Kansas was part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.
The first permanent settlements in Kansas were outposts like Fort Leavenworth to protect the pioneers traveling west. Fort Leavenworth played an important role in keeping the peace among the various Indian tribes and the increasing number of settlers heading west. By the 1840s, thousands of wagons passed through Fort Leavenworth on the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails.
Leavenworth, the first city of Kansas, was founded in 1854 mainly to support Fort Leavenworth, which was established in 1827.
Leavenworth’s main industry is prisons and it is the site of a large federal prison and several smaller prisons. Leavenworth’s famous U.S. Penitentiary dated from 1906 took more than 11 years to build with labor provided by inmates from the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks on Fort Leavenworth. Among the infamous criminals incarcerated in the USP were George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd and Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz.
In addition to the large federal presence, there are large private employers such as Hallmark Cards.
Leavenworth is a conservative community of approximately 35,000 people and offers a friendly, small-town environment. Its temperature ranges from an average low of 16 degrees and an average high of 90 degrees. Annual precipitation averages 41 inches and winter snowfall averages about 10 inches.
Charles Wallace Parker made Leavenworth the carousel capital of the world by producing more carousels in Leavenworth than any other city
in the United States. You can ride a beautifully restored 1913 carousel. There are 24 wooden horses, three ponies and two rabbits that are all
hand-carved. One of the carousels is the oldest operating, hand-cranked, wooden carousel built around 1860.
Special arrangements can be made for parties, birthdays, receptions, weddings, meetings and dinners.
The Leavenworth Carnegie Arts Center is located in the oldest Leavenworth Public Library. This private, non-profit organization offers the community fine art instruction in music, visual art, dance, drama and the humanities. The Stacks Gallery hosts regional and national artists year round which are free and open to the public.
This Victorian home was built in 1882. It features elaborate handcrafted woodwork, beautiful stained glass windows and elegant antiques from the Victorian era to the early 20th century. The mansion is only one of the activities of the Leavenworth County Historical Society (LCHS). Its purpose is to preserve an accurate history of the area and to encourage pride and stimulate interest in local history.
A collection houses early frontier memorabilia and artifacts including buggies and cutters that were either manufactured or owned in Leavenworth. The museum features prison memorabilia and mockups of both the United States Penitentiary and Lansing Correction Facility, as well as a showcase of confiscated weaponry made by inmates. There is an extensive display of Western Union Telegraph Morse code equipment and the 1940s perforated tape operation used throughout the country.
Leavenworth, the “First City of Kansas,” invites visitors to take a walk back in time and explore the history of “Where the West Began” by visiting the Historic Wayside Tour.
Waysides are interactive displays located throughout Leavenworth that feature unique local artwork depicting images of significant historical people, structures or events associated with that site. State-of-the-art digital technology allows you to hear a recorded narrative with the mere push of a button. There are 13 waysides located in the riverfront downtown area that can be experienced as a walking tour as well as six waysides as a driving tour. In addition there are waysides at the north and south entrances to the city on Highway 7/73.
E-mail connie.cvb@sbcglobal.net to request a wayside brochure and map, order one from the Leavenworth Convention and Visitors Bureau,
518 Shawnee Ave., Leavenworth, KS 66048, or pick one up at the Welcome Center on Fourth Street, near Metropolitan Avenue.
The Leavenworth Landing Park, on western bank of the Missouri River, revives one of the major river landing sites. The park includes a walking trail, sculptures of a steam locomotive and Conestoga wagon, plaza areas depicting a railroad round house and steamship paddle wheel, river overlooks, landscaping and parking areas. The Leavenworth Landing Park is designed to provide a beautiful relaxing place to view the Missouri River, enjoy a walk along its banks, and provide a great place for family fun. The first Wayside Historical Tour Marker on the walking tour is located within the entrance.
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1938 theater is a wonderful architectural example of the later phase of the Art Deco movement. Formally called the Hollywood Theater, this structure entertained the public on its silver screen for nearly 40 years. Donated to
the city by Durwood Inc., former owners, in 1977, the theater now hosts live performances by the River City Community Players.
The center offers a glimpse into the history of African-Americans locally and nationwide. The museum’s mission is to educate the public about the rich history of African-Americans and their contributions to every phase of American life. Included in the center’s collection are memorabilia and photographs from the Buffalo Soldiers and other notable African-Americans, slave papers and Underground Railroad artifacts, and items from the Bethel A.M.E. Church.
This is a private four-year university that had its beginnings in 1870. Visitors are welcome to visit the De Paul Library’s Special Collections: the Sacred Scripture Collection, the Abraham Lincoln Collection, the Charles Dickens Collection., the Hummel Collection, the Shakespeare Collection and the Kansas Collection. The park-like grounds include a wildlife preserve.
One of the Midwest’s most historic and charming towns, Atchison is built upon hills and bluffs beside the Missouri River. Brick streets are shaded by century-old trees and lined with grand Victorian homes and carriage houses that recall the glorious days when wealthy lumber merchants and railroad magnates made this one of the most thriving spots on the Missouri River.
The world’s most famous aviatrix, Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison July 24, 1897. Numerous sites and attractions in Atchison provide the opportunity to learn about Earhart’s childhood in Atchison and her amazing life as a pilot, celebrity and role model. Each year Atchison honors her birth with a grand weekend long festival and one of the largest fireworks displays in Kansas.
