KANSAS - When exploring the history of the Sunflower State, the timeline begins on the banks of the Missouri River at Leavenworth. Known as the "First City of Kansas," it was the first town to be established and incorporated after the territory was opened to settlement.
The Founding: 1854
Leavenworth's origins are explosive, tied directly to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act on May 30, 1854.
- The Rush: As soon as the territory was legally opened, a group of 32 men from Weston, Missouri, crossed the river to stake a claim. On June 12, 1854, they formed the Leavenworth Town Company.
- Bleeding Kansas: The city quickly became the epicenter of the ideological war between abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates. It was here that the first newspaper in the territory, the Kansas Weekly Herald, was printed—famously produced under an elm tree before a building had even been constructed.
Indigenous Roots
Long before the town company formed, the region was the domain of the Kansa (Kaw) and Osage nations. The state is named after the Kansa people ("People of the South Wind"). The bluffs along the Missouri River served as vital hunting and trading grounds. By the time Leavenworth was founded, however, forced treaties and the Indian Removal Act of 1830 had pushed many tribes, including the Delaware and Kickapoo, into reservations in the area, creating a complex and tragic tapestry of displacement prior to white settlement.
A Technical Distinction: The Fort vs. The City
While Leavenworth is the oldest city, it is not the oldest permanent European-origin settlement in Kansas. That title belongs to Fort Leavenworth, located just north of the city.
- Fort Leavenworth (1827): Established by Colonel Henry Leavenworth to protect the Santa Fe Trail, the fort predates the city by 27 years. It is the oldest active Army post west of the Mississippi River.
- The Verdict: While the fort was a military installation, the City of Leavenworth was the first civilian municipality. The two grew side by side but remained distinct entities.
Settlement vs. Incorporation
Leavenworth holds the undisputed title for legal priority in the state. It was the first city to officially incorporate in the Kansas Territory, receiving its charter in 1855. This predates other historic towns, such as Lawrence (founded 1854, incorporated later) and Topeka (founded 1854).
Leavenworth is the oldest city in Kansas, founded in June 1854, immediately following the opening of the Kansas Territory. It served as a supply hub for the West and a flashpoint in the "Bleeding Kansas" era. While Fort Leavenworth (1827) is the oldest permanent settlement, it remained a military post. Leavenworth City holds the distinction of being the first incorporated municipality (1855) in the state.
Sources
- Kansas Historical Society. "Leavenworth, Kansas."
- City of Leavenworth. "First City History."
- National Park Service. "Fort Leavenworth."
- Britannica. "Kansas: History."
- Kansas State Library. "Cities and Towns of Kansas."