Adolph Roenigk and George W. Martin correspondence
Creator: Roenigk, Adolph, 1847-1938
Date: October 10, 1904-January 24, 1908
In this correspondence with George W. Martin of the Kansas State Historical Society, Adolph Roenigk addresses issues related to the Pawnee Indians. In the letter dated October 10, 1904, Roenigk explains that "a Battle between the Potowatomie and the Pawnee Indians was fought here [Lincoln, Kansas] in 1863." According to Roenigk, between 14 and 16 Native Indians were killed during the fighting. Similarly, Roenigk's letter of October 24, 1906, concerns violence between Kansans and Native Indians during the late 1860s when a man named Solomon Humbarger and Solomon's brother were attacked by Native Indians. After killing one of their chiefs Roenigk states that Humbarger was shot in the thigh with an arrow.

A memory of old Fort Harker
Creator: The Club Member
Date: February 1908
This reminiscence by Mrs. Henry Inman, published in The Club Member, describes her experiences as a Kansas pioneer. She moved to Fort Harker in January 1868 after a difficult journey in severe winter weather. She details various aspects of frontier life, including the U.S. military's conflicts with Native Americans and the daily struggle for survival. She also mentions how she met "Mother" Bickerdyke, and that her husband served in the Seventh Cavalry under General George Armstrong Custer.

A. Roenigk to George W. Martin
Creator: Roenigk, Adolph, 1847-1938
Date: July 18, 1904
A letter from Adolph Roenigk of Lincoln, Kansas, to George W. Martin, Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas. Roenigk recounts hearing from a Mr. Ferdinand Erhardt, of an Indian battle site in Lincoln County.

Beads from a Child's Treasure Trove, 14EW310
Date: 1930-1959
Shown are eight of the 83 artifacts stored in a jar that was recovered during the Kansas Archeology Training Program excavation in 1996 at Fort Harker in Kanopolis, Kansas. The artifacts were discovered in a broken mustard jar, shown in the two slides, and may well represent a child's treasure, buried and forgotten sometime between the 1930s and the 1950s. Shown are eight glass and plastic beads: a black oval bead (possibly a button), a red faceted bead, two clear conical shaped beads, three clear round beads and one oblong red grooved or incised bead.

Flatware from Fort Harker, 14EW310
Date: 1867-1872
All three pieces of flatware shown here were recovered during the 1996 Kansas Archeology Training Program field school during a metal detection survey at Fort Harker in Ellsworth County. The spoon has the words "SENATE SILVERPLATE" on the back, indicating it was manufactured by Oneida. The pattern on the front of the spoon's handle matches the 'Jean' pattern which was made in 1932, post dating the fort's occupation by 60 years. There are no marks on the knife or the fork. Fort Harker was located adjacent to what was to become the town of Kanopolis in Ellsworth County.

Fort Harker, Kansas
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
This stereograph shows U.S. Army troops on the grounds of Fort Harker, Kansas. The photo was taken 500 miles west of St. Louis, Missouri, in present day Kanopolis, Kansas. It is from Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Fort Harker, Kansas, 218 miles west of Missouri River
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
This is a photo showing U. S. Army troops on the grounds of Fort Harker, Kansas. Fort Harker (originally called Fort Ellsworth) was established in 1864 in order to provide protection for the Kansas Stage Line and military wagon trains transporting goods along the Smoky Hill Trail and the Fort Riley Road. The fort closed in 1872 and was located in present day Kanopolis, Kansas. It is from Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Kansas Pacific Railroad.

Fort Zarah
Creator: Hunnius, Ado, 1842-1923
Date: 1914
Description of Fort Zarah written by Carl Julius Adolph Hunnius in 1914. Fort Zarah was an active military fort in Great Bend, Kansas, from 1864-1869, and Hunnius had been to the fort while serving with Major General Winfield Scott Hancock during the Indian pacification campaign of 1867. Hunnius's descriptions of Fort Zarah provide the sizes of the buildings located at the fort, and includes a drawing of the fort.

General Order No. 1, 18th Kansas Cavalry
Creator: Moore, Horace L. (Horace Ladd), 1837-1914
Date: July 17, 1867
This order for the 18th Kansas Cavalry, located at Fort Harker, regulates the maintenance of cavalry horses. Fort Harker was established to provide protection for the Kansas Stage Line and the military supply trains traveling the Smoky Hill Trail and the Fort Riley Road. As stated in the order, these regulations are essential because "the efficiency of every cavalry command depends much upon the condition of its horses."

Governor Crawford Indian correspondence
Date: 1867-1868
In response to Indian attacks on frontier settlers, Governor Samuel J. Crawford was authorized by Congress to recruit a battalion of men to handle the crisis. This series of correspondence in Governor Crawford's papers contains many documents from men requesting commissions in the new battalion and permission to recruit soldiers. There are also letters from settlers documenting atrocities, asking for protection from hostile Indians, requesting compensation for stolen goods and livestock, and needing aid merely to survive after losing their supplies to Indian raids. A searchable transcription is available by clicking "Text Version" below. Funds for digitization provided by Mr. Steve Peckel in memory of William Chalfant.

Guide to the Kansas Pacific Railway --The best and shortest cattle route from Texas, 1872
Creator: Kansas Pacific Railway Company
Date: 1872
This map shows the Kansas Pacific Railway routes from Texas, through Indian territory (Oklahoma), to north central Kansas. In Texas there are 35 named stations or towns; the southern most is Corpus Christi and the northern most is Red River Station. At the northern terminus in Kansas are the towns of Morgans, Wilson, New Abilene, Ellsworth, Brookvillle, Salina, Solomon and Abilene.

