaved African American, came to Council Grove with Seth. This historic house now operates as a museum operated by the Morris County Historical Society.

History of Council Grove Kansas Driving Tour

Hermit's Cave and William McKinley Monument

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources