Historic Manhattan
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Just like a great book you can’t put down, Manhattan history is a real page-turner! Kansas
has always been a free state, ever since abolitionist pioneers arrived in 1855 to tackle the prairie and put down roots. A steamboat named the Hartford ran aground here. The name, Manhattan, was agreed upon by its passengers and we’ve just been making history ever since.
Did you know that inside of Harry’s restaurant, there are marble walls about 7 feet tall that serve as a marker of how high flood waters reached in 1951? Or how about taking a trip to visit the original limestone benches at Sunset Zoo? Did you know they were put in place by the Works Progress Administration and unearthed again in 2012 for an exhibit renovation?
Take note as you drive around town that Anderson Ave transitions into Bluemont Ave next to the University. Bluemont College, known today as Kansas State University, was the first land-grant institution in the nation! And as such, the main road to the University took the name of Bluement then, and keeps it to this day, although it now shares the name of the University’s second president, John Anderson.
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It All Started with a Steamboat
On April 27, 1855, the Cincinnati and Kansas Land Company left Cincinnati, Ohio, on the steamboat Hartford, bound for central Kansas. The plan was to head west via the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, and Kansas rivers and found a community in Kansas Territory.
New York investors in the land company had insisted on the name, Manhattan, for the new town. Sandbars grounded the Hartford near present-day Manhattan site where a new town of Boston was being established. The Bostonians liked the new arrivals, convinced them to stay and re-named the town Manhattan.
With Manhattan, New York, known as “The Big Apple,” it was natural for Manhattan, Kansas, to become known as “The Little Apple®.” Manhattan, Kansas was first called The Little Apple® as early as 1977.
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Goodnow House
The furnished home of Isaac Goodnow, a founder of Manhattan and Kansas State University, was built in 1861 and is a state historic site. The Goodnow House is open:
- Saturday - Sundays
2-5 p.m.
The Goodnow House is also open by appointment by calling 785-565-6490. The Goodnow House is located at:
2301 Claflin Road
Manhattan, KS 66502
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Kansas State University
As the first land grant university under the Morrill Act, K-State opened its doors in 1863 on the grounds of the old Bluemont Central
College, which was chartered in 1858. The university moved to its present site in 1875. For
tour information, contact the university at 785-532-6373 or view the online tour.
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Konza Prairie
8,616 acres of native tallgrass prairie is located in the western section of the vast grassland, known as the ‘corn belt,’ and features grasslands that once covered much of the center of the continent. Located in the Kansas Flint Hills, this tallgrass laboratory is located 10 miles from Manhattan and is used for ecological research and education. |
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Pioneer Log Cabin at City Park
On October 12, 1915, the foundation of this building was laid. The stone came from the first building of the Kansas State Agricultural College and contains a box with historical papers. Built to show young people the kinds of houses early settlers lived in, the cabin features relics including farming tools, medicinal tools, and ordinary household appliances of the period.
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Riley County Historical Museum
The museum features local history exhibits from pioneer days to the present. The adjacent Hartford house is a restored, prefabricated cabin brought to Manhattan by early settlers in 1855 on the steamboat, Hartford. Hours: The Riley County Historical Museum is open:
- Tuesday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Saturday - Sunday
2-5 p.m.
- Group tours are by appointment by calling 785-565-6490. The museum is located at:
2309 Claflin Road
Manhattan, KS 66502
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Wolf House Museum
Built in 1868, this limestone dwelling was used as a boarding house and private residence. The museum is furnished with 19th century period pieces. The Wolf House Museum is open:
The museum is also available by appointment by calling 785-565-6490. The museum is located at:
630 Fremont
Manhattan, KS 66502
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Prominent Riley County Residents from the Past & Present
- Milton S. Eisenhower - Brother of Dwight D. Eisenhower and a 1924 graduate of the Kansas State Agricultural College (KSAC), Eisenhower became President of Kansas State College (now Kansas State University)
- Helen Elsie Eakin Eisenhower - Wife of Milton Eisenhower and First Lady of Kansas State from 1943-1950
- Joan McInroy Finney - Graduated from Manhattan High School in 1942 and later served as the first female governor of Kansas from 1991-1995
- Albert Griffin - Born in the State of New York, Griffin was an early abolitionist in Kansas in the 1850s; Publisher of the Nationalist newspaper, he organized the anti-saloon republican movement in Kansas in 1885.
- James M. Harvey - From Fort Riley, Harvey became the fifth Kansas governor from 1869-1873
- Gordon Jump - A K-State graduate, Jump was known for his portrayal of Arthur Carlson on the 1970’s hit sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”
- Cassandra Peterson - Born in Manhattan, Peterson is best known for her character, Elvira – Mistress of the Dark
- Damon Runyon - Born in Manhattan in 1880, Runyon was a well-known reporter and newspaper columnist whose career was centered in Manhattan, New York. One of his short stories was adapted into the Broadway play, "Guys and Dolls"
- Eric Stonestreet - Known as the beloved "Cameron" on the show Modern Family, Eric Stonestreet was born and raised in Kansas City, and attended Kansas State University, where he was cast in a play after auditioning on a dare; He graduated with a degree in sociology in 1996
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