1819 One cent coin from Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1867-1889
This one cent coin was recovered by Kansas Historical Society archeologists during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County. The cent, now commonly called a penny, was also called a large cent. The Matron head design shown here was minted between 1816 and 1839. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1823 Liberty Dime from Soldier Creek Crossing, 14OS1302
Date: 1823
This Liberty dime was recovered at a Santa Fe trail stream crossing site in Osage County. The silver dime, minted in 1823, is a type called "Capped Bust," meaning it was struck over a 1822 Liberty dime with the "3" of 1823 directly on top of the "2" of the 1822 date. The site was the focus of a 1995 Kansas Archeology Training Program event with Kansas Historical Society archeologists and volunteers from the Kansas Anthropological Association.

1853 Half Dime from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1853-1868
This silver half dime was recovered from Fort Zarah during the 1969 Kansas Archeological Training Program field school, a joint project undertaken by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers. The obverse side shows a Seated Liberty with her right hand resting on a striped shield and her left hand holding a Liberty pole. Six-pointed stars surround Liberty and arrows are present on each side of the date of 1853. The reverse side has the words "HALF DIME" and "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves. Fort Zarah, located along the Santa Fe trail in Barton County, was active from 1864 to 1869.

1866 Three cent coin from Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1867-1889
This three cent coin was recovered by Kansas Historical Society archeologists during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County. The three cent coin was minted from 1851 to 1889, first in silver and then in 1865, in nickel. This coin was minted in 1866 and has a Liberty head on the obverse side and a Roman numeral III on the reverse. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1876 Liberty Quarter from Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1876-1889
This seated Liberty quarter was recovered by Kansas Historical Society archeologists during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County. On the obverse side of the quarter Liberty is seated on a rock holding a liberty pole, resting her hand on a shield and surrounded above by 13 stars. On the reverse side is an eagle with a ribbon with the words "IN GOD WE TRUST" on it. An olive branch and arrows are positioned in the eagle's talons and there is a shield on its breast. The quarter was minted in 1876 in Carson City, Nevada. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1880 Liberty Head Half Eagle from Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1880-1889
This coin was recovered during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County. The $5.00 coin is 90% gold and 10% copper. Minted in 1880, the coin has a Liberty or Coronet head on the obverse side and an eagle with shield on the reverse side. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1967 Excavations at Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1967
These photographs were taken by Kansas Historical Society archeological staff during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County in 1967. The excavations took place in the area of the Commanding Officer's Quarters and a fort dump. Shown is an excavated foundation, artifacts at the bottom of one of the fort's dumps, and a view of the excavations in progress. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1968 Excavations at Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1968
These photographs were taken by Kansas Historical Society archeological staff during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County in 1968. The excavations took place in the area of the officer's quarters (Officer's Row). Shown are two views of the House 4 cellar excavation, the archeological excavations of the foundations for Houses 2 through 6 in progress, and a toy dish discovered in the House 5 excavations. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1970 Excavations at Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1970
These photographs were taken by Kansas Historical Society archeological staff during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County in 1969. Shown is a view of the completed excavation of the fort's coal shed foundation, a view of the main living area of the surgeon's quarters, and a young man drawing profiles of features 834 and 822 at the site. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

1995 Excavations at the Havana Stage Station, 14OS1301
Date: 1995
Shown are eleven images taken during the excavation at the Havana Stage Station in Osage County during the Kansas Archeology Training Program field school in 1995. The Havana Stage Station was built along the Santa Fe trail in 1858 and by the early 1870s had ceased to function as station and became part of the outbuildings of a farm. Shown is a view of the former station taken in the 1950s, a sketch of the site in 1995, a sketch of the station ruins in 1995, five views of the station's foundations and walls, two views of mapping and recordkeeping, and the nearby stone corral.

.50-70 Cartridges from Fort Wallace, 14WC303
Date: 1865-1882
These .50-70 cartridges were recovered from Fort Wallace in Wallace County at the Enlisted Men's Barracks. Both were recovered in the vicinity of the Enlisted Men's Barracks. Fort Wallace was built in 1865 along the Smoky Hill Trail and abandoned in 1882. Archeologists from the Kansas Historical Society conducted excavations at the fort in 1997.

.58 Caliber Minie Balls from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1855-1869
These five minie balls were excavated at Fort Zarah in 1972 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists at the site of the original fort building. The minie balls are .58 caliber, have three grease grooves and conical or hollow bases. The fort was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869.

Act establishing commission for treaties with Osage Indians a creation of trail
Date: March 3, 1825
This act was written establishing a commission to make treaties with the Osage Indians to create the Santa Fe Trail and treaties with the Osage tribes.

