History Just Ahead: Historic Markers of Johnson County
From modern parkways and near shopping malls, hidden in quiet neighborhoods and along busy highways, historic markers can be found inviting drivers to stop, pull over, and enjoy a unique glimpse into the past. These historic markers are found throughout the county, conveying the messages of individuals, places, and events that have one way or another created a lasting impression on Johnson County. In some cases, these markers have their own history to tell. Take a moment and enjoy this whirlwind tour of some of the more unique historic markers in our county.
History Happened Here!
The historic Santa Fe Trail and Oregon-California Trail easily ranks as the most marked historic places in Johnson County. While the paths of these overland trails show little physical evidence of the hundreds of thousands of travelers who traversed this area, monuments and signs placed by various organizations abundantly mark these historic routes. One of the earliest marker programs in the nation started here in the State of Kansas. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) was one of the first organizations to mark historic places throughout the country, starting in our region with the Santa Fe Trail. In 1880, the railroad arrived in Santa Fe and the old Santa Fe Trail was no longer commonly used. The DAR recognized the historical significance of the Santa Fe Trail, and beginning in the early 20th century, marked the trail before commercialization and highways obliterated what remained.
On March 1, 1905, an act of the Kansas Legislature made $1,000.00 available to mark the Santa Fe Trail through Kansas under the joint supervision of the regent of the Kansas chapter of the DAR and the secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society. The markers were made from red granite rock from Oklahoma. The program provided a total of 89 markers, with additional markers produced by local communities making a grand total of 96 markers to be placed throughout the state of Kansas. In 1906, five of these markers were placed in Johnson County.
The Community Chimes In
The State of Kansas and the state chapter of the DAR were not the only ones interested in marking significant places and events. Old Settlers associations in Johnson County sponsored two of the 96 trail markers mentioned above. The Johnson County Old Settlers Association located a grey granite marker on the courthouse grounds to commemorate not only the Santa Fe Trail, but also the rendezvous point for Kansas soldiers during the Price Raid of 1864. It was dedicated at the Old Settlers Day celebration in 1907. The Old Settlers of Gardner, Kansas, provided a similar grey granite marker commemorating the trail junction and area Civil War conflicts.
Remembering the Oregon Trail
One of the unique stories of our county is that the Santa Fe and Oregon Trail shared a route through much of Johnson County. The Oregon-California Trail split from the Santa Fe Trail in Gardner. On November 11, 1930, a marker dedicated to the Oregon Trail was placed in Gardner by the Olathe DAR chapter. This red granite marker was customized to include an arrow and the words “To Oregon” to commemorate the wooden sign of legend at the trail Junction that stated “Road to Oregon.”
In 1944, the Oregon council of the American Pioneer Trails Association began to place markers along the 2,000 mile route of the Oregon Trail. The State of Kansas received 40 of the markers, which were dedicated on September 15th of that year, and placed in towns, near schools, and along highways. These markers were to be made of cedar posts, 3.5 inches square and six feet tall. They were branded with the words “Oregon Trail” and were placed among a pile of native stones and set in cement. At the time, these markers were described as temporary, with the hopes that they would be replaced after World War II with something more permanent. It is unknown whether any of these markers still exist today.
The Earliest Residents
The land that would become Johnson County was first settled by the Shawnee tribe and the missionaries who received permission to live on their land. In Fairway today, the Shawnee Methodist Mission buildings still stand, but in addition, two other missions were also present. The Olathe DAR chapter recognized the Baptist and Quaker missions by placing red granite markers. The marker for the Quaker Mission, also known as the Friends Mission was placed in Merriam and dedicated on November 11, 1923. A marker for the Baptist Mission was placed at the location of the 1848 Shawnee Baptist church, which was on the Baptist Mission grounds. It was dedicated on October 16, 1929.
The site of the former Shawnee Council House, in a residential neighborhood in today’s city of Shawnee, was marked by a large boulder and accompanying plaque. In addition, the site of the former Shawnee Mill is marked along a park trail in Mill Creek Park.
The Signs of History
Metal signs were also a popular and more economical method to mark historic places and routes. In 1912, the National Old Trails Road Association came into being and stated in its bylaws:
The object of the Association shall be to assist the Daughters of the American Revolution in marking Old Trails and to promote the construction of an Ocean-to-Ocean Highway of modern type worthy of its memorial character.
The National Old Trails Road Association promoted an ocean-to-ocean highway marking project that would retrace the nation’s historic trails. In 1913, the Auto Club of Southern California placed metal signs to mark the National Old Trails Road, loosely following old Santa Fe Trail to Santa Fe and then onward to California. They were placed along the entire route between Kansas City and Los Angeles to attract motorists from the Midwest to Southern California.
