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“When the first settlers of Leavenworth County arrived at the Missouri River, the routes of commerce and travel were largely the water courses,” Hall and Hand wrote in their 1909 History of Leavenworth County, Kansas.
“For this reason all early-day settlements were made on the banks of that river or in close proximity thereto.”
The writers said a typical early-day steamboat was an awe-inspiring sight.
“They had as a rule but one engine. They were small and most of them were constructed along the lines of a flat boat and were stern-wheelers. The cabin was a primitive affair. It was on the lower deck, as a rule in the back part of the boat.
At first there were no staterooms. They were arranged with curtains in front of the berths.”
The Hall-Hand history said Weston, Mo., was “a great stopping place for early day boating, the river then swinging in close to the present site of the city and therefore being a good landing place.
With the advent of the late 1940s and early 1950s steam boating had undergone a considerable change.
The boats had been improved.
They were larger and faster.
Some were of the side-wheel variety.
“When the city of Leavenworth was founded, a landing place was established immediately east of the present site of the Union Depot.
It was not an uncommon sight to see four or five river steamboats anchored there during the late ‘50s.
It is said that during the year 1856 there were 41 steamboats operating on the Missouri River that made regular stops at the city of Leavenworth.
An amazing 328 trips were made during the year.
J.W. Skiller was the general agent for the steamboat industry on the river in those days and had his office located for several years in the old Leavenworth Hotel at the corner of Main and Delaware Streets.
“The newborn city of Leavenworth in the middle and late 1950s was most fortunate in that it had at its disposal numerous highways and trails that had been previously established.
“When Fort Leavenworth was established in 1827 the government immediately set out to connect it with prominent trading centers to the east and west by roads or trails.
“These, up to the establishment of the city of Leavenworth, were used principally for military purposes.
“With the coming of the pioneer home builders other roads were quickly established such as necessity demanded.
At this time the second largest city in the territory of Kansas was Lawrence, consequently a road was opened through from Leavenworth to there.
Lecompton was the capital of the territory that led to the establishment of a road leading there.
“When the first settlers of Leavenworth County arrived at the Missouri River, the routes of commerce and travel were largely the water courses,” Hall and Hand wrote in their 1909 History of Leavenworth County, Kansas.
“For this reason all early-day settlements were made on the banks of that river or in close proximity thereto.”
The writers said a typical early-day steamboat was an awe-inspiring sight.
“They had as a rule but one engine. They were small and most of them were constructed along the lines of a flat boat and were stern-wheelers. The cabin was a primitive affair. It was on the lower deck, as a rule in the back part of the boat.
At first there were no staterooms. They were arranged with curtains in front of the berths.”
The Hall-Hand history said Weston, Mo., was “a great stopping place for early day boating, the river then swinging in close to the present site of the city and therefore being a good landing place.
With the advent of the late 1940s and early 1950s steam boating had undergone a considerable change.
The boats had been improved.
They were larger and faster.
Some were of the side-wheel variety.
“When the city of Leavenworth was founded, a landing place was established immediately east of the present site of the Union Depot.
It was not an uncommon sight to see four or five river steamboats anchored there during the late ‘50s.
It is said that during the year 1856 there were 41 steamboats operating on the Missouri River that made regular stops at the city of Leavenworth.
An amazing 328 trips were made during the year.
J.W. Skiller was the general agent for the steamboat industry on the river in those days and had his office located for several years in the old Leavenworth Hotel at the corner of Main and Delaware Streets.
“The newborn city of Leavenworth in the middle and late 1950s was most fortunate in that it had at its disposal numerous highways and trails that had been previously established.
“When Fort Leavenworth was established in 1827 the government immediately set out to connect it with prominent trading centers to the east and west by roads or trails.
“These, up to the establishment of the city of Leavenworth, were used principally for military purposes.
“With the coming of the pioneer home builders other roads were quickly established such as necessity demanded.
At this time the second largest city in the territory of Kansas was Lawrence, consequently a road was opened through from Leavenworth to there.
Lecompton was the capital of the territory that led to the establishment of a road leading there.
“A weekly mail and passenger state service was in operation between Leavenworth and Atchison. This service passed through by way of Kickapoo following a branch of the old Salt Lake Trail that led off from the original trail at the Salt Creek bridge to the northward and again connected with the mail trail northwest of the present city of the city of Lowemont.
“One of the most famous of the great early day trails had its eastern terminus in the city of Leavenworth. It was known as the Salt Lake Trail.
North of Atchison it connected with the St Joe Emigrant Trail and led on to the northwestward, being there known as the Oregon Trail.
Readers: Dec. 30, 2011 is the 50th anniversary of the fire that destroyed the Church of the Immaculate Conception, known lovingly as the “Old Cathedral.”
This lovely landmark is pictured both before and after the fire in a historical remembrance, which will be published the Dec. 31, in the Leavenworth Times.
Those persons who have memories of the church, and the fire should contact me immediately to be included in this document.
Please send your memories to the paper, marked for Annie Johnston.
Annie Johnston is a Leavenworth resident and wife of the late J.H. Johnston III, former Times publisher.
