This Kansas Town Has The Most Walkable Downtown
Walking the streets of downtown Council Grove will have you reimagining the days of early settlers navigating their course along the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas. Much of the surrounding landscape has remained the same as it was back then, with rolling tall grass prairie hills surrounding the town. There are over 20 different historical landmarks scattered across downtown Council Grove, including the Last Chance Store on Main Street, which is one of the oldest buildings in town, and the Kaw Mission on North Mission Street, which was the former home and school of 30 Kaw Boys between 1851 and 1854. Even local eateries like Hays House 1857 operate out of the former home of Council Grove’s founder. With all this history packed into a few streets, Council Grove stands out for its walkability.
West Main Street
Start your day on West Main Street for a light bite at the Trail Days Café and Museum. The food they serve is part of the historical experience. Food is prepared and served similar to how it would have been between 1850 and 1980 for Native Americans, settlers, and farmers.
The café is housed in the Rawlinson-Terwilliger Home, the last house travelers and freighters passed as they left Council Grove. Additionally, it is the oldest stone home and the second-oldest home that remains on the Santa Fe Trail. As guests wait for their food to be prepared, they can explore the house, which features a small library, artifacts, and period furnishings from the mid-1800s.
Further up West Main Street, visitors will come to the Last Chance Store, one of the oldest commercial buildings in Council Grove. For travelers on the Santa Fe Trail, the Last Chance Store was their last opportunity to purchase supplies before embarking on their 625-mile trip to New Mexico. Today, it is open to the public and free to tour.
Hays House 1857 is a few blocks up the street from the Last Chance Store. What is now a restaurant and tavern was first built in 1857 by Seth Hays, who arrived in town in 1847 and is regarded as the founder of Council Grove. It is now the oldest restaurant west of the Mississippi River and is a favored fine-dining spot for residents and visitors who come to try their country-fried steak and homemade strawberry and peach pie.
Belfry and Mission Streets
North Belfry Street and North Mission Street branch off West Main Street and lead to other notable landmarks, such as Hermit’s Cave. The cave is located in a public park that revolves around a local myth about an Italian priest who allegedly lived in the cave for five months before walking 550 miles to Las Vegas.
The Old Bell Monument is 300 feet away from Hermit’s Cave on North Belfry Street. The large bell was brought to Council Grove in 1863 and placed atop a tall tower in 1866. For 30 years, it served many purposes, including an alarm to warn settlers of Native American raids, a school bell, and a church bell. In 1901, the bell was placed on a stone monument to commemorate its use.
Moving over to North Mission Street, you will come across Kaw Mission, a historic site and museum. The museum’s exhibits focus on the mission, which was built in 1851, and the 30 Kaw boys who used the building as a home and school between 1851 and 1854. The building is dedicated to the Kaw, or Kansa, Indians who gave the state its name.
East Main Street
If you cross the bridge over the Neosho River, it will lead you to East Main Street with yet even more Santa Fe Trail markers. The Post Office Oak is one of the first markers you will reach. Travelers along the trail used to leave notes to inform others of trail conditions. The tree once stood 80 feet high, although now only its stump remains.
Durland Park is farther up the street and features a playground, picnic facilities, and the Pioneer Cowboy Jail. The replica of the original jail allows visitors to gain an insight into what conditions would have looked like for those who were incarcerated in the mid-1800s.
Explore Trails and Byways
As Council Grove sits directly on the crossroads between the Santa Fe Trail and the Flint Hills Scenic Byway, it is a prime location for visiting towns on either of those routes. Cottonwood Falls is around 20 miles south of Council Grove and is home to the oldest operating courthouse in the entire state, the Chase County Courthouse. Built between 1872 and 1873, the courthouse remains an homage to the pioneers of the Flint Hills, drawing visitors each year who marvel at its French Renaissance design, limestone exterior, and spiral staircase.
Strong City, just outside Cottonwood Falls, is a prime destination for viewing the Flint Hills Scenic Byway, especially at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Comprising almost 11,000 acres, the preserve contains the last stands of tallgrass prairie in North America, including wide open spaces, vistas, seasonal wildflowers, and a free-roaming bison herd.
Baldwin City is around 70 miles east of Council Grove and was formerly a rest-and-repair stop on the Santa Fe Trail. The Palmyra Well was hand-dug in 1857 and provided water to both townspeople and travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Today, the site features a replica of the original well and an outdoor interpretive exhibit adjacent to the well.
Walk Through History in Council Grove
Council Grove is teeming with history in every single direction. From buildings like the Rawlinson-Terwilliger Home, which was the last sight travelers of the trail would see before they left town, to historical dining destinations like Hays House 1857, every single street in Council Grove commemorates the town’s trail history. Additionally, Council Grove’s location makes it ideal for getting in the car and following both the Santa Fe Trail and the Flint Hills Scenic Byway.
