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| Situated at
the intersection of U.S. 56 Highway (Main Street) and North K-177 (Union
Street) is a unique and symbolic juxtaposition of statuary reflecting the
historical intersection of cultures in Council Grove. On the northeast
corner facing west is the Madonna of the Trail, an Algonite stone
representation of Manifest Destiny marching bravely and triumphantly west
with children in tow, taming the wilderness while spreading Euro-American
civilization across the prairie landscape.
Counterpoised on the northwest corner facing east stands the figure of a Kaw warrior. Known as the "Guardian of the Grove," this eight-foot-high bronze statue embodies the Native American, standing deeply rooted in the land, but directly in the path of a powerful and alien culture. (learn more about the symbols in the statue) The story of the meeting of these two cultures in Council Grove is told in graphic and three-dimensional form at the Kaw Mission State Historic Site, located on the banks of the Neosho River. Here in the early 1850s, Methodists attempted to educate Kaw boys as a means of folding the Indians into the Euro-American culture. The Kaw Mission story reflects the universal themes of two cultures in historical collision, the lethal impact of this collision on the native peoples, and the modern re-integration of the Kaws and their stories into the tribe’s ancestral home near Council Grove. The contents of this web site provide a rich understanding of the historical events, personalities, and themes associated with the intersection of cultures in Council Grove. We welcome you to the Kaw Mission section of the Kansas Historical Society Web Site and encourage you to explore fully the rich history contained within these pages. |
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