In 1948, the American Pioneer Trails Association started their second ambitious project to mark historic sties in our area. White metal oval signs were created to commemorate the Santa Fe Trail. Originally these signs were given to schools along the Santa Fe Trail route, but in 1950, an additional 27 were placed on trees and poles to mark the precise route through Kansas City. While mass quantities of these metal signs were more cost effective than traditional markers of the past, they were less durable and much easier to remove. The metal signs from all of these programs, while once abundant in our area, are now hard to find.
Roadside Wonders
In 1934, the Kansas State Historical Society and the Kansas Highway Commission (now the Kansas Department of Transportation) partnered to mark hundreds of historic sites along the highways of Kansas. These markers were large cast metal brown signs with white lettering. Signs placed in later years featured a distinctive sunflower design on the top. Located state-wide, the signs were placed in small parks along the highways, convenient places for travelers to stop and safely read the markers. In some cases, the committee decided to place these markers miles away from the place or event the marker commemorated or to condense an entire region’s history in one easily accessible place for travelers to find.
The first of these signs in our area was dedicated on August 31, 1940, at the old intersection of K-10 and U.S. Highway 50 to commemorate the former Shawnee Friends Mission. The dedication was considered a state wide event with Miss Royana Bailey from Salina, Kansas, officially unveiling the marker. (Miss Bailey was the daughter of Roy Bailey, the Salina Journal editor who was very active in promoting the historic marker project.) The marker is listed as Kansas Historic Marker #1 and was the first of approximately 117 dedicated across the state. It is located in a small roadside park on the southwestern corner of Merriam Drive and Shawnee Mission Parkway. Kansas Historic Marker #6, the second one placed in Johnson County, is located one and a half miles southwest of Gardner, Kansas, at 183rd Street and Highway 56. It commemorates the historic junction of the Santa Fe and Oregon-California Trails. Currently plans are in the works to expand this roadside turnout.
Marking the Trail of Death
A marker located on private land near State Line Road and 215th Street in the Stilwell area commemorates a lesser known event in our area. From September to November of 1838, over 850 members of the Potawatomi tribe were removed from Indiana to the area we know today as Osawatomie, Kansas. The 660-mile forced march took place over two months and resulted in 40 deaths. The tribe passed through today’s Johnson County on November 2, and stopped at a campsite called Oak Grove on the northern fork of the Blue River. They reached their final destination on November 4, 1838. The route the tribe traveled is known as the Trail of Death.
On February 16, 1994, the State of Kansas declared the Trail of Death a regional historic trail and a total of 74 markers have been placed along its route. Every five years, most recently in 2003, descendants travel the length of the trail to honor their ancestors, and to bring awareness to younger generations of the atrocities from the past.
A marker was placed in Johnson County near the former Oak Grove campsite in 1998. The marker was stolen, but was replaced in 2003. It is located on private land and unfortunately, not accessible to the public at the present time.
The Modern Signs of Our Time
Unique to the metropolitan area, brown metal signs were placed by the Kansas City Area Historic Trails Association (KCAHTA) throughout the county. In addition to the Santa Fe and Oregon-California Trails, these signs also document the California Road (also known as the Westport to Lawrence Road) and the Fort Leavenworth Military Road. Over 350 signs were placed on local roadways at points where the trails crossed.
In addition, many groups on the national, state, and local level continue to mark historic places of the past. On the national level, the National Park Service has done extensive work to further mark the route of the Oregon-California Trail and the Santa Fe Trail as seen by the many metal signs in our area. Many local groups continue to locate and mark significant sites including such projects as a local Eagle Scout project marking significant sites in the Shawnee Mission area in 1990, an interpretive sign by the City of Lenexa to commemorate the former campsite at Flat Rock Creek, and the creation of an entire community park at the former site of the Lone Elm campground in Olathe, to name just a few.
Why Stop?
Historic markers continue to capture the memories of the people, places, and events that have shaped Johnson County’s history. In some cases they become the sole link to remembering past events and a method to convey important events to future generations. Currently, plans are in the works for a number of new historic markers including revamping the old roadside park at Trail Junction and an entire historic plaza at the site of a former amusement park in Merriam. There are literally hundreds of existing historic markers in the region. Unfortunately, this space is too short to mention them all, so take this opportunity to venture out and explore the wonderful history that has been marked throughout the community!
--ALBUM vol. 18, no. 4 (fall 2005)