A steady drizzle fell as we pulled into Council Grove two weeks ago to visit once again this engaging town on the Santa Fe Trail. The gloomy sky suddenly brightened at the sight of a welcome sign in front of the Post Office Oak where our tour was to begin.
Members from the Council Oak DAR Chapter graciously welcomed Olathe DAR members. Jan Kimbrell led our tour through the home of the Hebranks, early German settlers in Council Grove.
In a past blog, I introduced the Hays House Restaurant, the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River.
We enjoyed lunch here, and the ambiance was just as I’d pictured it with beautifully restored wide plank oak floors, a native stone fireplace, and a relaxed atmosphere. Kelley Judd, treasurer Morris County Historical Society shared the history and his family’s ownership of the restaurant.
The photo of the carrot cake doesn’t do it justice. It was the biggest slice I’ve ever seen! Take home box required.
It’s estimated there are over 700 caves in Kansas. Some are manmade that predate traditional towns and are the remains of homesteaders who used them as root cellars, spring houses, dugouts, and storm cellars. For more reading: https://www.flinthillshelters.com/index.html
Many caves are natural as is the Hermit’s Cave we visited in Council Grove. An Italian priest (or religious mystic, depending on the source), Giovanni Maria Augustini, lived in this cave in 1863. The story goes he preached the gospel to Indian tribes before joining a wagon train and walking the 500 miles to Las Vegas, NM. This information has piqued my interest in caves; maybe one will be woven into the story line of my next book.
Our last photo stop was the Madonna of the Trail.
This beautiful monument pays tribute to the pioneer women of our country who traveled west. It was erected in 1928 by DAR and is one of 12 monuments from Maryland to California along the National Old Trails Road—the trail of the Conestoga wagons—now mostly US 40. The sites were chosen with the help of the president of the National Old Trails Road Association, a then little-known Missouri Justice of the Peace named Harry S Truman, who attended each dedication. The Madonna cradles a baby in her arm while she steadies a rifle in the other hand and a young child clutches her skirt.
We had a grand time, however, two weeks later and I’m still waiting for the skies to clear and spring to make an appearance. I’m ready to escort March off the calendar and look forward to warmer days ahead.
Until next time, Happy Spring!
So glad that you were able to visit Council Grove and the Madonna of the Trail in Kansas. We are so proud of her and the efforts to make the park beautiful. I invite you to return when the Old Mission and Last Chance store are reopened after extensive renovation by the Kansas Historical Museum. The National Prairie Preserve draws many visitors and, as you know, the Flint Hills are beautiful places to visit.
Colleen thank you for the news about the Old Mission and Last Chance reopening at some point. I would love to see both places. Keep me updated. It was such a lovely surprise to see the DAR welcome sign when we arrived in Council Grove. Thank you again!