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.

1969 Excavation at Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1969
These images were taken at 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. Fort Zarah, located along the Santa Fe trail in Barton County, was active from 1864 to 1869. Shown is a complex of dishes, grinder, and other kitchen detritus, progress views of the exposed footings in structure 1 and 2, and a plan view map of the excavated blockhouse.

.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.

Ball and Cone Earrings from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1868
These three ball and cone earrings were excavated at Fort Zarah in 1969 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists. The fort was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869. The trading post, where these earrings were located, burned in 1868. Ball and cone earrings were a popular trade item. Two of these are missing their cones. The remaining cone has been flattened.

Brass Plate from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1868
This brass plate was excavated at Fort Zarah in 1969 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists. The plate advertises "BEARD & BRO" of "ST. LOUIS, MO." This may be a reference to the Beard and Brother company of St. Louis, established in 1848, that manufactured safes, vaults, cotton ties, and a nut-lock for safes. The fort was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869. The trading post building within the post, where the plate was found, burned in 1868.

Bullet Casing Encased in Plaster from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1869
This brass bullet case was excavated at Fort Zarah in 1972 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists at the site of the original fort building. At some time the case was incorporated into plaster. It has a head stamp of "J. G." indicating it was made for a Spencer gun. The fort was a small military outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869.

Buttons from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1869
Shown are two buttons 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. Both buttons have alpha shank backs. One was made of black painted metal and is decorated with rosettes. The other is a white dome style button with a brown swirl pattern. Fort Zarah, located along the Santa Fe trail in Barton County, was active from 1864 to 1869.

Buttons from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1869
These five buttons were recovered from Fort Zarah. Shown are two china 4-hole dish buttons, a bone 4-hole button with a recessed center, a metal 4-hole pants button, and a shell 2-hole sew through button with a raised center. The buttons were excavated during the 1969 Kansas Archeological Training Program field school, a joint project undertaken by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers. Fort Zarah was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County manned between 1864 to 1869.

C. and W. K. Harvey Maker's Mark from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1869
This plate or platter fragment was excavated at Fort Zarah in 1972 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists at the site of the original fort building. The dish was manufactured by C. and W. K. Harvey of Longton, England, between c. 1835 and 1852. The fort was a small military outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County.

Ceramic Pipe Fragments from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1869
These pipe stem and bowl fragments were recovered from Fort Zarah in 1972 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists at the location of the original fort building. The top row shows three glazed pipe bowls. The upper right pipe bowl is a fragment of a Presidential pipe. Based on the remnant of hair and right eye it depicts President Ulysses S. Grant and was made and distributed from 1865 to 1870. The bottom row shows an unglazed bowl, a decorated bowl and stem fragment, and a stem fragment. Fort Zarah was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869.

Ceramic Vessel from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1800-1869
The broken sherds of this vessel were recovered at the site of Fort Zarah in Barton County. They were reconstructed by the donor who used plaster (the darker material as shown here) to fill in for the missing pieces. It was donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 2014.

Clay Pipes from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1869
These two clay pipe bowls were excavated at Fort Zarah in 1972 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists at the site of the original fort building. Both bowls show some dottle, tobacco residue, indicating they had been smoked. The fort was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869.

Cloth Covered Button from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1869
This brass button front was excavated at Fort Zarah in 1972 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists at the site of the original fort building. The button has a charred plain weave cloth attached to its front. The tightness of the weave indicates the cloth was made on a floor loom. The material may have once covered the entire button front. The fort was a small military outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County.

Counterweight from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1868
This counterweight was excavated at Fort Zarah in 1969 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists. The counterweight may have been used for a scale. The fort was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869. The trading post building within the fort, where this counterweight was located, burned in 1868.

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 Service Button from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1868
This General Service button was recovered at Fort Zarah in 1972 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists at the site of the original fort building. The button was made of brass and has a line shield on the front, indicating it was in use from 1855 to 1884. The button's back mark advertises the "WATERBURY BUTTON CO" of Connecticut, which has been in the business of making buttons since 1812. The fort was a small military outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County.

General Service Button from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1855-1869
This General Service buttons was recovered at Fort Zarah, in Barton County, during excavations at the 1969 Kansas Archeological Training Program field school, a joint project undertaken by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers. The button was made of brass and has a line shield on the front, indicating it was in use from 1855 to 1884. The button's back mark is too faint to read. The alpha shank attachment is present.

Gilt Button from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1869
This gilt button has a back mark advertising its manufacture by Kendrick and Company of Waterbury, Connecticut. The two part button, which is missing its loop attachment, was made in the 1830s. It was recovered from Fort Zarah. It is elaborately decorated in a pressed floral pattern and predates the 1864-1869 occupation of the fort by 30 years, the button may have been kept and reused on other clothing. The button was excavated during the 1969 Kansas Archeological Training Program field school, a joint project undertaken by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers. Fort Zarah was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County manned between 1864 to 1869.

Gun Forearm Cap from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1868
This forearm cap was excavated at Fort Zarah in 1969 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists. Forearm caps were located on that portion of the wooden stock under a gun barrel to help keep out debris. The fort was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869. The trading post building, where this artifact were located, burned in 1868.

Hancock Campaign, March 1867
Creator: Hunnius, Ado, 1842-1923
Date: March 1867
This item contains Carl Julius Adolph Hunnius's notes on his participation in Major General Winfield Scott Hancock's expedition to pacify Indians living on the American plains that took place shortly after the end of the American Civil War. Hunnius, an enlisted man in the Union Army during the Civil War, indicates that General Hancock left Fort Leavenworth on March 31, 1867 "for an Indian Campaign against Kiawas, Cheyennes, and Arapahoes, reported West of Fort Larned, Kansas." Hunnius's notes provide locations, means of transportation used, men involved, as well as other details related to the campaign.

Harness Rosette from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1869
This possible harness rosette was excavated at Fort Zarah in 1972 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists at the site of the original fort building. The brass artifact has a ferrous back and is decorated with shields and stars around the edge. The fort was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869.

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.

Lead Bars from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1868
These lead bars were excavated at Fort Zarah in 1969 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists. They are all stamped with portions of advertising from the "ST LOUIS SHOT TOWER CO." These bars could be melted and poured into any needed item. The trading post building, where these bars were located, burned in 1868. The fort was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869.

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.

Medicinal Bottle from Fort Zarah, 14BT301
Date: 1864-1868
This small bottle was excavated at Fort Zarah in 1969 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists. The clear glass bottle is 2 1/8" high and has a flat or patent finish. The fort was a small outpost on the Santa Fe trail in Barton County occupied from 1864 to 1869. The trading post, where the bottle was located, burned in 1868.