J.B. Mahaffie purchased a 160-acre tract of ground 1-mile north of the town of Olathe, Kansas along the Santa Fe Trail in 1857. In 1863, J.B. and his wife, Lucinda Mahaffie, contracted to run a stagecoach stop. Serving meals in their cellar, the Mahaffies operated their business until around 1870, when railroad development changed transportation forever. By the end of the civil war in 1865, Mahaffie had acquired a total of 570 acres of land north of the Santa Fe Trail making him, at the time, the largest landowner in Johnson County, Kansas.
The last remaining stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe Trail is still open to the public. Mahaffie attracts thousands of visitors each year with its colorful festivals, re-enactments, and well-preserved site. Three original buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Placesare preserved: The 1865 Mahaffie Family Home/Stagecoach Stop, two-story Ice House, and Wood Peg Barn. Other buildings include a large livestock barn, a 20th-century implement barn made from two wooden railroad boxcars, reproduction blacksmith shop and smokehouse, and a maintenance building that houses public restrooms. Ride the stagecoach and see livestock specific to the Mahaffie era. A museum will soon be added to the site. Four major festivals make history come to life each year:
* Civil War on the Border (3rd weekend in April) * Wild West Show and Bullwhacker Days (4th weekend in Sept.) * Victorian Open House (1st Sat. in Dec.)