Leavenworth County, KS
The land where Leavenworth and Fort Leavenworth are located today was originally inhabited by the Kansa, Osage and Delaware Indians and today many of our streets are named after these and other local Indian tribes. Somewhere in the vicinity of present day Salt Creek Valley northeast of Leavenworth, the French operated a fur trading post for possibly a score of years in the mid-1700's. This was the earliest white settlement of the region.
In 1827, Colonel Henry Leavenworth founded Fort Leavenworth on the bluffs of the Missouri River. For the next several decades Fort Leavenworth played an important role in keeping the peace among the various Indian tribes and the increasing number of settlers heading west. By the 1840's, travel to Oregon and California had begun and thousands of wagons passed through Fort Leavenworth on the way to the Santa Fe and Oregon Trail.
In 1854, the City of Leavenworth was founded as the very first city of Kansas.
In 1858, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth settled here. In 1864, the Sisters opened St. John's Hospital and in 1923 founded St. Mary College.
In 1863, the legislature passed an act to erect the Kansas St. Penitentiary on a site which is now located within the city of Lansing. The contract to build the prison was let in 1863 and work started in 1864. However, because of money difficulties connected with the Civil War, work stopped in 1864 and did not resume again until 1866. The building was first occupied in 1868.
In 1878, Lansing was platted into town lots.
In 1881, the school that was later to become the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College was founded on Fort Leavenworth by General William T. Sherman. Some of the many famous students and instructors at the college are George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Colin Polwell and George Patton.
In 1885, the Wadsworth of Old Soldiers Home was built, and later became the Veterans Administration Center. In 1893, the Immanuel Chapel, made famous in Ripley's "Believe It or Not", was built on the V.A. grounds.
In 1906, the first cellhouse of the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary was opened. Among the infamous criminals incarcerated here were Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and Robert Staud, the Birdman of Alcatraz.
There are a great deal of wonderful sites and experiences waiting for you and we hope that you will get the opportunity to enjoy some of our renowned Kansas hospitality.
Explore Leavenworth County
The Rookery
The Rookery at 12-14 Sumner Place is the oldest house in Kansas. It was completed in 1834 and was the first permanent post headquarters building. Lieutenant Douglas MacArthur lived here in the early 1900s. The building is a Registered National Landmark.
Fort Leavenworth, KS Famous HomesCity Parks
Visitors can enjoy outdoor recreational activities at one of Lansing's four parks. LOST 80
Lansing, KS RecreationU.S. Disciplinary Barracks
The "DB," as it is known, was established as a military prison in 1873. The buildings inside date from 1863 to 1964. The DB is the only military maximum security facility. This USDB closed in 2003 and the inmates were moved to the new USDB on the west side of the fort. The 'castle'
Fort Leavenworth, KS Historic BuildingsReno Methodist Church
The original Reno Methodist Church was opened August 16, 1891 at a cost of $1,900. Samuel Kelsall and James Phenicie were instrumental in its organization. The first minister was John Jacobs - a Baptist and blacksmith in Reno. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1918
Tonganoxie, KS Historic ChurchesUniversity of St. Mary
No longer a private institution, this four year college is located across the street from the Veterans Administration Center. The College's administration building, St. Mary Hall, was completed in 1870. Visitors are welcome to visit the De Paul Library's Special Collections:
Leavenworth, KS CollegesSyracuse Houses
The two frame houses are known as the Syracuse Houses because they were designed in 1855 by E.V. Carr, a prominent architect from Syracuse, New York. Lt. Colonel George Custer and his wife lived in one of these houses for a few months in 1868.
Fort Leavenworth, KS Historic BuildingsTonganoxie City Parks
VFW Park - This beautiful park was built by the local VFW post. It covers about 15 acres and is located at 900
Tonganoxie, KS City ParksFrontier Army Museum
The Frontier Army Museum depicts the Frontier Army (1817-1917) and history of Fort Leavenworth (1827-present). The original collection began in 1939 when the wagon shop at Fort Leavenworth closed and the horse-drawn vehicles were relocated and called the "Old Rolling Wheels Museum". In 1960
Fort Leavenworth, KS MuseumsGeneral Grant's Statue
Sculpted by Loredo Taft, in 1889, the statue and the pedestal are 9 feet tall each. It was the largest statue of its type in the Midwest when it was installed.
Fort Leavenworth, KS MemorialsMemorial Chapel
Built in 1878 by prison labor from stone quarried on the post and, today, is considered to be an outstanding architectural "gem" in this area.
Fort Leavenworth, KS Historic ChurchesFrench Cannons
These beautiful artifacts of bygone wars remain a mystery at Fort Leavenworth. They were cast in the 1700s in Paris; the name of the foundryman and place and date of manufacture are on each piece. How or why they came to Leavenworth is unknown.
Fort Leavenworth, KS Military HistoryLansing Correctional Facility
The Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) is the oldest and largest facility in the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) for detention and rehabilitation of male adult felony offenders. Legislatively approved in 1861, LCF is built on 2,711 acres. Accredited most recently in 1996
Lansing, KS Penitentiaries