Walnut Creek Crossing

River Bend in Barton County

Six years before the American Civil War, in 1855, William Allison and Francis Boothe established a trading post along the imposing Arkansas River. This crossing came to be known as Walnut Creek Crossing, an important milestone on the Santa Fe Read More …



The Great Bend Aspect

Great Bend 1870's

This article is a review of the archaeology of the late prehistoric to early historic Wichita bands in Kansas. Waldo Wedel (1935a, 1959), who conducted excavations in two of three known settlement clusters, classified the remains in the McKern taxonomic Read More …


Fort Zarah, Barton County, Kansas

Fort Zarah

The text gives the history of Fort Zarah, as a military fort built to protect wagon trains and settlers along the Santa Fe Trail in Barton County, Kansas. There have been several archaeological digs to investigate and determine its exact Read More …




Gun And Ammunition Parts From the Allison Ranch Site

Photograph of the marker at Fort Zarah Park, Kansas

The article gives detailed information on gun and ammunition parts that are artifacts from the excavations at Allison Ranch and the surrounding area. Allison Ranch was a trading post selling merchandise to emigrant’s along the Santa Fe Trail.