Rooks County Historical Society announces “Massacre at Cheyenne Hole” Sunday, Oct. 17th

The Rooks County Historical Society will be having a special event Sunday, October 17, 2021, to be held at the Rooks County Museum, 921 South Cedar, Stockton, starting at 2:00 p.m. The presenter will be one of their own, Leo Oliva, and his topic will truly be enlightening concerning the history of the region, if not of Rooks County specifically.

Many Kansans, especially those who attended school in the state, have heard about the “Last Indian Raid” in Kansas in 1878 when people throughout western Kansas took precautions, banded together, and feared the worst. Today, you can visit the Last Indian Raid Museum at Oberlin.

Unfortunately, there is a backstory that most people have not heard about, the Massacre at Cheyenne Hole in 1875 in Rawlins County when U.S. troops slaughtered 27 Cheyenne men, women, and children. When the Northern Cheyenne made their escape from the reservation in present Oklahoma in 1878, the goal was to return to their homeland. When they reached Rawlins County, however, they attacked and killed 31 settlers, all men, to avenge the earlier massacre.

This program tells the story of the Massacre at Cheyenne Hole in 1875, a sad but important part of Indian-white relations in Kansas. How did this happen? Attend the program on October 17 and find out.

There’s free parking, and no attendance charge. For those who haven’t been through the gallery in a while, notable changes have been made. For those who have never visited, now would be the time to visit.

For more information, contact Susan D. McFarland, Museum Coordinator at 785-425-7217 or email: museum@ruraltel.net.

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