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.

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.

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.

B. Altman and Company Toothbrush from Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1867-1882
This toothbrush was recovered during excavations at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County by Kansas Historical Society archeologists. The toothbrush has holes drilled in its head for inserting stiff bristles (often hog bristles). The toothbrush was manufactured for B. Altman and Company, a luxury department store chain founded in New York City in 1865. It measures 6 1/2" long by 5/8" wide. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

Banded Ware from the Baker Store, 14MO701
Date: 1862
These decorated whiteware sherds were recovered from the Baker store in Morris County by the Emporia State Teacher's College (now Emporia State University) archeological field school in 1973. The three rim and body sherds are decorated with banded or annular ware by using a slip applied in bands of varying width and colors. These sherds were among the few from the site that were broken, but not burned. 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.

Banker's Ink Bottle from Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1867-1889
This clear glass ink bottle once held "BANKERS INK" manufactured in "KANSAS CITY" as is embossed on the side panel. To the embossed panel's left is a sunken panel which most likely once held a paper label. The bottle was recovered in 1966 from excavations at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County by Archeologists from the Kansas Historical Society. The square bottle has an external threaded screw cap finish, making it later than those ink bottle which were closed with a cork. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

Beads from the Hollenberg Pony Express Station, 14WH316
Date: 1857-1941
These beads were recovered from the 1991 Kansas Archeology Training Program field school at the Hollenberg Pony Express Station in Washington County. Some are likely trade beads that were widely traded until the 1850s, while others may have been deposited at the site much later. The site was the location of a pony express station, a stop on the Oregon-California trail, a post office, a blacksmith shop, and a farm with barns and other outbuildings. The site was purchased by the Kansas Legislature in 1941 and is in the National Register of Historic Places.

Beads from the Mahaffie Farmstead and Stagecoach Stop
Date: 1858-1886
These two beads were recovered at excavations in 1988 during a joint venture between Kansas Historical Society archeologists, Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers, and the City of Olathe. Both beads are oblong and red, but the darker red bead may be manufactured of wood, while the brighter red bead may be of glass. It is difficult to tell the materials without harming the bead. The site consisted of the residence and out buildings built by James and Lucinda Mahaffie in 1858. The farmstead later served as a stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe trail.