THE SETTLING OF KANSAS

With the expansion of the railroad, the Midwest experienced an explosion of immigration. The fertile plains of Kansas offered new opportunities to those willing to work and live in a new, and at times hostile environment. These settlers overcame great hardships in the hope that they could not only better their lives but better the country as a whole. Without these ordinary people overcoming extraordinary odds, the world would be without one of the greatest wheat producing regions.

A Brief Time Line of Kansas History

1803-The United States purchases the Louisiana territory from France. This transaction ended the trading era for Kansas and brought about the exploration of a new American settlement.
1804-Lewis and Clark make camp at several points in the Leavenworth area.
1804-July, at what is present day Atchison, Lewis and Clark celebrate what is the first Independence Day in Kansas by firing swivel gun. They later named Independence Creek and ended the day with another cannon blast.
1806-The American flag was raised for the first time in Kansas by a Pawnee Indian Chief.
1806-Lt. Zebulon Pike crossed the Kansas area on an exploration mission in which he met with the Indians of the area and signed treaties with them as the representative of the new “White Father.”
1819-The Western Engineer was the first steamer to enter the Kansas River.
1821-William Becknell was the first to follow the route that later became known as the Santa Fe Trail though Morris County at what became known as Council Grove.
1825-Treaties were negotiated between the federal government and the Kansa and Osage tribes for the cession of Kansa-Osage land onto which eastern Indians could be moved.
1825-Daniel Boone was appointed to help the Indians
1825-The United States signs a treaty with the Osage Indians obtaining the right of way for the establishing of the Santa Fe Trail.
1827-Fort Leavenworth was established by Col. Henry Leavenworth as an army post to protect the western frontier and travelers on the Santa Fe Trail.
1829-Reverend Thomas Johnson opens the Shawnee Methodist the largest and historically important mission as a school.
1830-The Indian Removal Bill, signed by President Andrew Jackson, uprooted the Kickapoo, Shawnee, Delaware, Pottawatomie, Wyandot, Ottawa, Chippewa, Iowa, Miami, Sac, and Fox tribes. In exchange for their land they were relocated to west of the Mississippi River.
1830-William Sublette took the first wagons along the Oregon Trail to the Rocky Mountains
1831-Isaac McCoy founded the Shawnee Baptist Mission opened by Johnston Lykins.
1833-Jotham Meeker came to Shawnee Baptist Mission bringing with him the first printing press on Kansas soil.
1841-The first emigrant wagon train journeyed west from Independence , Missouri
1842-Fort Scott was established, named in honor of General Winfield Scott.
1843-Wyandot Indians arrive in Kansas and purchase land between the Missouri and Kansas rivers from the Delaware Indians.
1844-The first free school was established by the Wyandot Indians.
1846-The Kansa Indians signed a treaty ceding their reservation land along the Kansas River in exchange for a smaller reservation along the upper valley of Neosho River.
1850-Fort Atkinson was established by Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Vose Sumner located west of present day Dodge City. Intended to control the Indians and protect the Santa Fe Trail, this small army post was made entirely of sod buildings.
1853-Fort Riley was established in Kansas by Captain Charles S. Lovell.
1854-Col. Cyrus K. Holliday came to Kansas Territory, he was a founder of Topeka and promoter of the Santa Fe Railroad.
1854-The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed, the purpose of which was to open the country to the transcontinental railways.
1854-Andrew H. Reeder was appointed the first territorial governor of Kansas.
1854-The New England Emigrant Aid Society helped found the city of Lawrence in hopes of populating the frontier with anti-slavery supporters.
1854-The first Swiss immigrants arrive in the Kansas Territory.
1855-The Valley Falls Mill was built by Isaac Cody father of Bill Cody.
1855-A free-state constitution was framed in Topeka. It did not receive serious consideration in Congress.
1855-July, the first territorial Capitol of Kansas was built of native stone on the Fort Riley reservation.
1856-August, John Brown and 40 defenders were attacked by an army of pro slavery Missourians. In the raid on Osawatomie, the settlement was burned by the invaders and Brown's son Frederick was killed.
1857-A group of German immigrants settled in Allen County and founded Humbolt and Iola. Germans were located in all counties and had large settlements in Kansas City, Leavenworth, Seneca and Topeka.
1857-The Hays house is founded by Seth M. Hays at Council Grove, said to be the longest operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River.
1857-The Last Chance Store in Council Grove was the last opportunity for those headed to Santa Fe to stock up on supplies.
1858-May, the Marais Des Cygnes River is the site of a famous confrontation between pro slavery and abolition forces. This massacre was the last significant display of mob rule in Kansas.
1859-A constitutional convention assembled at Wyandotte, the document they drafted barred slavery and fixed the present boundaries. It was accepted by a vote of the people and a provisional state government was elected.
1859-Fort Larned was established, first known as Fort Alert, to protect travelers, commerce and mail on the Santa Fe Trail from Indians.
1859-President Lincoln visited Kansas and spoke at the Planters Hotel.
1860-During the winter W. H. Russell completed plans for the Pony Express.
1860-The oil industry gets it start in Kansas, although large scale development was delayed because of lack on commercial interest.
