See the Model Trains & Historic Depot March 20 & 21
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Looking for places to Visit? Check out the “Explore the Area” tab for local historic sites to visit! Click Explore the Area
Our new “Explore the Area” tab features information about sites of historical interest in the local area. Self-guided tours are also included. Hours of operation, background information, and links to further information on this website are included. More sites and tours will be added.
- Sites to visit that are always open:
- Black Jack Wagon Train Ruts and Ivan Boyd Boyd Prairie
- Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park
- Historic Palmyra Well
- Signal Oak – new info on our site – see below
- Women’s Bridge
- Oakwood Cemetery
- Pioneer Cemetery
- Prairie City and Mt. Calvary Cemeteries (at same location)
- Vinland Cemetery
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New Local History Written about Signal Oak!
Signal Oak was a huge oak tree used to communicate the movements of proslavers during the Bleeding Kansas Days. It was located north of current Baldwin City on a high ridge called Simmon’s Hill or Barricklow Hill. This hill was also the site of other historic events and local history. Read a full history of Signal Oak and its surround area using this link – Signal Oak.
Find information about visiting the Signal Oak site at Explore the Area. It is open to the public every day during daylight hours and is free to visit.
Find information about other local historic places under the “Baldwin and Local Area History – Places” tabs! Tabs for historic people and historic events can also be found under the main tab.
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“Our Local History” Event April 18!
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Black Jack Battlefield & Nature Park Update – New Owners and Under New Management
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What Good Does Funding Given to SFTHS Do?
Click this link to Join Us! (Membership)
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“Rabbit Ears” landmark along the Santa Fe Trail, located northwest of Clayton, NM.
The double peak of Rabbit Ears Mountain directed travelers on the Cimarron Route of the Santa Fe Trail toward their destination. Visible across the prairies in present-day Oklahoma and Eastern New Mexico, the mountain was a vital landmark for guiding weary, disoriented travelers and a sign that restorative water, grazing grass, and wood were near. If resources were plentiful, travelers would stay in the area a few days to rest and replenish their energy before continuing their journey. Westbound travelers still had around 200 miles to travel before reaching Santa Fe.
Some accounts suggest the two peaks look like rabbit ears (leading to its name), but most historical accounts attribute the name to Chief Orejo de Conejos (Rabbit Ears) who was killed on the mountain in a battle with Spanish colonizers in 1717.
Information from National Parks Service https://www.nps.gov/places/rabbit-ears-mountain.htm
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