Marais des Cygnes Massacre State Historic Site

On May 19, 1858, proslavery men killed five free state men and wounded five others in a ravine that is now listed as a National Historic Landmark. The shootings shocked the nation and became a pivotal event in the “Bleeding Kansas” era. A few months later, abolitionist John Brown came to the site and constructed a fortified cabin. Learn more about freestaters and border ruffians and their stories when you drive through this beautiful natural setting.