Alcove Springs was a popular stop along the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...

near Independence Crossing in

Marshall County, Kansas Marshall County (standard abbreviation: MS) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 10,038. The largest city and county seat is Marysville. History The Oregon Trail crosses Marshall C ...

. Travelers along the trail gave the springs its name. The words ' Alcove Springs', carved into the hard limestone cliff by the

Donner Party The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–1847 snowbound in th ...

, can still be seen, although some of the carving has weathered away. It is located about four miles north of Blue Rapids, along the Big Blue River. Across the road from the Alcove Springs park is another park commemorating the Oregon Trail and features history, wagon

swale Swale or Swales may refer to: Topography * Swale (landform), a low tract of land ** Bioswale, landform designed to remove silt and pollution ** Swales, found in the formation of Hummocky cross-stratification Geography * River Swale, in North ...

s and a D.A.R. marker memorializing Sarah Keyes, a member of the

who died in 1846. The exact location of her burial is unknown. Alcove Springs was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1972. With .

References

External links

Alcove Spring & Waterfall
- Kansas Travel

- GeoKansas Oregon Trail Protected areas of Marshall County, Kansas Parks in Kansas Natural features on the National Register of Historic Places in Kansas Bodies of water of Marshall County, Kansas Springs of Kansas National Register of Historic Places in Marshall County, Kansas {{Kansas-NRHP-stub