Buttons from the Wea Mission, 14MM322
Date: 1837-1857
These buttons were recovered from the Wea Presbyterian Mission in 1997 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and crew. The excavations revealed foundations for the Mission house, a spring house, and an outbuilding in addition to a filled in well. The Wea Mission (1834-1837) changed functions over time: the Osage River Subagency (1837-1844), the Wea and Piankeshaw Baptist Mission (1844-1857) and other occupants until 1909 when the house burned. The three buttons are all 4-hole sew through buttons, one each of metal, wood, and rubber.

Cone Tinkler from the Wea Presbyterian Mission, 14MM322
Date: 1837-1857
This cone tinkler was recovered from the Wea Presbyterian Mission in 1997 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and crew. The excavations revealed foundations for the Mission house, a spring house, and an outbuilding in addition to a filled in well. The Wea Mission (1834-1837) changed functions over time: it served as the Osage River Subagency (1837-1844), the Wea and Piankeshaw Baptist Mission (1844-1857) and then had other occupants until 1909 when the house burned. Tinklers were used to decorate hair, clothes and other objects.

Dishes from the Wea Mission, 14MM322
Date: 1837-1857
These dish sherds were recovered from the Wea Presbyterian Mission in 1997 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and crew. Though the dish sherds are often quite small, a wide variety of patterns were recovered from the site including dish sherds with molded patterns, patterns created by transfer printing, called transferware, and by sponging with color, called spongeware. The excavations revealed foundations for the Mission house, a spring house, and an outbuilding in addition to a filled in well. The Wea Mission (1834-1837) changed functions over time: it served as the Osage River Subagency (1837-1844), the Wea and Piankeshaw Baptist Mission (1844-1857) and then had other occupants until 1909 when the house burned.

Eastman's map of Kansas and Nebraska territories showing the location of the Indian reserves according to the treaties of 1854
Date: Between 1854 and 1856
This map shows the locations of the new or reduced lands of Indian tribes according to the treaties of 1854. With the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, the former Indian Territory was opened to white settlement, and the government looked for ways to relocate the native tribes who had made their homes in Kansas. To create more land for white settlement, George Manypenny, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, negotiated treaties with Indian tribes that ceded much of the Indians' lands to the government. This land could then be sold to white emigrants. Naturally, these events helped to exacerbate existing tensions between settlers and Native Americans, contributing to the Indian Wars that occupied the U.S. Army during and after the American Civil War.

English Gunflint from the Wea Mission, 14MM322
Date: 1837-1857
This gunflint was recovered from the Wea Presbyterian Mission in 1997 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and crew. The gunflint, quarried and manufactured in southern England, and has a single dorsal arris. Gunflints were used to generate a spark in a flintlock musket or pistol and as strike-a-lights for lighting a fire. The excavations at the site revealed foundations for the Mission house, a spring house, and an outbuilding in addition to a filled in well. The Wea Mission (1834-1837) changed functions over time: it served as the Osage River Subagency (1837-1844), the Wea and Piankeshaw Baptist Mission (1844-1857) and then had other occupants until 1909 when the house burned.

History of Kansas and emigrant's guide
Creator: Chapman, J. Butler
Date: 1855
The title page of the printed volume indicated that it contained "a description geographical and topographical--also climate, soil, productions and comparative value with other states and territories, including its political history, officers-candidates-emigrant colonies-election, abolition, squatter and pro-slavery contentions and inquisitions; with the prospects of the territory for freedom or slavery." Mr. Chapman was a resident of the territory and the information in the booklet was compiled by traveling through Kansas Territory in 1854. The description covers most of the territory and includes information about Native American tribes and lands.

Map of Eastern Kansas
Creator: Jewett, J.P. & Company
Date: 1856
A map of Eastern Kansas by E.B. Whitman and A.D. Searl, General Land Agents, Lawrence, Kansas. The map illustrates a portion of Eastern Kansas which depicts trading posts, post offices, missions, government forts, Indian villages, roads, trails and Indian boundaries. The Indian boundaries that are featured included: the Kickappo, Pottawatomie, Kansa, Sax and Fox, Shawnee, Miami, Ottawa, Chippewa, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Iowa, Delaware, Wyandotte, Piankashaw, and the Wea. The map includes illustrations of the Eldridge House in Lawrence and the Constitution Hall in Topeka. The land discussed above was originally given to Native Americans following the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830.

Map of Indian lands in Kansas
Creator: McCoy, Isaac, 1784-1846
Date: 1830-1836
This map represents all the surveys of Indian lands completed by missionary Isaac McCoy between the years 1830 and 1836. McCoy, a missionary to the Ottawa and Pottawatomie tribes in Michigan, was convinced that Indians should be moved to new lands west of the Mississippi River. He took some Indian delegates on exploring missions in addition to his work as surveyor, missionary, and teacher. The map was redrawn by H. J. Adams.

