Editing Baxter Springs, Kansas (section)

==History==
[[File:Birds eye view of the city of Baxter Springs, Kansas, 1871 LOC 2001620090.jpg|thumb|left|[[Panoramic map]] of Baxter Springs from 1871]]
{{See also|History of Kansas}}

=== Indigenous settlement ===
For thousands of years, [[indigenous peoples]] had lived along the waterways throughout the west. The [[Osage Nation|Osage]] migrated west from the [[Ohio River]] area of [[Kentucky]], driven out by the [[Iroquois]]. They settled in Kansas by the mid-17th century, adopting Plains Indian traditions. They competed with other tribes and by 1750 they dominated much of what is now the region of Kansas, [[Missouri]] and [[Oklahoma]].

One of the largest Osage bands was led by Chief [[Black Dog (Osage chief)|Black Dog]] (''Manka - Chonka''). His men completed what became known as the [[Black Dog Trail]] by 1803.<ref name="Marker">{{Cite web
| title = Black Dog Trail Marker
| access-date = 2012-01-14
| url = http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=37839
}}</ref><ref name="Self"/> It started from their winter territory east of Baxter Springs and extended southwest to their summer hunting grounds at the [[Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge|Great Salt Plains]] in present-day [[Alfalfa County, Oklahoma]].<ref name="Self">[http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/B/BL002.html Burl E. Self, "Black Dog"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209211409/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/B/BL002.html |date=2010-02-09 }}, ''Oklahoma Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', accessed 5 Nov 2009</ref><ref>{{Cite web
| title = Full text of "Wah Kon Tah The Osage And White Man S Road"
| access-date = 2012-01-14
| url = https://archive.org/stream/wahkontahtheosag012195mbp/wahkontahtheosag012195mbp_djvu.txt
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
| title = DEXTER, "In The Flint Hills" KANSAS: BLACK DOG TRAIL.Photo of Chief Blackdog
| date = 28 July 2007
| access-date = 2012-01-14
| url = http://dexterks.blogspot.com/2007/07/black-dog-festival.html
}}</ref> The Osage regularly stopped at the springs for healing on their way to summer hunting grounds. They made the trail by clearing it of brush and large rocks, and constructing earthen ramps to the fords. Wide enough for eight horsemen to ride abreast, the trail was the first improved road in Kansas and Oklahoma.<ref>[http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/O/OS001.html Louis F. Burns, "Osage"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102050914/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/O/OS001.html |date=2011-01-02 }}, ''Oklahoma Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', accessed 5 Nov 2009</ref>

=== American frontier ===
During the late 1830s and [[Indian Removal]], the [[Cherokee people]] were among the [[Five Civilized Tribes]] forced out of the Southeast United States to west of the Mississippi River. This area was defined by the United States as part of their [[Cherokee Neutral Lands]]. A trading post was established at the springs. Some Native Americans and European-American settlers began to develop a community around the post. The 19th-century settlers eventually named the city and nearby springs after early settler A. Baxter. He had claimed land about 1850 and built a frontier tavern or inn.<ref name="allison">[http://www.kansashistory.us/cherokee-ch13.html "Chapter XIII: The History of Baxter Springs"], ''History of Cherokee County, Kansas and representative citizens,'' Ed. and comp. by Nathaniel Thompson Allison, 1904</ref>

=== Civil War era ===
During the [[American Civil War]], the United States government built several rudimentary military posts at present-day Baxter Springs, fortifying what had been a trading post: [[Fort Baxter (Kansas)|Fort Baxter]], [[Camp Ben Butler]] and [[Camp Hunter]]. This was to protect settlers against the Confederate regulars and partisan [[guerrillas]] operating in the eastern part of state.

On October 4, 1863, some 400 men of the pro-Southern [[Quantrill's raiders]] were passing on their way to Texas for the winter. They attacked Fort Blair. Part of the garrison was away from the fort on assignment. The remainder, mostly [[United States Colored Troops]], held the fort with few casualties.<ref name="allison"/> Quantrill's men later encountered an unrelated detachment of 103 Union troops out on the prairie. The Confederates overwhelmed them, killing nearly all the Union men, including many after they were captured.<ref>[http://www.vlib.us/old_west/forts1865.html William C. Pollard, Jr., "Kansas Forts During the Civil War"], Paper given September 1992 at Fourteenth Annual Mid-America Conference on History at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; available through the WWW Virtual Library; accessed 06 November 2017</ref><ref>[http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/massacre-at-baxter-springs/?nl=opinion&emc=edit_ty_20131008&_r=0 "Massacre at Baxter Springs"], ''Opinionator'', ''New York Times'' blog, 07 October 2013; accessed 6 November 2017</ref>

