Glacial Hills Scenic Byway

Glacial Hills Scenic Byway. . , Welcome to the Glacial Hills, rich with Kansas history and spectacular views of the mighty Missouri River., It is hard to imagine a time when the land traversed by the Glacial Hills Scenic Byway was once covered by almost 500 feet of ice. Yet, these scenic hills, streams, and valleys, formed by the sculptural power of great ice sheets and powerful prehistoric winds, testify to this distant era. But just as its landscape reveals an important part of earth's history, the byway also guides us through our nation's continuing story. Its hills, home to the Iowa and Sac and Fox nations, were explored by Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. Today, visitors can discover the famous river towns of Atchison, namesake of the storied Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and hometown of the legendary aviator Amelia Earhart. See Leavenworth, Kansas' first city, where cultural and historic offerings transcend the federal installations that has made its name famous around the world. Visit Troy, where Abraham Lincoln spoke during his campaign for president in 1859, the westernmost stop of his entire campaign. The Glacial Hills Scenic Byway invites all to experience the land where famous names such as Abraham Lincoln, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George C. Marshall, George Patton, Colin Powell, Douglas MacArthur, Amelia Earhart, Susan B. Anthony, Fred Harvey, and many others lived, taught, learned, or conducted business., The Glacial Hills Scenic Byway gets its name from the fertile hills of loess, carried by the ancient glaciers that once covered northeast Kansas. The Missouri River was integral to the area's development as a major mode of transport for Native Americans, explorers like Lewis and Clark, and for industry that used steamboats to carry goods up and down the river. As a result, towns along the byway are some of the oldest in the state, acting as starting points for many journeys across Kansas including the Smoky Hill, Oregon, and California Trails; the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway; and even the Pony Express, which all originated nearby. For all these reasons and more, those along the byway continue to celebrate their heritage, sharing the past through their historic downtowns and stately homes., "If I went west, I think I would go to Kansas - to Leavenworth or Atchison... these are and will continue to be fine growing places." , - Abraham Lincoln, as a candidate during his 1859 presidential bid, The character of the Glacial Hills Scenic Byway resides not only in the beautiful bluffs overlooking the Missouri and its river towns, but also in the area's spirit of curiosity and discovery., Immigrants All , Storylines of the Kansas Byways , Many of the Immigrants All that began their journey across Kansas started along this byway from launching points like Atchison or Leavenworth via trail, coach, or railroad. Others settled the fertile hills, farming and building barns like the byre and bluff barns to take advantage of the hilly topography., First People, First Nations , Storylines of the Kansas Byways , Many First People, First Nations inhabited the area near the Missouri River due to its access to food, water, and shelter. As European settlers moved west, additional tribes were pushed to the river including the lowa and Sac and Fox peoples, both of which still reside in reservations near the byway., Land's Legacy , Storylines of the Kansas Byways , Northeast Kansas, covered by glaciers about 600,000 years ago, features scenic loess bluffs such as Lookout Mountain and fertile farmland, deposited as silt when glaciers melted. The Missouri River, also part of the Land's Legacy, was a transportation route westward for explorers like Lewis and Clark.