Last updated: January 23, 2023
Place
Post Office Oak, Council Grove
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
22 E Main St Council Grove, KS
Significance:
Santa Fe Trail travelers left messages in a cache at the foot of this tree, said to be used as a “post office.”
MANAGED BY:
Morris County Historical Society
From 1825-1847, Santa Fe Trail travelers left messages in a cache at the foot of this tree, said to be used as a “post office.” Trail travelers left notes to inform others of the trail conditions, giving it it’s name “Post Office Oak” The tree died in 1990 and the stump has been preserved on this site.
In 1855, Council Grove’s first postmaster was appointed. Since there was not official post office, the postmaster simply distributed mail from a sack or on the street or floor of a store for patrons to sift through and retrieve their mail.
The adjacent stone house was built in 1864. It is now a museum operated by the Morris County Historical Society, but most of its displays focus on local history after the Santa Fe Trail.
Site Information
Location (22 E Main St Council Grove, KS)