I recently shared a story about Atchison’s most famous daughter, Amelia Earhart—but there’s so much more to this quirky, history-packed town.
Veterans Memorial Park sits high above the Missouri River, dotted with flags, two Battlefield Crosses, and a piece of the USS Arizona—part of an Eagle Scout project where, unusually, you can actually touch the artifact. (Rare, right?)
From the park, you can see the Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge—originally designed with two arches, but Missouri didn’t want to pay their half, so now we’ve got a delightfully lopsided landmark.
Just upstream is the Lewis & Clark Pavilion with solid info panels, great views, and a nod to the Kanza Nation. Bring snacks and stare at the river like an 1804 explorer.
Inside the old Santa Fe Depot is the Atchison County Historical Museum—small but mighty. I lucked out and got a free tour from Steve Caplinger, local historian and excellent storyteller.
The museum features a statue of George Washington Glick, Kansas’s first Democratic governor, and the World’s Smallest Presidential Library—dedicated to David Rice Atchison, “president for a day” in 1849.
There’s a tribute to Jesse Stone, who helped invent rock ‘n’ roll with “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”
And a display of sleek 1920s radios built by local inventor Fred Stein.
Fun Fact: John James Ingalls, who coined Kansas’s motto Ad Astra per Aspera, hailed from Atchison.
Now, meet Rev. Pardee Butler. In 1855, he showed up with anti-slavery beliefs and a Bible. Locals weren’t thrilled. They painted an “R” for “rough” on his head, tied him to two logs, and floated him down the river. He couldn’t swim but survived, walked back, and kept preaching. Next year, they feathered him. He kept going and helped found the Republican Party in Kansas. That’s Kansas grit. But one story really stood out to me.
William “Deafy” Boular earned his nickname after losing his hearing to meningitis as a child. He later lost both legs in a train accident—he couldn’t hear it coming. Most people would’ve given up. Not Deafy. He learned to lay brick and became legendary in Atchison for his speed and skill. He used boots strapped to his knees and could lay up to 46,000 bricks in a single day. His custom boots are on display in the museum, along with a photo of him in action.
Down the street, you’ll find his bronze statue, Lessons from the Master, added to the Commercial Street Mall in 2013. It’s a quiet, powerful tribute to perseverance. Fittingly, the statue survived being hit by a drunk driver in 2022—just like the real Deafy, it’s back standing tall.
Not everything in Atchison is lighthearted. One sobering stop downtown marks the 1870 lynching of George Johnson, a Black man killed by a white mob after a tragic hunting accident. He turned himself in, expecting justice, but the mob dragged him from jail and hanged him in front of 2,000 people. No one was ever held accountable.
Next to the marker stands Reflections, an 8-foot copper-and-bronze sculpture honoring resilience, remembrance, and the hard truths of our past.
And if you’re up for a little side trip, head about 30 minutes southwest to Valley Falls. Just south of town, perched on a quiet hill, you’ll spot a copper-topped church steeple—originally from St. Bernard’s Church in Wamego. It was rescued in 2017 and was carefully moved 60 miles and now sits on a hilltop overlooking K-4 highway. At its foot is a tiny chapel with a salvaged stained-glass window, a wooden pew, and a couple of religious statues that looked uncannily like people when I first walked up the hill. Gave me a bit of a scare—until I realized the saints weren’t moving.
Check out some of our other Road Trips across Kansas and beyond.