Near Highland in Doniphan County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Iowa, Sac and Fox Mission

American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Site

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 29, 2011

1. The Iowa, Sac and Fox Mission Marker

Inscription.
The Iowa, Sac and Fox Mission was one of many Indian missions built in what is now Kansas between 1820 and 1862. Established in 1837 by Reverend Samuel and Eliza Irvin and Reverend William and Julia Hamilton, the mission was sponsored by the Presbyterians.

By 1856 the mission had forty-four students, half were Iowas and the rest were from the Blackfoot, Sioux, Pawnee, and Sac and Fox tribes. Most of the children were orphans. The mission's goal was to discourage tribal ways and make the Indians self-sufficient Christian farmers.

The Iowa, Sac and Fox Mission became an orphanage in 1863. It closed its doors in 1868. (Marker Number 17.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Churches & Religion • Education • Native Americans. In addition, it is included in the American Presbyterian and Reformed Historic Sites series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1820.

Location. 39° 51.84′ N, 95° 13.769′ W. Marker is near Highland, Kansas, in Doniphan County. Marker is at the Iowa and Sac & Fox Mission State Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1737 Elgin Road, Highland KS 66035, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Cooperation and Conflict on the Trail (here, next to this marker); The Highland Presbyterian Mission

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(here, next to this marker); The Oregon-California Trail (a few steps from this marker); The Wolf River Crossing (a few steps from this marker); A Manual Training School (within shouting distance of this marker); An Agricultural Mission (within shouting distance of this marker); The Missionary Movement (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Dangerous Coexistence (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Highland.

Regarding The Iowa, Sac and Fox Mission. The Iowa, Sac and Fox Mission was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. This site is also one of 445 American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Sites registered between 1973 and 2003 by the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS), headquartered in Philadelphia. Approved sites received a metal plaque featuring John Calvin’s seal and the site’s registry number (PHS marker location unknown).

The following text is taken from the Presbyterian Historical Society website:

Established in 1837 in what is now Doniphan County, Kansas, the Presbyterian Mission to the Iowa, Sac
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 29, 2011

2. The Iowa, Sac and Fox Mission Marker
Mission building in background
and Fox Indians had followed the Indians in their removal from northwestern Missouri. Rev. and Mrs. Samuel M. Irvin founded the Mission, under auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. The building completed in 1846, originally was more than double the size of the portion remaining today. Irvin and his co-worker, Rev. William Hamilton, operated at the Mission the second oldest printing press in Kansas. The Mission was inactive after 1863. The property now is operated as a state museum by the Kansas State Historical Society.

Also see . . . Iowa and Sac & Fox Mission National Register Nomination. (Submitted on October 7, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

Irvin Photo on Iowa, Sac and Fox Mission Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Unknown, undated

3. Irvin Photo on Iowa, Sac and Fox Mission Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 7, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 801 times since then and 59 times this year. Last updated on August 15, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 7, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.