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  I just wanted to send my congratulations for the wonderful 4th of July Fireworks display. It was fantastic, awesome, beaut...
Debra McKee
Topeka, KS
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Wamego Explorations
Learn more about Wamego by following the links below:
Mount Mitchell Heritage PrairieAddress:
3 1/2 miles south of Wamego
About this Exploration:
One of the most dramatic, critical chapters of American history took place on the Kansas prairies. Heated debate over slavery erupted in bloodshed; "Bleeding Kansas" was a prelude to the Civil War and saw proslavery and antislavery settlers struggling for control of Kansas Territory. Located on a 50-acre hilltop three miles south of Wamego, the Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie is dedicated to Capt. William Mitchell and the Beecher Bible and Rifle Colony, part of the Underground Railroad. Between 1857 and 1860 slaves seeking their freedom crossed this land with the help of local families.
A military road called the “Nearest and Best route between Fort Riley and the eastern part of Kansas” descended from the Flint Hills uplands into the river valley on the east flank of Mount Mitchell. Ruts from the trail are still visible today.
 Above: Photo by Samantha Bonderer You can stand on Mount Mitchell amidst the wildflowers and nesting birds, listen to the sound of bluestem in the wind, and look out across the fields to the house (now a private residence) where slaves were hidden.
 Photo by Samantha Bonderer
The hilltop remains mostly in its pre-settlement condition, allowing visitors to experience the sights and sounds of the tallgrass prairie landscape. The privately owned Mitchell farmstead, just north of the property, is recognized by the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom Program as an authentic Underground Railroad Station. It is one of the few original structures in the Midwest known for hiding slaves.
Left: A memorial marker was erected on the site honoring Capt. William Mitchell and the Connecticut Kansas Colony. This famous company of New England emigrants came to Kansas in April 1856 to assure the territory’s entry into the Union as a free state. They became known as the “Beecher Bible and Rifle Colony” due to the notoriety of their departure from the East armed with Bibles and rifles. Photo by Samantha Bonderer
Below: A scarab beetle (aka dung beetle) working hard on Mount Mitchell.
Photo by Samantha Bonderer  Find This Exploration! Get Directions |
 Wamego Chamber of Commerce – Kara Holle, Event and Tourism Coordinator
529 Lincoln St.
Wamego, KS 66547 Phone: 785.456.7849 Wamego Chamber of Commerce – Daryn Soldan, Executive Director
529 Lincoln St.
Wamego, KS 66547 Phone: 785.456.7849
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