A Cup and a Bowl from the Baker House, 14MO701
Date: 1862
This reconstructed cup and bowl was found in pieces during excavations in 1972 by the Kansas State Teacher's College (now Emporia State University) field school. The bowl has a red, black and green floral design, though difficult to see. The handless cup has a red, white and blue linear pattern. Both dishes were reconstructed by students at the field school. They were donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 1993. The Baker store and nearby house were situated along the Santa Fe trail. The owner, A. I. Baker, was murdered in 1862 by "Bloody Bill" Anderson and his cohorts, who also burned the store and house.

Adjustable Buckle from the Baker House, 14MO701
Date: 1862
This brass adjustable buckle was recovered during excavations at the Baker house in Morris County, undertaken by Emporia State Teacher's College (now Emporia State University) archeological field school in 1972. The badly burned buckle is decorated at the top and along the strap opening with floral patterns. The site, along the Santa Fe Trail in Morris County, was the location of the Baker house, which burned in 1862, along with the nearby store, during the murder of the proprietor A.I. Baker by "Bloody Bill" Anderson and his cohorts.

Alexander W. Doniphan
Date: Between 1845 and 1847
This portrait engraving of Alexander W. Doniphan was copied from Doniphan's Expedition by John Taylor Hughes. Doniphan was a Colonel of the First regiment Missouri volunteers and a Liberty, Missouri, lawyer. Doniphan County, Kansas, and the town of Doniphan were named for Alexander W. Doniphan.

Ammunition from the 102 Steel Point Site, 14MO414
Date: 1847-1874
These lead bullets were recovered from an archeological site in Morris County and donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 2020. The ammunition consisted of a bullet (shown here) and gunpowder wrapped in a paper tube. They are identified as 0.49 caliber bullets. The site had multiple occupations from the Archaic period to the late 1800s and was one of three large Kansa sites along the Neosho River occupied during the mid-19th century. This ammunition would have dated to the latter period.

Ammunition from the 102 Steel Point Site, 14MO414
Date: 1847-1874
These lead bullets were recovered from an archeological site in Morris County and donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 2020. The ammunition consisted of a bullet (shown here) and gunpowder wrapped in a paper tube. They are identified as 0.28 to 0.30 caliber bullets. The site had multiple occupations from the Archaic period to the late 1800s and was one of three large Kansa sites along the Neosho River occupied during the mid-19th century. This ammunition is from the latter period.

Annals of Kansas
Creator: Wilder, Daniel W. (Daniel Webster), 1832-1911
Date: 1886
Daniel Webster Wilder compiled a chronological history of Kansas from the first European contact (1541) to 1885. The early portion has entries for specific years but beginning in 1854, the entries are for specific days, providing detail about many events. The volume also contains charts with crop production, livestock holdings, precipitation, etc. A detailed index begins on page 1171.

Arapaho Pipe
Date: Unknown
The records indicate that this pipe was made by someone from the Arapaho tribe on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. It was purchased by two different museums, before finally being purchased by the Kansas Historical Society in 1956. The soft, fine-grained material of the stone enabled the carver to shape and smooth the pipe and drill holes for the bowl and stem. It was likely never smoked as no traces of dottle (tobacco residue) remain within the bowl or on the rim.

Arrival of the Caravan at Santa Fe
Date: Between 1844 and 1845
This illustration from Josiah Gregg's Commerce on the Prairies depicts a caravan of Americans arriving in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Santa Fe Trail, opened in 1821 by William Bucknell, served as a freight route and passed through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Artifacts from a Little Known Site in Woodson County, 14WO309
Date: 1854-1870
These three slides show the only known artifacts from 14WO309, a military site in Woodson County. Shown are a lead ball, a bridle part with the lettering "US," and a Union Army Eagle General Services Enlisted man's button. The back mark on the button indicates it was made by the Waterbury Button Company of Connecticut, who have been in the business of making buttons since 1812.

As The Old Santa Fe Trail Looks Today
Creator: Palenske, Louis F., 1858-1943
Date: 1930
This is a monograph by Louis Palenske, addressing the Old Santa Fe Trail as it looked in 1930 shortly after the author traveled the length of the trail by car, taking panoramic photographs along the route. Funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

Axe Head from Fool Chief's Village, 14SH305
Date: 1828-1844
This axe head was recovered from Fool Chief's Village, a Kansa village in Shawnee County that was the site of the 2012 Kansas Archeology Training Program, though excavations continued through 2012 and 2013. As this axe shows evidence of battering on the top, it may have been used as an anvil. The axe head was cleaned by electrolysis which passes an electrical current through a liquid solution to separate the rust from the artifact.

Baby Moccasins
Date: Unknown
This pair of small moccasins were donated to the Kansas Historical society in 1963. They were hand sewn and have one piece uppers with a high cuff edged with green, red & white beads. A band of red, white and blue beads borders the soles and the uppers are decorated with yellow, white, blue and red beads in geometric patterns. The cultural affiliation for these moccasins is unknown.