Historic Lecompton

08/28/2026

Pie has convinced plenty of people to make questionable road-trip decisions, and this Kansas favorite seems especially persuasive.

08/19/2026

WE HAVE WORKING PHONES AGAIN!!

08/15/2026

Some towns keep their history tucked away. This one wears it right out in the open.

You can feel the age of the place in the brick, the narrow streets, and the way the old buildings seem to lean into the wind a little. It brings back the era when county seats, little main streets, and courthouse towns really shaped everyday life.

It feels good to see a place that still makes room for its past without turning it into a museum piece. I’ll always stop for that. 👇🏻

08/13/2026

Any former Lecompton High School music students wanting a music letter for a jacket? We found 14 in storage that were supplied by the manufacturer. Come by and pick one up for $5.00! Or call and we'll mail to you.

Update on phone status: We should, fingers crossed, be up and running by Saturday. Who would have thought we'd be without phones for almost two weeks due to a dead power cord that is hard to come by. My patience has worn thin!

08/06/2026

We're having phone problems, day four as of today. If you need to contact us, please email: [email protected].

We'll let you know when phones are back on line.

08/01/2026

We really enjoy having conversations with our visitors and sharing a bit of history about the Kansas Territory and its capital, Lecompton. This week we had a professor from San Diego State University tour the museum to help her prepare for a course she was teaching on the Bleeding Kansas era of Territorial Kansas. Some of our guests are travelers who see our signs on the interstate and stop out of curiosity. Others are intrigued by the world famous Lecompton Constitution while others are students of Eisenhower family history.

Since July 18th, we have had visitors from Illinois, several from California, several from North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Colorado, several from New York, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and Oklahoma. And of course we have lots of visitors from our home state, Kansas.

We always suggest to our visitors to stop in town for a meal and to visit our merchants downtown. We hope our Lecompton business owners have had opportunities to have conversations with our visitors, too.

07/18/2026

Congratulations to our friends, Troy and Vickie, at Empty Nester's!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Today we’re highlighting Empty Nester’s Winery in Lecompton, Kansas. This family‑run winery produces a wide range of fruit and berry wines, each made with hands‑on care and attention to detail. Guests can sample their selections in a comfortable tasting room and explore wines inspired by local history and community t

https://wineryadventures.com/places/empty-nesters-winery/

07/17/2026

"HOW THE TOWN OF DENVER, K. T. (KANSAS TERRITORY) WAS BORN", written by Sara Walter for the Bald Eagle Newsletter, Vol 6, No. 2, Winter 1980

In 1858, word came to the Lecompton Pottawatomie Agency from the Rocky Mountain area (now Colorado, then the western border of Kansas Territory) that gold had been discovered. Governor Denver, then Territorial Governor, along with a group of interested men, organized themselves into a corporation, for the purpose of sending a wagon train to the aforementioned area, to stake claims for each member of the organization. Each member provided $500 toward the expenses of the trip. A wagon train was assembled, consisting of 5 wagons, 25 men and provisions. Of the 25 men, 17 were mounted and 8 were drivers. The group left Lecompton May 10, 1858, and arrived at their destination to find all the gold-bearing claims were taken. Their orders had been to stake claims, but also they were to plat a town. They spent two days staking out the town, then started back to Lecompton without gold, but with a town map. They realized their empty-handed return would be a disappointment, so on their last day before reaching Lecompton, they decided to kill some wild game, so they could at least treat the men who sent them out, with a feast. They killed a buck, a buffalo calf, wild turkeys and other small game. They reached Lecompton July 3, 1858, took their game to the chef at the Rowena Hotel, and made provisions for a game dinner. Of course their benefactors were disappointed that there were no gold claims for them, but were greatly interested in the plat of a new town. At the dinner, the new town was discussed, and someone suggested that the group provide a name for it. As Governor Denver was a prime mover of the project, well liked and respected, someone suggested the town be called Denver after the Governor. Everyone agreed, and that is how the City of Denver, Colorado, was platted and named.

07/15/2026

Most of us remember the days sitting in class, eyes front (hopefully) while teachers were explaining a lesson by writing on the "board". What color was the board: black, green or white?

Blackboards made of natural slate stone were utilized between 1800 and 1960s. The slate boards were replaced by lighter, more affordable green enamel coated steel boards. Both of these boards required chalk to write and an eraser to wipe the chalk away. Many times teachers assigned board duty to students. Cleaning the chalk erasers was always a chore!

The pictures below show a chalk eraser cleaning device. The eraser, most often made of compressed felt, was placed inside this device on the brush head and the crank turned the brush to clean the eraser. A small tray at the bottom collected the chalk dust. Ingenious!

07/03/2026

Thank you to KSHB for covering our 250 event!

To celebrate America's 250th and the role Kansas played in the country's history, the Lecompton Historical Society has put on multiple reenactments of Bleeding Kansas.