About

The opportunity to explore Kearny County’s rich history can begin by stopping by the Kearny County Historical Society’s Museum Complex in Lakin. It is during this step back in time that you will learn of the early one room school house, visit the oldest house in Lakin, tour the A.T. & Santa Fe railroad depot, the Conestoga wagons that hauled the freight delivered to town by the train, and view attractions dating back to the mid and late 1800’s in the museum.

Worth taking time to visit is the very unique twelve-sided barn. This barn was built by a surveyor who served as superintendent of the Amazon Ditch Company. Also one may visit the farm machinery shed and learn about machines that plowed the prairie into the massive farm operations of today.

Our rich history has been extraordinarily preserved and displayed by members of the Historical Society. In addition to the museum complex, there are several Santa Fe Trail landmarks and attractions in Kearny County.

Declared a National Historic Landmark May 8, 1987, the Santa Fe Trail was the primary route through Kearny County from the East. These landmarks would include Chouteau’s Island, Indian Mound and Bluff Station where the caravans sometimes journeyed south via the Bear Creek Pass to the Cimarron Trail near Wagon Bed Springs.

See the Museum’s promotional brochure here.

Please visit the Historical Society’s web page.