Geary County, KS
We invite you to share the magic that our forefathers experienced as they discovered this land we call home.
A tour through Geary County will inspire thoughts of the early settlers who journeyed westward on the trails of yesteryear. In the very heart of America's heartland, the pioneers discovered majestic vistas and rolling waves of tallgrass priaire lands characteristic of the picturesque Flint Hills. It is a region full of stories about courage, greed, determination, and innovation, where spritis of soldiers, Indians, and immigrants join scientists, students, and nature lovers.
Forts were built along major trails to protect white settlers from the Indians, and Fort Riley went on to play a key role in American military history. It was Cavalry Headquarters after the Civil War ... a story well told at the U.S. Cavalry Museum. Since World War I, members of Fort Riley's First Infantry Division, the "Big Red One," have been prominently protecting us aginst modern marauders, from Germany to Iraq.
Kansas' soldiers are honored at the Kansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Junction City, the county seat and metropolitan center of Geary County. While in Junction City, visit the Geary County Historical Museum which houses three galleries focusing on the history of the area in a native limestone structure dating back to 1903.
Visitors are surprised to see all the water in our region. Milford Reservoir is the largest lake in Kansas. It is a great tour stop where the Nature Center studies Kansas' wildlife, and the Fish Hatchery is among the country's finest.
Geary County, originally bore the name "Davis County" in 1855. For several years the citizens of Davis County complained about living in an area named for the President of the Confederate States of America, even though he was a Secretary of War when the county was named for him. In 1889, the county's name was changed to Geary after John W. Geary, Governor of Kansas Territory.
Explore Geary County
U. S. Cavalry Museum
The U.S. Cavalry Museum building was constructed in 1854 and used for nearly thirty years as the Post Hospital. In 1889, as Fort Riley'
Fort Riley, KS MuseumsMilford Nature Center
The Milford Nature Center is designed to give visitors a better understanding of and appreciation for the natural communities in Kansas. A trip to the Nature Center will reveal that Kansas has a rich abundance and variety of wildlife. Adjacent to the Nature Center is the state'
Junction City, KS Nature CentersStarcke/Henderson Period House Museum
The Starcke/Henderson Period House museum located just south of the Geary County Historical Museum was developed to showcase the Historical Society museum's growing collection of vintage household furniture and accessories. The main portion of this brick cottage was built in 1885
Junction City, KS MuseumsEpiscopal Church of the Covenant
This historic limestone church was built in 1859 and is the oldest Episcopal Church in continuous use in Kansas.
Junction City, KS Historic ChurchesWetzel's Cabin
This cabin was built in 1857 by the C.F. Wetzel family. In 1861, a Lutheran congregation was organized in this cabin and a missionary by the name of F.W. Lang used this cabin to lead worship services. The original site of the cabin was near Clark's Creek. The cabin was restored in 1955
Grandview Plaza, KS Pioneer LifePost Cemetery
Beyond the Ogden Monument is the Post Cemetery. In the area nearest the Ogden Monument are mass graves of persons who died in two cholera epidemics which struck the post in 1855 and 1867
Fort Riley, KS CemeteriesKansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The 13x46 foot, black granite memorial was dedicated to the men and women who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. The memorial lists the names of the 797 Kansans who were either killed or are still officially listed as Missing in Action.
Junction City, KS MemorialsSt. Mary's Chapel
As the first stone church in Kansas, the original building was constructed by the Episcopalians in the mid 1850'
Fort Riley, KS Historic ChurchesWainwright Hall - Fort Riley
Wainwright Hall is named for General Jonathan Wainwright who served as the assistant commandant of the Cavalry School during the 1930s. The building was constructed in 1889
Fort Riley, KS Museums
Territorial Capitol
In 1855, the nation wept for "Bleeding Kansas"
Fort Riley, KS Historic BuildingsFirst Baptist Church
The First Baptist Church was organized in Junction City on November5, 1865. This building was dedicated January 27, 1867, and served as the Baptist Church until the adjacent building was occupied in 1917. Under the stucco exterior are the original native limestone blocks.
Junction City, KS Historic Churches