Three miles south of Olathe on Lone Elm Road, on the main branch of the Santa Fe Trail, was the site of a spring (now enclosed in a small well) and excellent grazing for livestock. The spring was a major campsite for Santa Fe Trail travelers, where most emigrants spent their first night after departing just a few miles west of the Missouri-Kansas line.
As time progressed, the "Elm Grove" was cut down by the travelers for firewood, resulting in the name "Lone Elm." Eventually the last tree was also cut down but the name endured.
Today, a public campground is nearby at Cedar Lake.