Sophisticated and hometown friendly, modern and historic, fast paced and easy-going, Kansas City is all these things and more on both sides
of the Missouri River. Sports, entertainment, shopping, restaurants and history add up to create an exciting neighbor for Fort Leavenworth.
First settled by fur traders, Kansas City’s development into a transportation hub was spurred by westward roaming pioneers and eastward overland cattle drive. Since the mid-1800s, Kansas City has offered hospitality, culture and entertaining pastimes to the Midwest. This remains
true today.
The Kansas City business scene also echoes the past. It is a transportation hub and distribution center for many firms. Major businesses include greeting card production, farm equipment distribution, food storage and distribution, hard winter wheat marketing, telecommunications, underground storage, and manufacture of aircraft instruments. Diverse, strong industries make Kansas City economically healthy and able to support excellent schools and a wide range of arts and recreation.
Sports fans can enjoy a wide array of professional sports in the Kansas City area. Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals and the National Football League’s Kansas City Chiefs play at the Truman Sports Complex. Kansas Speedway hosts NASCAR races and other racing events throughout the year. In addition, Kansas City is home to a minor league baseball team, a pro soccer team, and an arena football team. Professional golf and tennis tournaments are also regularly held in the area.
Discounted tickets for many Kansas City attractions are available through the post’s Arts, Crafts and Ticket office.
Shoppers will delight in their choice of large, modern enclosed malls throughout the city, discount centers and factory outlets for a variety
of bargains.
A variety of music clubs, art galleries, museums, state theatrical performances and weekend events highlight the cultural activities of the city.
Exciting opportunities in recreation and arts, quality colleges and universities, excellent health-care facilities, and warm, friendly people are
special qualities that Kansas City offers.
Lansing is located just south of Leavenworth on Highway 73. A bit of the past has been saved by a group of Lansing history enthusiasts who preserved the old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe train depot, which now sits in central Lansing and serves as the city’s museum.
Also in Lansing is the Lansing Correctional Facility romanticized in movies and fiction. Made from Kansas limestone, the prison looks like a mighty medieval fortress.
Platte City is a pretty town on the Platte River, located just north of Kansas City International Airport, and just across the river from Fort Leavenworth. While its historical sites attract area visitors, many of its residential districts attract Fort Leavenworth families.
The Platte City area is home to an array of seasonal attractions. The Guy B. Park and Platte Falls Conservation Areas feature fishing lakes, hunting, hiking, wildlife viewing and an archery and shotgun range.
St. Joseph is a unique community famous for its historical links to the Pony Express and Jesse James and for its many fine museums. These long-time assets, the more recent riverfront development, and the establishment of the County Tourism Bureau increase the importance of tourism as one of the city’s major new growth industries. St. Joseph is rich in urban resources including historic architecture; a continuous 26-mile parkway system with picturesque landscapes, vast wooded areas, hike and bike trails, and family oriented parks.
Topeka, in Shawnee County, is the capital of Kansas. Topeka is home to the acclaimed Kansas Museum of History where visitors can step back in time and learn all about the land that is Kansas. Relive the history of Kansas through exhibits, videos, and programs.
Old Prairie Town at Ward-Meade Historic Site overlooks the Oregon Trail’s ferry site across the Kansas River and includes the original
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad depot from Pauline as well as a turn of the century town, botanical gardens, and dinners served by
hosts in period dress.
Gage Park houses the Topeka Zoo, Renisch Rose Gardens with more than 6,500 plants, and a 1908 Carousel that houses a 1909 Wurlitzer organ. Tour the Combat Air Museum, the Capitol Building, and the governor’s home, Cedar Crest. First Presbyterian Church, built more than 112 years ago, is the site of a unique presentation of Tiffany windows. Louis C. Tiffany came to Topeka in 1911 and produced these windows. First Presbyterian Church is the only church west of the Mississippi River to have all Tiffany windows. Visit Heartland Park, a state-of-the-art motor sports complex.
The Topeka area has an abundance of campgrounds and lakes, as well as hiking and biking trails.
Weston was a significant mid-19th century Missouri River port community, second only to St. Louis. In its heyday, more than 300 steamboats docked each year at the Port of Weston, just north of Fort Leavenworth. The population soared to 5,000, surpassing both Kansas City and St. Joseph. But after major floods, fires, and the Civil War, the bustling town declined to about 1,000. More than a century later, Weston still has fewer than 2,000 residents.
In 1972, a major portion of the early town was designated a Historic District and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Historic Weston offers a wide range of historical experiences, including antebellum homes, museums, walking tours, wineries and a historic shopping district. Many of the antique shops, gift shops and restaurants are in buildings built before the Civil War.
The Fort Leavenworth Installation Guide is published by Benchmark Publications Incorporated, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Army, under exclusive written contract with Fort Leavenworth. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts and supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Army or Benchmark Publications Incorporated of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regarded to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor other purchaser, user or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, the publisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. The Fort Leavenworth Guide is an unofficial publication authorized by AR 360-1. Editorial content is prepared, edited and provided by the Public Affairs Office of Fort Leavenworth.
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