Posts in this category are part of the Border War Series
This week we continue our journey through West Central Kansas with a stop at Fort Larned, which is located near Larned, Kansas, approximately 270 miles from the western edge of Kansas City. The camp created in 1859 was originally named “Camp on Pawnee Fork”. The name was soon changed to “Camp Alert” by the resident […]
For this post, we continue our trip through south-central Kansas with a visit to Dodge City. Dodge City would earn the nickname, “Sodom of the West” due to the wild and raucous nature of life in the city in the late 1800s. Located 330 miles from the western edge of Kansas City, Dodge City was staked
I’m going to step a little bit away from the Border War for my next few posts. In August I traveled throughout central Kansas visiting several historical sites throughout the region. I’m going to use the next few posts to talk about those sites and share images from my travels throughout that region. I hope
Nicodemus Kansas; A Slave City Read More »
Fort Scott, named after General Winfield Scott, was built in 1842 to give soldiers a place to live while working to maintain peace between white settlers and the Native American population in the area. The fort was also used as a supply point for troops and equipment being sent to the Mexican-American War which lasted
This post is a continuation of the “Battle of Independence, Part 1. I recommend that read that post first before reading this one. At 4:30 am the morning of August 11, a group of rebels made up mostly of Quantrill’s men quietly rode into town and hitched their horses on the square. Quantrill’s job was
Battle of Independence, Independence Square (Part 2) Read More »
This tour stop takes us back to Independence, where the First Battle of Independence occurred on August 11, 1862. There is a single informational sign on the south side of the courthouse and don’t forget to visit the 1859 jail and museum which was the topic of the last Border War Tour Stop. One other note
Battle of Independence, Independence Square (Part 1) Read More »
Our next couple of stops on the Border War Tour will take us to Independence, Missouri. Today, we will visit the Jackson County Jail and the next stop will be on the Independence Square for the First Battle of Independence. The Jackson County Jail is tricky to find if you don’t keep your eyes peeled. It
Historic Jackson County Jail: Independence, MO Read More »
The Lane Trail is a route from the east and north into Kansas that allowed settlers from those regions to avoid Missouri and the ruffians who might accost them on their way to Kansas. Established in 1856, the trail was named after James H Lane, who from the mid-1850s through the end of the Civil
Lane’s Trail and Amazon’s Underground Railroad Read More »
The first Capital of Kansas was located in a small town called Pawnee, Kansas. It has been said that the events that took place in the building, which still stands today, were the first actions that would eventually lead to the Civil War. Pawnee was just outside the boundaries of Fort Riley which had been
Pawnee: First Territorial Capital of Kansas Read More »
The strange story of William Quantrill’s multiple graves is too long to cover in a short post so this post will contain the Reader’s Digest version. For a more complete picture of the story, please check out the chapter entitled “Quantrill’s Bones” in my book, Moonlit Mayhem. Signed copies can be purchased at www.jonathanjonesauthor.com. William
The Strange Story of Quantrill’s Bones Read More »
