Historical Markers in
Johnson County, Kansas

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"
The first successful airplane flight west of the Mississippi River took place in Kansas in 1910, when Clyde Cessna flew his plane for the first time in Wichita.
Kansas random facts
Johnson County, located in the state of Kansas, has a rich and diverse history that dates back thousands of years. The area was originally inhabited by various Native American tribes, including the Shawnee and Osage tribes, who utilized the region for hunting and farming. The first European explorers entered the area in the 18th century, with French and Spanish trappers exploring the Kansas River Valley.

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.

This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped 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.