Blogs

Submitted by Vanessa Whiteside, One Delightful Life 

Leavenworth, Kansas: 

The water moves swiftly on the Missouri River as I walk toward the same spot where explorers Lewis and Clark stood.

In Leavenworth, the first city in Kansas, history intersects with modern attractions. Visitors gain access to iconic landmarks dating back to 1854 and a host of entertaining activities, plus 28 blocks of downtown shopping.

During my return trip to Leavenworth, I was eager to take in places I had yet to discover and revisit old gems.

Use my travel guide as an itinerary for your next overnight stay in the northeastern Kansas town, a 30-minute drive from Kansas City International Airport.

The smell of freshly roasted coffee beans permeates the air at Burr Roasters (515 Delaware Street). A short line forms at the counters as locals sip coffee and eat breakfast at nearby tables.

I arrived hungry and ordered an English muffin breakfast sandwich with a self-serve drip coffee. A daily coffee drinker, I was impressed with the medium roast’s flavor, an indicator of the quality of the roaster’s workmanship.

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From Leavenworth County Historical Society Facebook post

The home at 307 North Broadway Street was built by Dr. Daniel W. Thomas, a former Confederate Army surgeon, in 1880 on Leavenworth's once-famous "Millionaire's Row". Dr. Thomas is said to have used the front sitting room to see his patients. Henry Helmers Jr., son of another early Leavenworth settler and vice-president of his father’s furniture company, the Helmers Manufacturing Co., purchased the home in 1912. 

Get ready for a green wave on Friday, March 17: It’s the 40th anniversary of the Leavenworth St. Patrick’s Day Parade! The celebration starts promptly at noon, when the procession heads north from the intersection of 4th and Walnut Streets to loop through downtown.

If you’re looking for a good vantage point along the parade route – or, say, a green beer or two to enjoy while you watch – Leavenworth has you covered.

- By Jerry Reinhardt, director, C.W. Parker Carousel Museum

C.W. Parker carousel horses were built much the same as all the other manufacturers of carousel figures in the world.  They constructed them in sections.  First, there was the "Body Block".  It was a hollow box, with a belly plate, a top plate, and some blocks of wood to fill in the ends.  All the grains ran in the same direction.  Parker always added a block of wood for the cantel and the cantel carving.

Submitted by Visit Leavenworth KS

(Photo credit: Steven Magner, The Leavenworth Times)

“Carl Theel, owner of Theel Manufacturing and Amusement, has been wanting to build it for 10 years. He is finally doing it.” – The Leavenworth Times, June 9, 1977

Submitted by Jamie Ward, Cornfields & High Heels 

Leavenworth, Kansas: A Getaway 

If you are looking for a city with rich history, a vibrant arts scene, and delicious food, Leavenworth, Kansas, is the perfect place. With its historical landmarks and beautiful riverfront, Leavenworth is a city you’ll never forget. It dates back to 1827 when it was founded as Fort Leavenworth by Colonel Henry Leavenworth. The fort helped travelers on the Santa Fe and Oregon trails, and it quickly became a major hub for trade and commerce.

In 1854, the City of Leavenworth became the first city in Kansas. Several notable individuals have traveled through the city, including Lewis and Clark, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, General Eisenhower, and Melissa Etheridge – to name a few.

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Submitted by Roxie on the Road  

Follow Abraham Lincoln’s footsteps on the Kansas Lincoln Trail

“If I went West, I think I would go to Kansas — to Leavenworth or Atchison.” — Abraham Lincoln, 1860

Submitted by Amy Piper with Follow the Piper

The 12 Days of Kansas Road Trip

On the third day in Kansas, Leavenworth gave to me Three-Mile Creek Walking Trail.

Submitted by Z & M Twisted Wines and Winery 

Host a private gathering at our winery

Z&M: A Place to Gather

More and more, we as a nation have come to appreciate the need for togetherness. “People who need people,” Barbra Streisand reminds us, “Are the luckiest people in the world.”

Science shows that we’re hardwired for the community, and there’s a growing body of data to show that many of us simply aren’t getting it.

Submitted by Jeanne Gehret  

Much history about the Anthonys in Leavenworth

This past summer I made my third visit to Leavenworth, Kansas, where there was too much history for me to absorb all at once. Ever since my return home on Labor Day, I’ve been mulling over my discoveries and finding new connections.

Submitted by Roxie on the Road  

People know Leavenworth, Kan., as the home of Fort Leavenworth and the Leavenworth federal prison. People should know Leavenworth for its famous residents and visitors. Meet many of these influential people on the Leavenworth walking trails. They include Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Susan B. Anthony, William T. Sherman, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Carry Nation. As an avid walker, I was anxious to explore Leavenworth’s trail system. Starting from the TownePlace Suites, where I was hosted, my walk gave me 10,716 steps.

Submitted by Jeff and Crystal Bryant, Our Changing Lives

Submitted by Jeff and Crystal Bryant, Our Changing Lives

Submitted by Jeff and Crystal Bryant, Our Changing Lives

Dining in and around Leavenworth

When it comes to dining, Leavenworth offers options for every kind of palate.  Restaurants here are located in historic as well as scenic settings.

By Bernadette Cahill

On October 15, 1851, Clarina Nichols – abolitionist and women’s rights and temperance advocate – told an audience of a thousand the harrowing tale of a woman who had worked hard all her life and married in her mature years a good but poor man with adult children.

By Bernadette Cahill

             On Election Day in 1867, Leavenworth’s voters saw something startling: two women touring every precinct and asking for votes.

            The event was so odd because women at the time could not vote and never went near those rowdy, drunken dens of polling and political intrigue.

By Bernadette Cahill

For 144 years before American women won the vote, their lives were severely constricted. The only political tool they had to win change was the petition and even that was questioned. They were also hamstrung by lack of money, for women had “no right to the disposition of their own earnings.” Further, a contrived philosophy consigned them to the “private sphere,” while men and women supporting women’s restricted role blocked reforms.

Written by Jeff and Crystal, Our Changing Lives

Winter is one of our least favorite seasons. Sure the snow looks beautiful when it is newly fallen, but even that can become tedious with time. There comes a point that we just need to get out of town, even if only for the day. Fortunately, we have lots of great destinations nearby. A short jaunt would supply us with 4 fun stops in Leavenworth, Kansas. Lets see what we found on a cold winter day.... 4-fun-stops-in-leavenworth-kansas/ 

David Josiah Brewer was a prominent Leavenworth attorney who served as judge for various probate and criminal courts of Leavenworth County, Kansas beginning in 1862. He served as judge of the First District court of Kansas, justice of the Supreme Court of Kansas and of the United States Circuit court. In 1889, Brewer was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison to serve as justice on the U.S. Supreme Court of the United States. He served the Supreme Court until his death in 1910.

In 2007, the U.S. Army dedicated its new home to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Lewis and Clark Center. Fort Leavenworth's Command and General Staff College has been in existence since 1881, educating officers such as General Dwight D. Eisenhower, General George C. Marshall and General Douglas MacArthur.

Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth is one of the Leavenworth community's oldest foundations, founded by Mother Xavier Ross in 1858. Mother Ross not only brought spirituality to the frontier, but also was responsible for educational and health care institutions as well. Saint Mary's Academy, later known as University of Saint Mary was founded in 1859.

By Jerry Reinhardt from the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum

Submitted by Jay Jay Goodvin as the Iowa Gallivant  

GIS stands for Geographical Information Systems

Geography refers to anything that can be located in physical space, primarily those features on the earth's surface. Information Systems is a computer-based technology that stores, retrieves, edits, analyzes, and publishes geographic information.