Johnson County, Kansas
Blackfeather Farm
Broadmoor Ranch House Historic District
Ensor Farm
Foster, Herman B., House
Harmon Park Swale
Hocker, R.W., Subdivision, Lot K Spec House
Horn-Vincent-Russell Estate
Lanesfield School
Lanter, Franklin R., House
Lone Elm Campground Swale
Loomis Historic District
Mahaffie, J. B., House
McCarthy, John, House
Olathe Cemetery
Ott, Albert, House
Overland Theater
Parker, Martin Van Buren, House
Pickering, I. O., House
Redel Historic District
Shawnee Mission
Sunflower Village Historic District
Turner, William Thomas, Barn
Virginia School District #33
Voigts, Herman J. and Ella B., House
Westwood Hills Historic District
Wolcott House
WPA Beach House at Gardner Lake
A Day on the Santa Fe Trail
A Look Back in Time
A Look Back in Time
A Look Back in Time
A Most Desirable Spot For Camping
A Survivor
A. M. Wood Buildings
Apprehension and Conflict
Bicentennial Time Capsule
Bradshaw Park
California Road
Campbell Home
Check that Cornfield
Children of the Trails
City of Firsts
Community of Excellence
Conser Garage & Bus Station
Conser Store & Hall
Dodge Sisters' Millinery Shop
Education in Merriam
Elm Grove Campground
Elvira Beckwith
Esther E. Brown
Eye of the Needle
Farmers Bank
Fast Food
Following Their Dreams
Fort Leavenworth Military Road
From Prairie Schooners to Locomotives
Gardner State Bank Building
Gum Springs
Hedrick-Fleming Hall & Post Office
Home For Christmas
Home Sweet Home
Incorporation of Merriam
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Lone Elm Campground
Lone Elm Park
Merriam Community Center
Merriam Park
Merriam Park & George Kessler
Not So Little A Farm On the Prairie...
Olathe Civil War Memorial
Olathe World War Memorial
Opening the Floodgates
Overland Park State Bank Building
Overland Trails
Pit Stop
Pleasant View Veterans' Memorial
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt Makes a Whistle-stop in Olathe
Quantrill's Raid on Shawneetown
Quantrill's Raids and the Military Road
R.R. Osborne Plaza
Replica of the Statue of Liberty
Rest for the Weary
Rest Soldier Rest
Roads To The West
Santa Fe and Oregon Trails
Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
Shawnee Friends Mission
Shawnee Friends Mission
Site of Bigelow-Foster Mercantile
Site of First General Store
Site of the first Furniture Store and Undertaker
Spring Hill Cemetery Veterans' Memorial
Stagecoach Drivers
Stanley Rural High School
State Your Business...
The Bear Pit
The Development of the Kansas City area Frontier Trails Network
The Founding of Campbellton
The Gardner Gazette
The Herman B. Foster Home
The Overland Trails
The People of the South Wind & the Coming of the Shawnee
The Pioneer Spirit
The South Park Community
The Travelers
The Trolley Line & Hocker Grove Amusement Park
There's No Roost Like Home
To Our Hero Dead in World War II
Trail Campground..To Farm..To Park
Trails West
Two Routes from Westport
Two Ways West from Westport
Up In Smoke
Veterans of Foreign Wars War Memorial
Voices from the Trail
Voights Building
Wagonmaster's House
Wagons and Coaches... ...to Trains and Planes
Walker School
Westport - Santa Fe Trail - Oregon / California Trail
Westward Ho!
William B. Strang, Jr.
Wilson-Weldon Buildings
Workin' For a Living
"A Day on the Trail"
"Indian Jim" and the Building of Kansas City Road
"Wheels of Progress"
In the early 19th century, American settlers began to arrive in what is now Johnson County. The construction of the Santa Fe Trail in 1822 played a significant role in the county's development, as it became a major transportation route for traders and settlers heading westward. The establishment of the Shawnee Indian Mission in 1830 further solidified the area's growth.
The area saw rapid development and expansion in the mid-1800s, particularly after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. The region became a battleground for the contentious issue of slavery, and Johnson County was a hotbed of violence during the Bleeding Kansas period, with clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. The county played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves find freedom in the north.
After the Civil War, Johnson County experienced a boom in agriculture, with the growth of wheat, corn, and dairy farming. The expansion of the railroad network further boosted the county's economic development, connecting it to larger markets. In the 20th century, Johnson County became suburbanized, with the growth of towns and cities such as Overland Park and Olathe. Today, the county is known for its thriving economy, excellent schools, and high standard of living, making it a desirable place to live and work.
Brief timeline of the history of Johnson County, Kansas:
- 1825 - Johnson County is established as part of the Shawnee Indian Lands.
- 1855 - The Kansas Territory is organized and Johnson County becomes a part of it.
- 1857 - The Town of Olathe is established as the county seat.
- 1861 - Kansas becomes the 34th state of the United States.
- 1865 - The First National Bank of Olathe, the county's first bank, is established.
- 1872 - The Kansas City, Fort Scott, and Gulf Railroad reaches Johnson County.
- 1906 - The Shawnee Indian Methodist Manual Labor School is established in Turner.
- 1917 - The United States enters World War I, leading Johnson County residents to participate in the war effort.
- 1920 - The population of Johnson County surpasses 20,000 residents.
- 1930 - Johnson County Community College is founded.
- 1955 - The population of Johnson County exceeds 100,000 residents.
- 1973 - Sprint Corporation (now part of T-Mobile) is founded in Overland Park.
- 2000 - The population of Johnson County reaches over 450,000 residents.
- 2016 - Johnson County celebrates its 150th anniversary.
This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Johnson County, Kansas.