Albert R. Greene to Franklin G. Adams
Creator: Greene, A.R.
Date: August 18, 1897
In this letter to Franklin G. Adams, Albert R. Greene explains that he recently met with Charles C. Haynes, with whom he discussed the waning days of the Overland Stage. Greene explains that Haynes was old but that his eye was as "keen as when he ran the gauntlet of hostile Indians and brought his coach into the home station bristling with arrows."

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe No.3 at Burlingame, Kansas
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: 1899
This photograph shows the Santa Fe No. 3, west-bound California Limited at the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway depot in Burlingame, Kansas. In the foreground a horse-drawn stagecoach is visible.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway locomotive #18 with stagecoach
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: Between 1954 and 1961
This photograph shows the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company's steam locomotive #18 with a stagecoach racing along the side.

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.

Beer Bottle from the Mahaffie Farmstead and Stagecoach Stop, 14JO356
Date: 1858-1886
This brown glass bottle has the typical neck of a beer bottle, but is much shortened in the body. The bottle has what is called a blob style finish at the rim. It was recovered during excavations in 1988 during a joint venture between Kansas Historical Society archeologists, Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers, and the City of Olathe. The site, 14JO356, 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.

Brass Bracelet from the Mahaffie Farmstead and Stagecoach Stop, 14JO356
Date: 1858-1886
The brass fragments shown here came from a single bracelet that was recovered during excavations in 1988 during a joint venture between Kansas Historical Society archeologists, Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers, and the City of Olathe. There are very few hints of the delicate bracelet's former shine. The Mahaffie Farmstead and Stagecoach Stop was the residence and out buildings of James and Lucinda Mahaffie, built in 1858. The farmstead later served as a stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe trail.

Butterfield's Overland mail coach starting out from Atchison, Kansas
Creator: Harpers Weekly
Date: January 27, 1866
A drawing of a Butterfield Overland mail coach copied from Harper's Weekly, January 27, 1866.

Charles Curtis, Pawnee, Oklahoma
Creator: Merryman Studio, Pawnee, Oklahoma
Date: September 29, 1928
This black and white photograph shows U.S. Senator Charles Curtis, standing before "The Pawnee Bill" stage coach at the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot at Pawnee, Oklahoma. In the background a crowd has gathered to meet the Kansas senator.

Commercial street, Oswego, Kansas
Date: 1875
This black and white photograph shows the west side of Commercial Street in Oswego, Kansas. The store fronts with their wooden frames were destroyed by a fire in 1884 and later replaced by masonry buildings. In the foreground Jabez Zink and his team of horse are visible. He settled in 1865 on Labette Creek and eventually became the mayor of Oswego. There is also a stage coach that operated from Oswego to Independence and Coffeyville.

Dishes from the Mahaffie Farmstead and Stagecoach Stop, 14JO356
Date: 1858-1886
These three dish sherds, all with a different floral patterns, were among many recovered during excavations in 1988 at a joint venture between Kansas Historical Society archeologists, Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers, and the City of Olathe. 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.

Dugout belonging to Luther Kreigh, Stanton County, Kansas
Date: Between 1960 and 1965
This dugout was located on the homestead of Luther Kreigh, on the west side of present-day Highway 27, seven miles north of Johnson City, Stanton County, Kansas. Luther Kreigh ran the stage line and mail hack between Syracuse and Richfield and this dugout served as a stage stop on that line. The stage changed teams here and a post office located in the building was called on the maps "Liverpool."

Eldridge House, Lawrence, Kansas. 323 miles west of St. Louis, Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
This stereograph shows the Eldridge House located on Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, Kansas. In front of the Eldridge House is a Rail Road Line horse-drawn omnibus. It is from Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Ellen Douglas Denison Goodnow to Harriet Goodnow
Creator: Goodnow, Ellen Denison (Mrs. Isaac T.)
Date: July 21, 1855
Ellen Goodnow, recently arrived at her homestead near Manhattan, Kansas Territory, wrote to her sister-in-law Harriet Goodnow in New England, regarding her trip West and her impressions of Kansas Territory. Ellen described her journey in a detailed but concise manner, and, in her first impressions, likened Kansas to "another garden of Eden. . .too good for bondage, or for the oppressor's rod [references to slavery]." A devout Christian woman, she also expressed her opinion that Satan held influence over the Missourians. Despite this ominous presence, Ellen still tried to convince Harriet to join them in the Territory.

Fort Wallace Historical Museum, Wallace, Wallace County, Kansas
Date: 1963
A view of the Fort Wallace Historical Museum and the restored stage station building next to it, near Wallace, Wallace County, Kansas.

Hiram Hill to brother
Creator: Hill, Hiram, 1804-
Date: December 9, 1855
Hiram Hill wrote from Weston, Massachusetts to his brother, describing his stagecoach journey from Richmond. Although 47 miles from Lawrence, he had not received a trustworthy update concerning the Wakarusa War. Hill mentioned Thomas W. Barber's murder, numbers of men and weapons involved in the war, and his plans to briefly visit Lawrence. He vowed never to travel to Kansas Territory in winter again. Hill also showed concern for Russell, who tended his cattle in Williamsburgh, Massachusetts.