Infantry Insignia from Fort Harker, 14EW310
Date: 1867-1872
These four fragments of a hunting horn insignia were recovered from Fort Harker during the 1996 Kansas Archeology Training Program. Insignia such as this were meant to be worn on a soldier's uniform hat or kepi. They were excavated from the foundation or builder's trench of the Enlisted Barracks. Fort Harker was located adjacent to what was to become the town of Kanopolis in Ellsworth County.

James Butler Hickok at Fort Harker, Kansas
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
This photograph shows James Butler Hickok, at far left, with a group of men at Fort Harker, Kansas. Fort Harker was located in present day Kanopolis, Kansas.

Jewelry from a Child's Treasure Trove from Fort Harker, 14EL310
Date: 1930-1959
Shown are eight of the 83 artifacts stored in a jar that was recovered during the Kansas Archeology Training Program field school excavation in 1996 at Fort Harker in Kanopolis, Kansas. The artifacts were discovered in a broken mustard jar, shown in the two slides, and may well represent a child's treasure, buried and forgotten sometime between the 1930s and the 1950s. Shown here is a brass tie tack, three cuprous decorative attachments with a seashell motif on the front and prongs on the back, a gold colored ring missing its setting, a pink wristwatch band fragment, a screw back earring with a purple glass stone and a heart-shaped filigree necklace pendant.

Kansas Archeology Training Program field school at Fort Harker
Creator: Dean, Virgil W
Date: 1996
Here are five photographs of Kansas Archeology Training Program field school at Fort Harker 14EW310.

Kansas : early routes, old trails, historic sites, landmarks, etc.
Creator: Root, George A. (George Allen), 1867-1949
Date: 1939 December
This map, created by George Allen Root and later reproduced by the Kansas Turnpike Authority, depicts trails, landmarks, and historic sites in the state of Kansas. The original map was compiled by George Allen Root and delineated by W. M. Hutchinson from information obtained from the Kansas State Historical Society.

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 of the Atlantic & Pacific and Missouri Pacific Railroads
Creator: Missouri Pacific Railroad Company
Date: September 24, 1876
This advertisement for the Missouri Pacific Railroad features condensed time tables of the Kansas City, Leavenworth and Atchison stations with the ending destination being St.Louis. Each time table shows connecting lines from other railroads. The back side of the ad is a map of the United States with all of the 48 states and portions of Canada and Mexico. The map shows the routes of the Atlantic Pacific and Missouri Pacific railroads and their principal connections with other railroads.

Map of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway showing land grants and connections
Creator: Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company
Date: 1871
This map indicates land grant lands available from the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, in an area from Junction City, Kansas, to Preston, Texas. It is also a map of all connecting railroads from the states of Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa and Indiana. Major rivers, cities, and military installations are shown.

Newspapers, Long in the Family
Creator: Howes, Cecil, 1880-1950
Date: 1940-1950
This item, written by Kansas City Star editor Charles Cecil Howes, addresses the long history of newspaper publication in Kansas. According to Howes's research, "Jotham Meeker was the first newspaper publisher in Kansas. That is, he brought the first printing press and established a newspaper for the Shawnee Indians." Howes also explains that, at the time he wrote the article, the Kansas State Historical Society had "4,813 listings of newspapers" that were published within the state of Kansas.

Picnic at Indian Cave on Mulberry Creek, Kansas
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
This stereograph shows several men having a picnic at Indian Cave on Mulberry Creek, Ellsworth County, Kansas. The photo was taken eleven miles northeast of Fort Harker and 494 miles west of St. Louis, Missouri. Fort Harker was located in present day Kanopolis, Kansas. It is from Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Pins from a Child's Treasure Trove, 14EW310
Date: 1930-1959
Shown are three of the 83 artifacts stored in a jar that was recovered during the Kansas Archeology Training Program field school excavation in 1996 at Fort Harker in Kanopolis, Kansas. The artifacts were discovered in a broken mustard jar, shown in the two slides, and may well represent a child's treasure, buried and forgotten sometime between the 1930s and the 1950s. These three stamped iron pins all had spring loaded pin backs. The oval pin with a picture of a skeleton key has the words "KEY COMMITTEE" printed on it. The other pins are a brass or bronze pin with an etched crisscross pattern and a rusty pin that may have once been white or silver colored.

Primer Pin for Field Artillery from Fort Harker, 14EW310
Date: 1867-1872
This primer pin for field artillery was recovered from Fort Harker during the 1996 Kansas Archeology Training Program. It was excavated during the metal detector survey conducted there. Fort Harker was located adjacent to what was to become the town of Kanopolis in Ellsworth County.

Quartermaster's clerks and office at Fort Harker, Kansas
Date: May 1868
This is a photograph showing quartermaster's clerks and office at Fort Harker, Kansas. People in the photograph are identified.

Reminiscence of the early days told by Ferdinand Erhardt of Lincoln, Kansas
Creator: Roenigk, Adolph, 1847-1938
Date: Between 1900 and 1910
A reminiscence of Ferdinand Erhardt. Erhardt recounts his time working for the military, which involved lending his cattle to them for the movement of military supplies. He also tells of fights between the military and Indians, his nearness to Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, Kansas, hunting for buffalo, and in contrast, some light-hearted moments he experienced.