Johnson County(105) ► ADJACENT TO JOHNSON COUNTY Douglas County(106) ► Franklin County(18) ► Leavenworth County(106) ► Miami County(26) ► Wyandotte County(104) ► Cass County, Missouri(40) ► Jackson County, Missouri(352) ►
Touch name on this list to highlight map location. Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
In 1864 David Gee Campbell finally found his safe haven at this site, after dodging threats from the Missourians and danger from Quantrill's raiders in Shawnee.
This valley reminded Campbell of his Tennessee home and his Scottish roots. . . . — — Map (db m51344) HM
A pioneer and leader in the development of the Johnson County area, Merriam has recorded several "firsts."
Prior to the incorporation of Overland Park in 1950, Merriam was home to the county's first high school, then known as Shawnee Mission . . . — — Map (db m50603) HM
Today, Merriam is a vibrant community boasting a mix of commercial, industrial, and residential districts. Merriam residents enjoy established neighborhoods, diverse cultures, a full range of municipal services, plentiful parks, and strong . . . — — Map (db m50608) HM
From 1837 to 1869 the Quaker Mission educated the children from area Indian settlements. The early settlers of Campbellton sent their children to the Hickory Grove School, which was located near present day Shawnee Mission North High School.
As . . . — — Map (db m50579) HM
Esther E. Brown organized citizen support in South Park for litigation leading to the 1949 Kansas Supreme Court order admitting black children to the South Park School and to nearby high schools. Her actions encouraged similar litigation resulting . . . — — Map (db m20606) HM
Although Merriam is one of the oldest communities in the area, it was unincorporated for much of its history. When the county was created, it was divided into several smaller segments called townships. Merriam is placed on the boundary of Shawnee . . . — — Map (db m50587) HM
The original limestone building, was built in 1911. The two brick additions were added in 1938 and 1951. Merriam School housed elementary and high school students until 1922, when the high school students began attending Shawnee Mission Rural High . . . — — Map (db m46863) HM
President Ulysses S. Grant dedicated a spectacular park on this site on July 1, 1880. Built by the Ft. Scott & Gulf Railroad and designed by the famed landscape architect George Kessler, the park covered 40 acres from Shawnee Mission Parkway to . . . — — Map (db m20599) HM
With Kansas City becoming a focal point of trade and transportation, the Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad company saw the need for an amusement park to entertain the booming population in the area. The company purchased forty acres to establish Merriam . . . — — Map (db m46898) HM
Religious missionaries of nearly all denominations were present throughout Indian settlements as early as the 1680’s. Missionaries were intent on converting the Native Americans to Christianity. Quakers (The Society of Friends) had worked among the . . . — — Map (db m46855) HM
In 1825 the Federal government began moving Eastern Indians to new lands west of the Mississippi. This sign is on a 2,500 square mile tract assigned to the Shawnees.
With this tribe came Methodist, Baptist and Quaker missionaries. One mile east . . . — — Map (db m20906) HM
The Bear Pit Bronze sculpture by artist Kwan Wu. Dedicated and installed 2006.
This sculpture by artist Kwan Wu represents the City of Merriam's first public sculpture installation. The mother bear and cubs celebrate one of the most popular . . . — — Map (db m46906) HM
With the opening of the Kansas Territory in 1854, people from everywhere began to converge on Kansas. The fertile and inexpensive land available in the territory attracted David Gee Campbell, a Tennessee native. Campbell loaded his wife and their . . . — — Map (db m46857) HM
Historic Frontier Trails cut through the territory now known as Merriam. Hundreds of thousands of people emigrated [sic – immigrated] to the western frontiers along the Oregon and California Trails. The Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails . . . — — Map (db m46856) HM
From the late 1600’s until the early 1800’s, the Kansa (or Kaw) Indians lived in northeast Kansas. The Indian word Kansa means “People of the South Wind,” and both the state of Kansas and the Kansas River take their name from this . . . — — Map (db m46854) HM
The community of South Park, Kansas was founded in 1887 as an integrated community. By 1900, four black families had settled in the town of 250 residents. South Park continued to grow and became a part of Merriam when it incorporated in 1950.
In . . . — — Map (db m50583) HM
A few years after the closure of Merriam Park, Richard Weaver Hocker developed the second largest amusement park in Merriam. Named Hocker Grove after its founder, the park was established in 1907 and remained in existence until 1919.
Again, . . . — — Map (db m46902) HM
