City Escape: Kansas City, Missouri
The modern-day metropolis of Kansas City straddles the border between Kansas and Missouri. Its railroads helped Kansas City grow into a collection of thriving commercial, metropolitan, and suburban jurisdictions that now spread across the state line.
Kansas City is famous for its vibrant jazz scene, sports teams, and barbecue. One of the hottest spots in town that I’ve personally visited is the Power and Light District in the heart of downtown, where good food and music converge.
Bleeding Kansas
The ongoing rivalry between Missourians and Kansans is contested today on college football fields. In the mid-19th century, however, the burning issue was slavery and confrontations between the two states were much more violent.
Missourians were mostly pro-slavery, while Kansans strongly preferred their upcoming admittance into the Union to be that of a free state. Because that would affect the balance of power in Washington, a violent period erupted in this borderland, becoming known as Bleeding Kansas. Over several years, the violence ballooned into the American Civil War.
This Kansas City Escape route directs you south into the formerly contested borderlands of Kansas and Missouri. There are planned stops at historical locations along the way.
Although the road surfaces are paved and generally in good condition, the terrain is relatively flat, inviting a leisurely cruise across this historical prairie. It’s a ride well-suited for any experienced street rider.
Points of Interest
Marais des Cygnes Massacre State Historic Site
On May 19, 1858, some 30 Missouri pro-slavery vigilantes captured 11 free-state men in the Kansas village of Trading Post. They were marched into a ravine and shot. Five were killed, while the others either survived their wounds or escaped unharmed.
This wanton murder of random Kansas citizens further inflamed passions that were already at the boiling point. The location where the massacre occurred is at this State Historic Site.
Trading Post, KS
Although Trading Post is a ghost town today, it was a vibrant place of trade with Native Americans in the 19th century. It also contained pro-slavers and free-staters, who clashed violently along the Marais des Cygnes River. Historic exhibits are housed in the Trading Post Museum.
Mine Creek Civil War Battlefield State Historic Site
A Union cavalry force of 2,800 soldiers caught up with, and then defeated, a much larger force of 8,000 fleeing Confederates. The ensuing clash along the banks of Mine Creek on October 25, 1864, was one of the largest cavalry battles of the Civil War and the only major engagement fought in Kansas.
Guided by interpretive signage, visitors can walk the battlefield and peruse displays in the visitor center. While the battlefield is open for self-guided tours year round, the visitor center is only open seasonally from mid-April to mid-October, Wednesday through Sunday. Find it at 20485 SR 52, Pleasanton, KS.
Fort Scott National Historic Site
When Fort Scott was established in 1842, the U.S. existed mostly east of the Mississippi River, but many of its citizens were also moving westward. Initially, the fort’s soldiers were charged with “border control,” keeping settlers and Native American tribes separated.
In the following years, however, the soldiers became protective agents of America’s westward expansion. During the Civil War, the fort was a critical base of support and logistics for Union soldiers fighting in the area.
John Brown Museum State Historic Site
Bringing a wagon-load of weapons, abolitionist John Brown joined five of his sons in 1855 to help make Kansas a free state. His headquarters was in a cabin belonging to his half-sister. In the Battle of Osawatomie, one of Brown’s sons was killed, along with four of his other men.
The John Brown Museum State Historic Site, located in the park on 10th and Main St in Osawatomie, KS, is where the battle took place. Brown’s half-sister’s log cabin has been preserved and relocated to the site. It’s housed in a stone pavilion along with other artifacts from the period.