Hiram Hill to Dear Wife
Creator: Hill, Hiram, 1804-
Date: December 8, 1855 - December 9, 1855
Hiram Hill wrote from Westport, Missouri to his wife as he received new information concerning the Wakarusa War at Lawrence. Hill was frustrated by these reports, which conflicted and were from the proslavery perspective, and which concerned the number of free state and proslavery soldiers, the status of the war, and government action taken to prevent conflict. Hill was also troubled by shameless "traveling and drinking and swearing" and gunshots on the Sabbath. The last page of the letter expresses his relief at news of peace in Lawrence, where he would learn "the other syde of the story" upon arrival. The murder of Thomas W. Barber, who rode outside Lawrence and was shot by a proslavery supporter on December 6th, was mentioned. Hill also described an eventful stagecoach journey.

Ho! For Kansas! Eldridge Brothers' Express & Daily Post Coach Line
Creator: Eldridge Brothers' Express & Daily Post Coach Line
This printed notice for the Eldridge Brothers' coach line advertised the fare to Lawrence as $3.50. The coach line had routes from Kansas City to Lecompton, Lawrence to Osawatomie, and Lawrence to Leavenworth City. The notice includes information about the coaches, food, and changes of horses.

James Tarr's blacksmith Shop, Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas
Date: 1898
This photograph shows the exterior of James Tarr's "Plow Work and General Blacksmithing" shop at the corner of 6th and Jefferson streets in Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas. The building also bears a sign for H. J. Wood and an ad for Catlin's Meerschaum chewing tobacco. There are a number of men standing outside and two horse drawn wagons.

John James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls
Creator: Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900
Date: December 2, 1858
Ingalls opened this letter with comments on the weather ("the fine days are so beautiful as to compensate for a large amount of ambiguous weather"), problems with shipping freight, and mention of various items of clothing he had received from the family, but he gave considerable attention to the city of Atchison, its newspaper (Freedom's Champion) and its growth. Sumner compared favorably, as to future prospects, in Ingalls's estimation, with the location of future railroads the key to success. He also encouraged his father to make a spring visit so he could assess for himself "the opportunities for business and the prospects of progress" in this "most important party of the continent."

John James Ingalls to Elias T. Ingalls
Creator: Ingalls, John James, 1833-1900
Date: January 2, 1859
From Lawrence, K.T., where he went to lobby the territorial legislature on behalf of Sumner's city charter and a "Pikes Peak Express Company," John J. Ingalls wrote to tell his father about the journey that took him through Leavenworth. He made some interesting observations about the condition of the roads and the general discomfort involved in overland travel ("The coaches are constructed with special reference to safety in passing over corduroy roads, through sloughs and ravines, having no regard whatever to the comfort of the passengers."), as well as nice descriptions of both cities, Leavenworth and Lawrence.

Kinley and Lannan Carriage Works, Topeka, Kansas
Date: Between 1880 and 1890
A photograph showing five men outside of the Kinley and Lannan Carriage Works, located at 424-426 Jackson, Topeka, Kansas. Visible is a carriage and stagecoach.

Mail and stagecoach passes
Date: Between 1874 and 1877
Mail and stagecoach passes issued to Harry Tisdal by various companies.

Main street, Westmoreland, Kansas
Date: 1915
This black and white photograph shows two men standing beside the muddy wheels of the Westmoreland-Wamego stage on main street in Westmoreland, Kansas. In the background is the furniture-undertaking business, the post office, and the Citizens State Bank. The town of Westmoreland is the county seat of Pottawatomie County.

Maria Felt to Thomas W. Higginson
Creator: Felt, Maria
Date: June 25, 1858
Maria Felt wrote this letter to Reverend Thomas W. Higginson, She describes her journey from Clinton, Massachusetts, to Lawrence, Kansas Territory. Apparently, she was emigrating to Kansas Territory in order to teach school. Felt and her party traveled by train until they reached Alton, Illinois, where they took a steamer along the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri. From there, they traveled to Jefferson City, Missouri, and finally reached Leavenworth, Kansas Territory. They then traveled to Lawrence by stagecoach and Indian canoe. Once she had arrived in Lawrence, which she described as a pretty town, she became acquainted with James Redpath, R. J. Hinton, Samuel Tappan, and George Stearns. She also called upon Ephraim Nute, but she dislikes both him and his wife, writing that they "sat up like two icicles." This letter appears to have been edited at some later date.

Martin Franklin Conway to New England Emigrant Aid Company, Financial Statements
Creator: Conway, M. F. (Martin Franklin), 1827-1882
Date: August 1, 1858 - January 1, 1859
These monthly financial statements, submitted by Martin F. Conway, general agent for the New England Emigrant Aid Company in Kansas Territory, detailed company income and expenditures for a six month period between July and December 1858. Conway provided particularly full accounts of his traveling expenses during frequent trips around the territory.