Saturday, January 19, 2008

Council Grove - on the Santa Fe Trail

A favorite place to start your Kansas Flint Hills visit is Council Grove, in Morris County.

The name "Council Grove" originated from treaty negotiations conducted here in 1825. The treaty, forged between U.S. commissioners and Osage Indian chiefs, granted whites safe passage along the Santa Fe Trail.

The site of Council Grove was a camping and meeting place for Native Americans, explorers, soldiers, and Santa Fe Trail traders. Here they found ample water, grass, and abundant wood due to the extensive groves of hardwood timber. As a rendezvous point for caravans moving west on the Santa Fe Trail, Council Grove provided both Hispanic and American travelers an opportunity to repair wagons and secure provisions in preparation for the long overland trip to Santa Fe.

Plan to visit soon!

We'll discuss some of the individual historic sites to see in Council Grove another day.

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

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