Grinter Place facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Grinter Place
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 Location in Kansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1420 South 78th Street, Muncie, Kansas |
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| Built | 1857 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| Website | http://www.kshs.org/p/grinter-place/19564 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000338 |
| Added to NRHP | January 25, 1971 |
Grinter Place is a special house located high above the Kansas River in Kansas City, Kansas. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site worth protecting.
Contents
The Story of Grinter Place
Who Lived Here?
The Grinter Place house was built in 1857 by a man named Moses Grinter. He lived there with his wife, whose Lenape (Delaware) name was Windagamen. Her name meant "Sweetness." She was one of about 25 Delaware women who became U.S. citizens when Kansas became a state. Moses Grinter passed away in 1878, and Windagamen lived in the house until 1905.
The Grinter Ferry
Around 1831, Moses Grinter became one of the first permanent white settlers in this area. He started the Grinter Ferry on the Kansas River. This ferry was very important for people traveling through the region.
People like traders, freighters, and soldiers used the ferry. They traveled between Fort Leavenworth and Fort Scott on a military road. Others crossed the river here on their way to Santa Fe.
A Busy Place
Moses Grinter also ran a trading post near the ferry. Later, he moved the trading post into his home. This house is the oldest one still standing in Wyandotte County. The area was also home to the first post office in Kansas that wasn't part of a military fort.
Becoming a Historic Site
The Grinter family owned the property until 1950. After that, it was sold and even became a chicken dinner restaurant for a while. In 1971, the state of Kansas bought the property. Today, the Kansas Historical Society manages it as the Grinter Place State Historic Site. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 25, 1971.
Other Important Activities
Native American Tribes
In the 1820s, the family of François Chouteau operated trading posts nearby. They were part of the American Fur Company. Starting in the 1830s, several Native American tribes were moved to this area. These included the Delaware tribe, the Wyandot tribe, the Munsee tribe, and the Shawnee tribe. They had originally lived in the Eastern United States.
The Delaware tribe had their agency, a blacksmith shop, and Baptist and Methodist missions close to Grinter Place.
Railways and Relocation
Between 1863 and 1864, the Union Pacific Eastern Division built a railway through the area. It ran between the Grinter house and the Kaw River. By the 1870s, many of the Eastern United States tribes were moved again. They were relocated further south to what is now the state of Oklahoma.
Gallery
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1857 Grinter House.
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1857 Grinter House.
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The Secondine looking eastward.
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The "Military Crossing" on the Kaw River.
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The Kaw River at the Grinter Place looking westward.
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A quarter-mile behind the Grinter Place, this is Moses and Annie Grinter's tombstone.
