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Road Trips:
"Kansas with her freedom and broad prairies, with the memories of John Brown and his heroic struggle, seems naturally the State to seek.”
-- George T. Ruby, New Orleans Weekly Louisianian, April 26, 1879
The Great Exodus of 1879 was a mass movement of African Americans from the Southern United States to Kansas. The Kansas Exodus was the first general migration of African Americans following the Civil War. 20,000 freed slaves (known as Exodusters) flowed into Kansas between 1879 and 1880. John Brown and his fiery abolitionist friends combined with the anti-slavery Civil War reputation of “Bleeding Kansas” made it seem a fair place where freed men and women and their families would be welcome.
Spend a day on the Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway as you trace the Exoduster migration and settlement in Barton and Stafford Counties. Begin at the Martin Cemetery in Stafford County and end in Barton County at the Hoisington Cemetery. The tour will take you to local cemeteries, museums and memorials to experience the stories of Exodusters, Buffalo Soldiers and other Union Army veterans.
Exoduster tour brochures are available at the Historical Museums and Great Bend Convention & Visitor's Bureau. Download a copy of the Exoduster Brochure from the Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway website.
Start your first day early with a great breakfast in a local café and a delightful hour of bird watching at Cheyenne Bottoms. Then the rural charms of communities along the byway will educate and entertain you. Enjoy a live bird show and then it's time for lunch in small-town America. The afternoon will have its own charms including antique shops, unique museums, and beautiful scenery. You'll end your trip at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge with an easy, wildlife-filled walk as the sun drops low in the sky. Plan on two full days to explore the diverse wonderment of the wetlands, bring bottled water and comfortable shoes for easy hiking, and dress in layers and wear sunscreen in all seasons. Weather in the plains is subject to change in a moment. This itinerary is lovely any time of year but birds are more abundant during the spring and fall migrations. Eagles are best seen during January and February.