After temporarily reinforcing the fort, the United States abandoned the Baxter Springs area later that year. It moved its troops to the better fortified [[Fort Scott National Historic Site|Fort Scott]], Kansas. Before leaving, US forces tore down and destroyed Fort Baxter to make it unusable for hostiles.<ref>Hugh L. Thompson, "Baxter Springs as a Military Post—1862–1863," ''Kansas in the Civil War Battles and Campaigns,'' Vol. 3, pp. 32-4 (from the Kansas State Historical Society).</ref>

=== Cowtown ===
Most of the town's growth took place after the war, when it began to develop at a rapid pace. By 1867, entrepreneurs had constructed a [[cable ferry]] across the [[Spring River (Missouri)|Spring River]], which was operated into the 1880s. At that time, it was replaced by the first bridge built across the river.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}}

Around 1868 there was a great demand for beef in the [[Northern United States|North]]. [[Texas]] cattlemen and stock raisers drove large herds of cattle from the southern plains, and used Baxter Springs as a way point to the northern markets at [[Kansas City]], which linked to railroads to the East. This led to the dramatic growth of Baxter Springs by the early 1870s as the first "cow town" in Kansas. By 1875, its population was estimated at 5,000.<ref name="allison"/>

The town organized the Stockyards and Drovers Association to buy and sell cattle. They constructed corrals for up to 20,000 head of cattle, supplied with ample grazing lands and fresh water. Texas cattle trade stimulated the growth of related businesses, and Baxter Springs grew rapidly. The town was regularly the rowdy gathering place of cowboys, and saloons, livery stables, brothels and hotels were developed to support their seasonal business. At the same time other settlers were building schools and churches, to support family life.<ref name="History">[http://www.baxtersprings.us/index.php?page=history "History"], City of Baxter Springs website, accessed 5 Nov 2009</ref>

=== Resort town ===
After [[railroads]] were constructed from the North into [[Texas]] later in the century, cattlemen no longer needed to conduct the cattle drives, or to use Baxter Springs as a way station to markets. The first railroad to enter Texas from the north, completed in 1872, was the {{nowrap|[[Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad]]}}<ref>{{cite web|author=Donovan L. Hofsommer |url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/eqm08 |title=Handbook of Texas Online – Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad |publisher=Tshaonline.org |access-date=April 11, 2010}}</ref> As ranchers started shipping their beef directly from Texas, business in Baxter Springs and other cow towns fell off sharply.<ref name="History" />

However, the Baxter spring developed a [[Medicinal spring|medicinal]] reputation.  The town became a [[destination resort]] around the springs for travelers brought by the new railroad.<ref name="R66">{{cite book |last=Wallis |first=Michael |title=Route 66: The Mother Road |publisher=St. Martin's |isbn=0-312-08285-1 |location=New York |page=83}}</ref>

=== Mining center ===
[[Image:Spring River 2006-07-03 210422.jpg|thumb|right|Spring River from Riverside Park in Baxter Springs]]
The discovery of [[lead]] in large veins in the tri-state area revived the area towns from the economic doldrums in the early twentieth century. In the early days of Baxter Springs, lead had been found in small quantities along Spring Creek, but it was of poor quality. It was suspected that higher grade ore could be found, but only at deeper depths. The Baxter Springs City Council by Ordinance 42 enacted provisions that greatly limited any mining within city limits. Their actions protected the land in the city; nearby towns have suffered from mining-related [[environmental degradation]].<ref name="mining-history"/>

Baxter Springs certainly benefited from the business and revenues generated by regional mining activity. Many of the mine owners and operators built ambitious houses here to reflect their success. In addition, in the early 1900s many mining executives built their business offices in Baxter Springs. By the 1940s, however, much of the high-quality ore had been mined, and the industry declined in the region. Some towns became defunct, and Hockerville, Lincolnville, Douthit, Zincville and others disappeared. The mining practices of the time caused considerable environmental degradation in the region. Federal and state restoration efforts have helped to improve the land since the late twentieth century.<ref name="mining-history">[http://www.baxterspringsmuseum.org/Tri-State-Mining-History.html Tri-State Mining History], Baxter Springs Museum</ref>

In 1926, the downtown main street was designated as part of the historic [[U.S. Route 66|Route 66]] transcontinental highway connecting Chicago and Los Angeles. The highway became known informally as America's "Main Street", because it used the main arteries of many cities. Designation as Route 66 stimulated related growth along the highway, including of motels and fast food places, and it gained a prominent place in popular culture.<ref name="History"/>  Baxter Springs was one of only three towns through which Route 66 passed in Kansas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.route66roadtrip.com/route-66-kansas-road-trip.htm |title=Road Trip on Route 66 thru Kansas |publisher=Route66RoadTrip.com|access-date=September 13, 2020}}</ref>

Since the late 20th century, the town has reserved the land of Riverside Park along the Spring River. This has renewed the community's connection and preserved access to the river and its green banks.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}}

===2014 tornado===
{{See also|Tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014}}
A tornado started near [[Quapaw, Oklahoma]] and moved through Baxter Springs on April 27, 2014.