1860's-Large numbers of Irish were located in Dickinson, Seneca, Pottawatomie and Boston County's.
1860-The Pony Express was inaugurated in Kansas, more than 125 miles of the eastern route was in Kansas.
1860-The legislature passed a bill over the governor's veto abolishing slavery in Kansas.
1861-Kansas was admitted into the Union as the 34^th state. Topeka became the state Capitol.
1861-In answer to President Lincoln's call for troops in April, Kansas supplied 650 men for the Civil War. By the end of the war Kansas had supplied 20,097 men to the Union Army. Kansas also suffered the highest mortality rate of any of the Union States.
1861-Kansas woman were given the right to vote is school elections, earlier than most states.
1861-The Kansas Legislature adopts Ad Astra Per Aspera as the official state motto.
1862-The Homestead Act greatly aided in the opening of the country after the Civil War. The land for the act came from the railroads who were trying vigorously to dispose of these holdings.
1863-William C. Quantrill led Confederate gorillas on a surprise attack against Lawrence. Killing 150 residents and destroying $1.5 million worth of property.
1863-Kansas State University was founded, the second state agricultural college in the United States.
1864-The only major battle fought on Kansas soil occurred at Mine Creek. This battle won by the Union Army ended the threat of a Confederate invasion in Kansas.
1864-Indians begin attacks on frontier settlements.
1864-Jim R. Mead becomes the first white settler in Wichita when he opens his trading post.
1865-After the Civil War, Jesse Chisholm pioneered the Chisholm Trail with a wagon load of goods to trade with the Indians for buffalo hides.
1865-April, Fort Dodge is established by Captain Henry Pierce to protect the Santa Fe Trail from Indians.
1865-Fort Fletcher was established as a frontier military post to protect military roads, defend construction gangs on the Union Pacific Railroad, and guard the U.S. Mail.
1866-Construction of the Kansas State Capitol begins in Topeka.
1866-St. Vincent's Home the first Kansas orphanage was opened by the Sisters of Charity.
1866-November, Fort Fletcher is renamed Fort Hays.
1866-George Custer forms the famed 7^th Cavalry at Fort Riley.
1867-Starting in 1867 and continuing until 1872 more that 3 million head of Texas longhorn are driven up the Chisholm Trail to the Union Pacific Railroad shipping center at Abilene.
1867-Indian attacks on settlers reached their peak when nearly 130 settlers were killed.
1868-The Nineteenth Kansas Cavalry is mustered in for the Indian Wars.
1869-Wild Bill Hickok is appointed special marshal of Hays City.
1871-James Butler Hickok replaces Tom Smith as Marshal of Abilene.
1872-Brewster M. Higley writes the words to the song “Home on the Range.”
1872-When the Santa Fe Railroad was completed the days of the Santa Fe Trail as a main transport route were over.
1873-The Kaw Indians are removed from their reservation in Morris County to the Oklahoma Territory opening the land to white settlers.
1874-Mennonites arrive with trunks full of Turkish Red Wheat. This strain became the basis of the abundant crops that are an important part of the Kansas economy.
1874-A grasshopper invasion devastated crops, many people lost nearly everything. Aid from the East was sent to help people survive the winter.
1876-The state Legislature abolishes color distinction from Kansas law.
1877-William “Bat” Masterson becomes sheriff of Ford County.
1877-Reverend Simon P. Roundtree, first settler of the African-American colony of Nicodemus, arrives on the town site.
1878-By this time the buffalo had all but disappeared from Kansas and was rapidly approaching total extinction.
1878-A Cheyenne band led by Dull Knife and Little Wolf engage in the last recorded armed confrontation in Kansas between Indians and settlers.
1879-The Kansas Legislature is dealing with the prominent issue of prohibition.
1880-Kansas became the first state in the Union to pass and amendment prohibiting the manufacture, sale or gift of all forms of intoxicating liquor.
1882-Dodge City was the “Cowboy Capital” of the West.
1884-The great cattle drives ended. Alarmed by the increase of “Texas Fever” being brought in by the Texas tick, legislation is passed forbidding the import of Texas Cattle.
1886-Two members of a Saratoga raiding party were wounded when Pratt was attacked during the county-seat fight.
1887-The first woman mayor in the United States, was Susan Madora Salter, was elected into office in Argonia.
1888-Almost a dozen salt plants were in operation in Hutchison.
1888-Large Swedish colonies were being settled in western Kansas. The Swedish Colonization Co. had sold nearly 50,000 acres in the seven months.
1889-Albert Alexander Hyde of Wichita invents Mentholatum.
1890-Kansas approved state-wide prohibition, but many saloons continued to operate. Carrie Nation raided many of them in 1900.
1892-The infamous Dalton Gang rode into Coffyville and attempted to rob two banks. A shootout followed in which four outlaws and four residents were killed.
1897-Lutie Lytle of Topeka becomes the first African-American Woman in the country to be admitted to the practice of law.
1898-Kansas enlist four regiments for service in the Spanish-American War.
1899-C.L. Brown and his father Jacob announces he formation of the Brown Telephone Company, corporate forerunner of present day Sprint.

By the turn of the century Kansas had settled into a life dominated by agriculture. The history of the State of Kansas is as diverse as the people who helped settle it. The state motto says it best, there were difficulties but as a people they overcome them, to form this great state of ours. We as a state and as a nation owe a great deal to these pioneering people who risked everything to follow the pursuit of happiness.

Some information taken from Kansas History Online and Kansas Timeline

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