Beginning in the 1870s, homesteaders began to settle near present-day WaKeeney. Most came to farm, though others established ranches, raising cattle, sheep, and pigs. However, homesteading in western Kansas was never easy, the extreme weather often . . . — — Map (db m200980) HM
During settlement, few trees stood in the Smoky Valley making lumber an expensive building material. Because of the difficulty and expense of acquiring lumber and planting trees, settlers turned to other, more readily available materials like sod . . . — — Map (db m200979) HM
Beginning in 1858 with Pike's Peak Gold Rush, a Native American trail along the Smoky Hill River provided the shortest route through Kansas, though often not the safest. This "Smoky Hill Trail" became the path for the Butterfield Overland Despatch . . . — — Map (db m200978) HM
