Euro-American

Euro-American settlements in Kansas and the Kansas City vicinity complement the largely prehistoric Native American materials.  Collections from the 19th century town of Chelsea, Kansas, the 19th century Longview Mansion (Missouri) and surrounding buildings, and the mid-19th century Town of Kansas (birthplace of Kansas City, MO) are some of the more significant historic collections curated in the Archaeology. In particular, archaeological investigations at the Town of Kansas (23JA422), conducted from 1991 – 1993, provided substantial evidence of the earliest settlement along the Missouri River that would eventually develop into a major metropolitan city.  Originally settled by the French as a fur-trading post, this location witnessed significant increases in populations and activities as Missouri became a state and the area was platted for commerce.  Steamboats docked at the Town of Kansas and unloaded supplies to outfit overland wagons as well as the needs of a growing western frontier town.  As the population increased and businesses prospered, the river-edge settlement was abandoned in favor of extensive lands up the bluffs and to the south.  Over time, the first settlement became buried with debris from the subsequent developments.