History of Council Grove Kansas Driving Tour

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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.

2. Council Grove Carnegie Library

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.

3. Stella Theater

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.

4. First Baptist Church of Council Grove

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.

5. Last Chance Store

Travelers along the Santa Fe Trail had one final chance to purchase necessary supplies before starting a long 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.

6. Hermit's Cave and William McKinley Monument

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.

7. Kaw Mission

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.

8. Simcock House

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.

9. The Cottage House Hotel

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.

10. Farmers and Drovers Bank

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.

11. Council Grove National Bank

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 & 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.

12. Conn Store Building

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 & 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.

13. Hays House 1857 Restaurant & Tavern

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.

14. Madonna of the Trail (Council Grove, Kansas)

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.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

History of Council Grove Kansas Driving Tour

Created by Clio Admin on July 16th 2021, 11:55:25 pm.

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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.

Entries on This Tour

History of Council Grove Kansas Driving Tour

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