Council Grove Historic District

Council Grove Historic District is a National Historic Landmark (NHL) located in Council Grove, Kansas, United States. The site was named for the occasion of an 1825 treaty negotiation between the Osage Indians and the US Federal government which guaranteed the Santa Fe caravans safe passage through Osage territory. It was a natural stopping place on the Santa Fe Trail owing to its water, abundant grass for grazing, and timber. The historic district, is not geographically continuous, consisting of six separated sites. These include some Santa Fe Trail ruts, the Hays Tavern, the Seth Hays House, the Council Oak, the Post Office Oak, and the Last Chance Store. It was designated an NHL in 1963. The Council Oak, a tree under which the treaty was negotiated and/or signed, was destroyed in a storm in 1958, but the stump was preserved.