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Baldwin City, Kansas

The Midland Historic Railroad began operation August 8, 1987 with a restored diesel engine, a 1923 Rock Island commuter coach and a 1950 caboose. It has since been expanded to include additional historic railroad equipment, including a railway post office car, additional locomotives, coaches, wooden caboose, a steam engine, and more.

The Midland Railway operates an authentic re-creation of an American local passenger excursion train on a line originally constructed in 1867 running southward from Baldwin City to Norwood, Kansas. Using early 1900s vintage coaches, the train makes an 11-mile round trip to "Nowhere," traveling through scenic Eastern Kansas rolling farmland and woods and across a 200-foot trestle 24 feet above a meandering stream. The Railway is an intrastate, common-carrier railroad, operating to preserve and display transportation history as an educational demonstration railroad.

The Midland tourist season begins Memorial Day weekend and continues through the end of October. http://www.midland-ry.org/midland.html

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Area History Mural

The mural depicting area history was painted by local artist, Tom Russell. It is displayed in the Baldwin State Bank.

Baldwin City, KS Arts

Parmenter Hall

Parmenter Hall with its distinguishing tower, is the first building actually built on the Baker University campus and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The cornerstone was laid in June, 1866, but lack of financing delayed completion until 1881

Baldwin City, KS National Register

Baker University

Baker is a liberal arts university which draws the region's finest students. The first university in Kansas, Baker was founded by Methodist ministers 139 years ago.

Baldwin City, KS Colleges

Santa Fe Trail Well

Located three blocks north of Highway 56 on Washington Street in Baldwin (the only Palmyra street to still carry its original name), the Santa Fe Trail Well provided the first fresh water for travelers on the Trail.

Hand dug to 40 feet, it was later deepened to 70

Baldwin City, KS Pioneer Life

The Historic Santa Fe Depot

The Santa Fe Depot was built in 1906 and is the only remaining depot of Kansas' first railroad south of the Kaw, the Leavenworth, Lawrence, and Ft. Gibson.

It includes unique architectural features of triple arched windows, floor water cooler, dual gas/

Baldwin City, KS Railroad History

Things to do near Baldwin City, KS