Map of Kansas, with parts of neighboring states and territories
Creator: Hunnius, Ado, 1842-1923
Date: 1870
This map was drawn by Ado Hunnius at the request of Major General J. M. Schofield. It was compiled under the direction of 1st Lieutenant Henry Jackson of the 7th U.S. Cavalry in March 1870. It includes the location of forts in Kansas, southern Nebraska, eastern Colorado, and northern portions of Indian Territory (Oklahoma), as well as noting natural features (rivers, hills, etc.), trails, and Indian reservations.

Map Showing the Progress of the Public Surveys in Kansas and Nebraska
Creator: United States. Surveyor General of Kansas and Nebraska
Date: 1861
Map showing the progress of the public surveys in the Kansas and Nebraska territories. This map accompanied the Annual Report of the Surveyor General, Mark W. Delahay, issued on September 2, 1861. This map is provided through a co-operative project between the Lecompton Historical Society and the Kansas Historical Society. Partial funding was provided by the Ross and Margaret Wulfkuhle Charitable Trust and the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. Copies of this map are available for viewing at both the Kansas Historical Society and Lecompton Historical Society.

Map showing the progress of the Public Surveys in the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska
Creator: United States. Surveyor General of Kansas and Nebraska
Date: 1859
Map of Kansas Territory and Nebraska Territory created to accompany the annual report of Surveyor General, Ward B. Burnett. The map identifies cities, rivers, and Indian reservations. This map is provided through a co-operative project between the Lecompton Historical Society and the Kansas Historical Society. Partial funding was provided by the Ross and Margaret Wulfkuhle Charitable Trust and the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. Copies of this map are available for viewing at both the Kansas Historical Society and Lecompton Historical Society.

Map Showing the Progress of the Public Surveys in the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska
Creator: United States. Surveyor General of Kansas and Nebraska
Date: 1860
Map showing the progress of the public surveys in the Kansas and Nebraska territories. This map accompanied the Annual Report of the Surveyor General, Ward B. Burnett, issued on October 1, 1860. This map is provided through a co-operative project between the Lecompton Historical Society and the Kansas Historical Society. Partial funding was provided by the Ross and Margaret Wulfkuhle Charitable Trust and the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. Copies of this map are available for viewing at both the Kansas Historical Society and Lecompton Historical Society.

Map Showing the Progress of the Public Surveys in the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska
Creator: United States. Surveyor General of Kansas and Nebraska
Date: 1857
Map showing the progress of the public surveys in the Kansas and Nebraska territories. This map accompanied the Annual Report of the Surveyor General, John Calhoun, issued in October 1857. This map is provided through a co-operative project between the Lecompton Historical Society and the Kansas Historical Society. Partial funding was provided by the Ross and Margaret Wulfkuhle Charitable Trust and the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. Copies of this map are available for viewing at both the Kansas Historical Society and Lecompton Historical Society.

Mitchell's Sectional Map of Kansas
Creator: Middleton, Strobridge & Co.
Date: 1859
A sectional map of eastern portions of Kansas Territory. The map was compiled from the field notes in the Surveyor Generals Office by David T. Mitchell, a U. S. Surveyor and Land Agent in Lecompton, Kansas. Towns, county boundaries, and Indian reservations are identified on the map. This map is provided through a co-operative project between the Lecompton Historical Society and the Kansas Historical Society. Partial funding was provided by the Ross and Margaret Wulfkuhle Charitable Trust and the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. Copies of this map are available for viewing at both the Kansas Historical Society and Lecompton Historical Society.

Names and numbers of Indian tribes which must have possessions in the Indian Territory
Creator: McCoy, Isaac, 1784-1846
Date: November 1, 1832
Isaac McCoy, a Baptist missionary and surveyor, compiled this list of Indian tribes and their estimated populations. McCoy advocated Indian removal to western lands because he believed that the white man's influence on natives was corrupting. On this chart he listed about 45 tribes from all over the eastern United States. Only some of these tribes were relocated to Indian Territory (present-day Kansas). "Do" is an abbreviation for "ditto."

Palmyra, Kansas
Creator: J.H. Bufford's Lithography
Date: 1857
A map of Palmyra, Kansas Territory, showing streets, lots, and parks. Also featured is a small map of Palmyra's location in the county, with Baker University shown north of the town. Tribal land boundaries are also noted.

Pitcher from the Wea Presbyterian Mission, 14MM322
Date: 1837-1857
One half of a porcelain pitcher was recovered from the Wea Presbyterian Mission in 1997 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and crew. The pitcher may represent a small cream pitcher or it could be a child's toy pitcher. The excavations revealed foundations for the Mission house, a spring house, and an outbuilding in addition to a filled in well. The Wea Mission (1834-1837) changed functions over time: it served as the Osage River Subagency (1837-1844), the Wea and Piankeshaw Baptist Mission (1844-1857) and then had other occupants until 1909 when the house burned.

