Fall 2021 | Published Quarterly | Vol. IV
Come Join Us At The Lenexa Chili Challenge
The mighty chefs of the Lenexa Historical Society are bravely entering all four categories of the annual Lenexa Chili Challenge. Our volunteers will try to bring home some hardware in the traditional and homestyle chili categories, as well as salsa and wings.
Saturday we will be handing out free samples of our entries. So stop by and say hi. We will be at booth #5 right in front of Bulk It and Maps Coffee & Chocolate in historic Old Town Lenexa.
EVENT DETAILS
Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, 6 to 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Old Town Lenexa, Santa Fe Trail Drive & Pflumm Road, Lenexa, KS 66215
Tracking the History of Lenexa’s Park Names
The Lenexa Historical Society is working with the Lenexa Parks and Recreation Department to research each park’s establishment date, name origin and type of land acquisition. The project will be completed by the end of the year. In the meantime, here are some “teasers” about a few of the parks.
STATE SYMBOLS
Ad Astra Park comes from the Latin state motto, “Ad Astra per Aspera,” which means “to the stars through difficulties.” Buffalo Meadows Park celebrates our state animal.
HISTORIC FIGURES
Na Nex Se Park is in honor of Lenexa’s Shawnee Indian namesake, Na-Nex-Se. Black Hoof Park is named for her husband, Quasky Black Hoof. Bradshaw Park honors the family that donated the land for the 1869 railroad right-of-way and the Lenexa Depot. Wild Bill Hickok Park is a one-acre park that was part of a 160-acre land claim in the 1850s by James B. Hickok, before he became known as “Wild Bill.”
HISTORIC FIGURES
Na Nex Se Park is in honor of Lenexa’s Shawnee Indian namesake, Na-Nex-Se. Black Hoof Park is named for her husband, Quasky Black Hoof. Bradshaw Park honors the family that donated the land for the 1869 railroad right-of-way and the Lenexa Depot. Wild Bill Hickok Park is a one-acre park that was part of a 160-acre land claim in the 1850s by James B. Hickok, before he became known as “Wild Bill.”
MISCELLANEOUS MEANINGS
Scouting Park honors the many scouts from Lenexa. Bois d’Arc Park is a French term for the Osage Orange tree. Did you know that American Indians used its hard, hearty wood for bows and clubs? Freedom Fields Park was named immediately after the 9/11 attacks, combining the concepts of our American freedoms with the “unbound freedom of play” in Lenexa parks.
GEOGRAPHIC SITES
Flat Rock Creek Park served as a campground on the Santa Fe, California and Oregon trails as wagon trains went west. Cedar Station Park and Craig Crossing Park are both reminders of long-ago railroad stops in Lenexa. Electric Park is situated next to an electric substation. The City could have named it anything, but nearby residents would have continued to call it Electric Park.
Thanks for a GREAT Spinach Festival!
Thank you to everyone who volunteered and stopped by the LHS “Spinach Cafe”. We celebrated Lenexa’s history as “Spinach Capitol of the World” in grand style. Over the course of the day we sold:
- 361 spinach balls
- 113 spinach salads, served out of the World’s Largest Spinach Salad
- 117 Wimpy burgers
- And dozens of spinach apple mini cakes, spinach dips and plenty of bottled water
All of this food was donated by great Lenexa businesses. Their donations allowed us to raise nearly $2,500 that will help LHS continue to fulfill our mission to preserve Lenexa History.
Volunteers Welcome
LHS is dedicated to preserving, promoting and presenting the history of Lenexa. We seek volunteers who enjoy applying their skills, interests, energy and experience to those efforts, such as:
- Archiving
- Architecture
- Fundraising
- Membership
- Museum guide
- Community Involvement / Events
Volunteers are always welcome, so if you are interested, go to lenexahistoricalsociety.org and volunteer under the “Support” tab.
Want to be a member of LHS?
Lenexa has a long-running and continuing story — we’d love for you to join the Historical Society and help preserve its history.
Sign up at lenexahistoricalsociety.org/membership
Have a Lenexa History Story?
If you have a Lenexa history story that you think would be a good fit for this newsletter, email it to us at lhsnews@leglerbarn.org
Lenexa Historical Society 