Kearny County: Wagon Ruts, Museum Objects, and Historic Routes

Wagon ruts, historic buildings, and natural landmarks tell stories of travel and navigation across the land in Kearny County. The Santa Fe Trail was the main route from the east through the county. As you plan your trip, it is worth exploring the different kinds of evidence: exhibits at the Kearny County Museum, preserved traces of wagon traffic, and prominent features in the landscape.

Museum Objects and Historic Buildings

The Kearny County Museum Annex houses an 1831 Conestoga wagon and an exhibit about the Santa Fe Trail. Mammoth tusks discovered in Kearny County in 1981 are also on display there. These exhibits range from wagons and Trail history to a discovery tied to the county’s history.

The buildings on the museum grounds also tell stories of different uses. Shortly after Alonzo Boylan moved to Lakin with his family in September 1875, construction of the White House began. The house was used for religious services and social gatherings. The Lakin Depot was built in 1882 as a two-story building with living quarters above and a freight annex at the rear. After it was decommissioned in 1982, it was moved to the Kearny County Museum complex.

The Columbia School was moved to the museum grounds in 1977. Since 1980, students and museum visitors have learned about historic classroom instruction by visiting the preserved pioneer classroom. If you plan to visit this part of the museum complex, check current museum operations before your trip.

More exhibits can be found in the Machinery Building: a one-room sod house, a grain wagon, an oil wagon, a historic fire engine, and several antique tractors are on display. A different architectural form is represented by the twelve-sided barn built by R.B. Glass in 1909. Along with the depot and schoolhouse, these objects offer different ways to explore buildings, education, and everyday technology.

Wagon Ruts and Landmarks

Charlie’s Ruts is north of Highway 50 and 4.5 miles east of Lakin, Kansas. Several parallel wagon ruts formed by traffic on the Santa Fe Trail are preserved there. Visitors can explore the ruts in an unplowed field. As road access information may change, check the current route before you drive.

Indian Mound is a naturally formed rock formation that served as a guidepost for early traders and Native Americans traveling to nearby Chouteau’s Island. For travelers, Indian Mound also marked the last major opportunity to choose between the Mountain Route and the Cimarron Route of the Santa Fe Trail. The National Park Service lists Indian Mound as a certified site on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail in Kearny County. Chouteau’s Island, in turn, was one of the most prominent landmarks on the Santa Fe Trail between Pawnee Rock and Bent’s Fort.

Another striking landform is Bear Creek Pass, a natural passage through the sand hills. It was formed about 250,000 years ago by a landslide in the chalk formation. The approximate date makes clear that the history of the landscape began long before the historic Trail routes.

Routes in Historical Context

In addition to the Santa Fe Trail, Aubry’s Route ran west along the Arkansas River; at Chouteau’s Island, it did not turn south. Military and stagecoach lines were already using this route by 1852. This distinction is useful when exploring the county’s historic routes: the Santa Fe Trail was the main route from the east, while Aubry’s Route followed its own course along the Arkansas River. At Indian Mound, you can also trace the choice travelers faced between two routes at the time. Together, these places connect tangible traces of the trails and landscape features with different questions about the history of travel.

Discover More Destinations

Lakin, Douglas County, Ellis County, Trego County, Wilson, Wichita County, Chase County, Wabaunsee County

For the broader travel overview: Kansas.