Council Grove, Kansas

Kaw Mission

The Kaw (or Kansa) Indians lived in three villages southeast of Council Grove from 1848 until their removal south to Indian Territory in 1873. Methodist Episcopal missionaries built this school for Kaw children in 1851

Hays House

Town founder Seth Hays, a grandson of Daniel Boone and cousin of Kit Carson, opened the Hays House in 1857. Over the years, the Hays House was a gathering place for church services, court trials, bawdy theatricals and politicians\'

Seth Hays Historic Home

Council Grove town founder, Seth Hays, built this home in 1867. His slave, Aunt Sally, lived in the basement and cared for Hays and his adopted daughter, Kittie Robbins, until her death in 1872. Hays died a year later, February 3, 1873

Guardian of the Grove Statue

Post Office Oak and Museum

This 300-year-old bur oak (just the trunk remains) served as the unofficial post office for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail from 1825-1847. Passing caravans could leave messages for future travelers in a cache in the base of the tree. A stone building erected in 1864