kansas-history

[kansas-history]

Pony Express Marker (Non-KHS)

If you head west from Saint Joseph on Highway 36 you’ll be on a winding road that follows Peters Creek until it drains into the Missouri River. About 14 miles later, on a little run-off near Troy, is a bit of local history.

This marker represents the approximate location of a Pony Express station. I talked a lot about the Pony Express in a previous post about the stables previously in Elmwood. One interesting facet about this marker is that it describes the business model of the Pony Express. The Express ran horses from Saint Joseph all the way to California. They needed frequent stops both for rest (of horse and rider!), as well as places to route deliveries. It wasn’t economical to build them all new, so the Company paid local inns to service their teams.

The stop near Troy was 16 rooms and a tavern. Not bad, considering the population of Troy was about 600 people at the time.

[kansas-history]

Roseport (KHS #5)

Once upon a time, civilization ended at the Missouri River. East of the Missouri you could find a flourishing rail and river network, post routes, cities, everything your heart desires. But west of the Missouri? Frontier land.

Roseport (now Elmwood) was a key landmark for 19th century people who wanted to go west. This is after the Great Emigration, so we aren't talking about early fur trappers or pioneers. These are later people using more established trails to get to Oregon and California.

Nearby Saint Joseph (east of the river) was filled with suppliers, rail companies, and outfitters for your caravan. On the west side, your journey began in Roseport. The first Pony Express stop in Kansas was here, and the first railroads in Kansas were also being started here.

The marker is in an unceremonious location. It is in building built to look like a fort. It apparently used to be a gift shop, but is now closed.

There is a marker here memorializing the Pony Express stables that once stood in Elmwood. I went looking for their location, but unfortunately wasn't able to find anything.

[kansas-history]

Great photo of an old store in Volland, KS. Volland is an unincorporated settlement in Waubansee County. Its close to Alma, or southwest of Manhattan for you big city-types.

Title: “Kratzer Brothers Store”

The old general store in Volland, Kansas is only a shell and is now recognized by the Kansas Historical Society. The town was founded in the 1800’s and a population of 26 reported in 1910. 

Of notable interest, in 1907, a head-on collision between two Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific trains resulted in the deaths of 30 with another 40 injured. The majority of those killed were Mexican workers located in a single car that caught fire in the collision.

Camera Info: Camera Nikon D700; ISO 200; Aperture f/16; Shutter 1/30 sec; 52mm; The single RAW image was copied and saved into 3 images separated by about 2EV each from the original then processed as HDR by Photomatix Pro.

Ref: KS136345D7.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

[kansas-history]

Vieux Cemetery (KHS #107)

If you go east across the Vieux Crossing (mentioned in the last post) you will find another marker for the Vieux Cemetary.

The entrance to the cemetary is made to resemble the beams used in bridge construction. Kind of an homage to the crossing itself. The picnic tables and other railings use the same style, which was a neat touch.

The cemetary comes with a story. There was a camp on the banks of the river near the crossing. In 1849 cholera wiped out the camp. The travellers, as well as the Vieux family, are buried here.

Vieux Cemetary felt especially important in our current age of COVID. Our current struggles aren't all that different than what the people struggled through 150 years ago.

The cemetary also had a few hidden surprises. There was a log book and an older structure of some kind still preserved.

I really enjoyed visiting Vieux Crossing and the cemetaty. If you happen to be driving near Wamego or Saint Mary take the short drive out of your way.

[kansas-history]

Vieux Crossing for the Oregon and California Trails (KHS #19)

This lone marker stands west of Belvue on highway 24. It marks the Vieux Crossing, where settlers could easily cross the Vermillion River for a small fee.

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that there is no river pictured. And if you check a map there is no river here. To find the actual crossing you need to drive about 10 minutes north to where Oregon Trail Road crosses the Vermillion River.

The river looks tame now, but would have been higher before modern waterway planning and irrigation usage. I figured I could easily cross on foot (but didn't test it), but if I had a Conestoga wagon getting down those banks would be very difficult. The interpretive signage said it could take 2 days of risky labor to attempt to cross.

And this was an important area. Both the Oregon and California Trails crossed here. Eventually the military would use it to travel between local forts too. So it had both significant commercial and military value.

Enter Louis Vieux. A local businessman of Potawatomi descent, he built a toll bridge and charged $1 for each group to cross. By the busy days of the 1840s he was making up to $300 a day!

Nearby Louisville retains his name, and there is still a modern bridge here.

Vieux's life and accomplishments are fairly colorful. He was involved in negotiating between the Potawatomi tribe and federal government. Worth reading about more.

While the Kansas Historical Society sign was oddly placed, the actual crossing was much more interesting. A local historical group has provided more detailed signage and a vestibule for picnicking. Worth a stop if you are headed out west.

Oh, and there is another (maybe better) marker nearby, but you'll have to wait to read about it!

[kansas-history]

Kansas Trails (KHS #9)

Kansas has a long history of trails. Today every where not on a coast is a "fly-over" state, but in Kansas this transportation history goes back to prehistory. Ancient river valleys made for game trails, which later would be followed by Native Americans. When European settlers arrived they used the same trails. These would become wagon train routes and rail lines. In the 20th century the same routes are now part of the highway and interstate system.

Kansas Historical Marker #9 celebrates this history. Its located at a rest station on I-70 east of Lawrence.

The marker can be hard to find. The rest stop includes a McDonald's and a gas station. The gas station staff hadn't heard of it, but you can find it on the west side of the McDonald's. Grab a McRib while you are at it.

While writing this, a friend commented that placing a marker at an interstate rest stop seemed tacky. In this case it is totally appropriate. The interstate is a continuation of the various kinds of trails that have crisscrossed Kansas for centuries. It invites a connection between our modern traveller's and those across history.

Also located at this stop is a Jayhawk statue. Lawrence has these scattered across town and exploring to find them is a fun game.

What else is nearby? Lawrence is also the home of Haskell Indian Nations University, which is unique. Northern Lawrence is the historic downtown and still contains a few restaurants and businesses. The modern downtown is just south over the bridge where you can find a variety of popular restaurants and shopping destinations.