| The Indian & |
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| The Indian & |
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When the Union Pacific first built across Kansas
the inhabitants here were wild Plains Indians. The
millions of buffalo grazing the prairie were the
food of the Indians and buffalo hides made their
tepees and clothing. Cheyennes, Arapahoes and other
tribes, sensing the danger to their hunting grounds,
frequently raided workers and tore up tracks. Two
miles west of this marker, in May 1869, a mounted
party dashed out of a deep ravine and ambushed a
section crew of seven. The men raced to their handcar,
and firing as they could, pumped desperately for home.
Two were shot off the handcar and killed, and four
were wounded. A monument to those who died stands in
the city cemetery, one-fourth mile east.
This point was called Fossil Station when the Union Pacific reached here in 1867. The name was changed to Russell in 1871 when a Wisconsin colony established the town. |
Russell
County |
Highway marker on old US40 |
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