Stumps and Trunks of Council Grove, KS

   Town after town, mile after mile as we drove the Santa Fe Trail route through Kansas, we searched for interesting bits of history to explore.

   We had little luck until we drove into a small, tree lined rural town called Council Grove.  The grand oaks were pretty and we were soon to discover just how protected and honored their ancestors are.  I saw no human statues anywhere, but oak stumps and trunks were well marked, in guide books and on foldout city maps . . .  located on the main road for everyone to read about and enjoy.

First we found the dead trunk of the Post Office Oak.  It died in 1990 but has been lovingly preserved in front of a closed down brewery building.  The wooden umbrella installed above provides wonderful shade from the hot sun if one wants to examine the dried decayed bark.

 A brief walk down the same street brings one to the Council Oak stump (below).  The splintered and dried stump is barely held together with rusty metal cables - shaded with a cool orange awning and fence protected, perhaps from dogs too . . .

And across the street and in front of Ray's Apple Market - another famous stump (with sprout date and lots of decay) but not fenced or shaded though.  (below)

As I drove the long thin, rolling roads through the Kansas wheat fields - leaving Council Grove I reflected on all the stumps and trunks history I never knew --