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Santa Fe Trail Marker; Gardner Ks.

This monument was placed by the Gardner Chapter of the Johnson County Old Settlers Association on August 21st, 1907, to mark the crossing of the Santa Fe Trail through Gardner, Kansas. This marker was created at the same time that a series of 96 granite markers were placed to mark the route of the Santa Fe Trail through the State of Kansas. Those 96 markers were funded and dedicated by the Kansas Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, but this marker in Gardner was a standalone monument created separately from that project. Its location at the northeast corner of Elm and E. Shawnee St. in front of the Gardner School marks where the Santa Fe Trail crossed through the original town of Gardner. 

Gardner Junction

Gardner Junction is an historic site on Highway 56 about a mile southwest of Gardner, Kansas. A modern park marks the location of the spot where the northern and southern routes of the Santa Fe Trail converged and where the Oregon and California Trails split from the Santa Fe Trail. The junction is named for the nearby town of Gardner, founded as a Free-Stater settlement by Massachusetts immigrants in 1857. Nothing remains of junction today. The National Park Service has installed 6 interpretive signs on trail history in the park. 

Beaver Dam plantation house and property

Built in 1829 by William Lee Davidson the second, the house is a two-story federal style home that now sits on eight acres along a popular commuter road. ● The land on which it sits was originally inhabited by people of the Native American Catawba tribe. ● in 1835, members of the Concord Presbytery gathered here to arrange the acquisition of land for the founding of Davidson College. ● For decades, people were enslaved on the plantation; little is known about who they were, their lives and deaths, or where their descendants are today.

Jackson Street Shops (1882 - 1959)

The Jackson Street shops were built in 1882 for the Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railroad, which eventually became the Great Northern Railway. These shops provided spaces and services that supported the freight, passenger, and livestock trains that came through the area. Three of the original buildings still stand and have now been converted for modern use. The three remaining buildings are under the control of the Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission, which has made the shops a local historic district.

Lyndhurst Mansion

Also known as the Jay Gould Estate, Lyndhurst Mansion is a stunning Gothic Revival home nestled in Tarrytown, New York. Designed in 1838 by renowned architect Alexander Jackson Davis, the mansion was originally built for former New York City mayor William Paulding, Jr. as his country retreat, which he called "The Knoll." The estate was later expanded for its second owner, George Merritt, who renamed it "Lyndenhurst Mansion" in honor of the linden trees on the property. In 1880, railroad magnate Jay Gould purchased the home, and it remained in his family until 1961. Today, Lyndhurst spans 67 acres and is open for tours, offering visitors a glimpse into the grand estate, preserved much as the Gould family left it.

Cyrus Bustill - Historic Marker

Inscription:"Born of white, Black, and Native American descent, he bought his freedom and became a baker of bread for Revolutionary troops. A founder of the Free African Society, he later opened a school for Black children while living here."Erected 1992 by Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

Betsy Ross - Historic Marker

Inscription:"Credited with making the first stars and stripes flag, Ross was a successful upholsterer. She produced flags for the government for over 50 years. As a skilled artisan, Ross represents the many women who supported their families during the Revolution and early Republic."Erected 2009 by Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

Deutschheim State Historic Site

This living history site has been operated by the state of Missouri since 1978 and shares the story of German migration to America and Missouri in the mid-19th century. Deutschheim State Historic Site includes a variety of restored 1840s and 1850s buildings full of artifacts and interactive experiences that share the story of how German-Americans established homes, farms, and businesses in the Hermann area.

Fort Extension and Blockhouse Historical Marker

In 1608, the Jamestown fort, established one year earlier in 1607, was expanded eastward from its original triangular configuration into a larger enclosure. The expanded fort included the colony’s domestic living spaces and gardens within its new five-pointed design. In 1617, a timber-framed church was also added to the enclosure. The east-facing corner of the fort was protected by a two-story blockhouse, a defensive structure that marked the fort’s expansion into what would eventually become "New Towne." The blockhouse may also have been used as a refuge during the harsh winter of 1609-10, when two-thirds of the colonists died.

Brevard's Chapel United Methodist Church

Brevard's Chapel is more than just an old church. It's one of the few surviving African American places of worship from the post-Civil War era.After the Civil War, African Americans were no longer welcome at some white churches and wanted their own place of worship. In the 1870s Henry Brevard gave an acre of his land for a new church that was named Brevard's Chapel. Brevard's Chapel was constructed by hand by African Americans who once worshiped at white churches.The fanciful Carpenter Gothic style was popular elsewhere in the late 1800s but was uncommon among United Methodist churches in North Carolina, making Brevard's Chapel particularly unique.