Plan of the Public Surveys in Kansas & Nebraska
Creator: United States. Surveyor General of Kansas and Nebraska
Date: 1856
Map showing the plan of the public surveys in Kansas Territory and Nebraska Territory as submitted by the Surveyor Generals Office in Wyandott, Kansas Territory on October 20, 1856. This map is provided through a co-operative project between the Lecompton Historical Society and the Kansas Historical Society. Partial funding was provided by the Ross and Margaret Wulfkuhle Charitable Trust and the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. Copies of this map are available for viewing at both the Kansas Historical Society and Lecompton Historical Society.

Richard W. Cummins to Willam Clark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs
Creator: Cummins, Richard W.
Date: April 2, 1831
Letter by Richard W. Cummins detailing the physical conditions of the Delaware and Weas Indian tribes under his care for the time period between 1830 and 1831.

Richard W. Cummins to William Clark
Creator: Cummins, Richard W.
Date: April 2, 1831
This letter, written by Richard Cummins, an agent to the Shawnee Indians, updated Superintendent of Indian Affairs William Clark on the Delaware Indians who had recently relocated in Kansas (then called Indian Territory). The Delaware had moved to Kansas in the late fall and early winter of the previous year and, due to lack of provisions, were in "a suffering condition." Many of their horses had died and so Cummins gave them some provisions to ease their suffering. The Delaware chiefs wanted the provisions guaranteed them by their treaty with the U. S. government, which they had been told was not yet ratified. They argued that it must have been ratified, because after they signed the treaty white settlers immediately took possession of the Delaware lands east of the Mississippi. In addition, Cummins mentions the Wea Indians (one of the New York Indian tribes), who were also suffering after the harsh winter.

Route of Colonel Henry Dodge to the Rocky Mountains
Date: 1835
This map shows the route of dragoon regiments under the command of Colonel Henry Dodge to the Rocky Mountains. The map includes boundary lines of Indian lands across Kansas.

Sectional Map of the Territory of Kansas
Creator: Halsall, John
Date: 1857
A sectional map of Kansas Territory compiled from field notes in the Surveyor General's Office. County boundaries, cities, rivers, and Indian reservations are identified on the map. This map is provided through a co-operative project between the Lecompton Historical Society and the Kansas Historical Society. Partial funding was provided by the Ross and Margaret Wulfkuhle Charitable Trust and the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. Copies of this map are available for viewing at both the Kansas Historical Society and Lecompton Historical Society.

Territorial Census, 1855, District 4
Creator: Donalson, C. B.
Date: January and February, 1855
This census was taken in order to determine eligible voters for elections to be held as proclaimed by Governor Andrew Reeder on November 10, 1854. The categories for information in the census were name, occupation, age, gender, emigrated from, native of United States, naturalized citizen, declarant (intention to become a citizen), Negro, slave, and voter. Only white males over twenty-one were eligible to vote. The districts used for the census were the same as the election districts. A statistical summary of the census followed the enumeration pages. For District 4, the place of election was the house of Dr. Chapman. The boundaries of each district were described in Governor Reeder's proclamation, and it is difficult to determine what counties were in each district. The description of the Fourth District follows: "Commencing at the Missouri State line, in the middle of the Santa Fe road; thence along the middle of said road to Rock Creek, near the sixty-fifth mile of said road; thence south to the line of the late Shawnee reservation ceded by the treaty of 1854; thence due east along the south line of said reservation and the north line of the existing reservations of the Sacs and Foxes, the existing reservations of the Chippewas and Ottawas and the late reservations of the Piankesaws, Weas, Peorias and Kaskaskias to the Missouri State line; thence up the Missouri State line to the place of beginning."

Thomas A. Hendricks to John A. Haldeman
Creator: Hendricks, Thomas A. (Thomas Andrews), 1819-1885
Date: January 16, 1856
In this letter to John A. Haldeman, Thomas A. Hendricks of the General Land Office informs Haldeman that all Native Indian lands that were being vacated in Nebraska and Kansas were "subject to the operation of the Preemption Act" that was passed on September 4, 1841. Hendricks is trying to clarify the complex issue of the transition of the land previously set aside for Native Indians in the recently created Kansas and Nebraska territories.

United States Office of Indian Affairs, Central Superintendency, St. Louis, Missouri. Volume 1, Field notes
Creator: United States. Office of Indian Affairs. Central Superintendency
Date: 1830-1838
This volume includes field notes and surveys of Indian lands and some treaties made between the U. S. and various Indian tribes (1830-1838). Included are several maps of Indian reservations in Kansas. William Clark (of the Lewis and Clark Expedition) served as Indian Superintendent for the central superintendency until his death in 1838. Partial funding for the digitization of these records was provided by the National Park Service.