Bloomington, Kansas
The town of Bloomington emerged in February 1857 on land that previously belonged to the Kaw Tribe. The residents of Bloomington were staunch abolitionists who supported the free state cause. Additionally, several settlers, such as Henry Hiatt and J.C. Steele, used their homes as stations along the Underground Railroad. Following the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, a mass exodus of formerly enslaved peoples, the majority from Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia, started migrating to Kansas in search of equal opportunity and a chance to own land. Many Black families settled in Bloomington, purchasing land from Steele. By 1870, Black settlers had restored Bloomington with new life. Although Bloomington was declared officially vacated in 1876, the small, rural community did not die out entirely. The families of formerly enslaved peoples continued to live and farm in the region for the next 100 years.
About this community
- Dam
- Clinton Dam
- River
- Wakarusa River
- Established
- 1857
- Inundated
- 1970
- Population
- 100
Archive artifacts
Photos
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What is left of the Punch Collins ranch and rodeo arena 1973“Collins place.” Photograph by Clarence Anderson, 1973. All that remained of Charles “Punch” Collins’ ranch and rodeo arena after Corps demolition.Clarence Anderson · Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum -
Punch Collins Postcard 1930“Punch” Collins postcard, ca. 1930. Charles “Punch” Collins trained ponies and horses at his ranch in the Wakarusa River Valley. Most famously, Collins trained Clydesdale horses for Budweiser. Collins was also a trick rider, often performing in local rodeos and “Wild West” shows.Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum -
Bloomington Town Plat Map 1857Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum -
First School House in Bloomington 1850Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum -
Bloomington School, Class of 1910 1910Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum -
George Washington Family of Bloomington 1902The George Washington family in front of their house, 1902. Washington settled in Bloomington after escaping slavery in 1862.Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum -
Bloomington Baseball Team 1920Bloomington baseball team, ca. early 1920s.Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum -
Simpson House 1860The Simpson house in Bloomington. The Simpsons' were among the first Black families to settle in town after the Civil War.Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum -
Ink sketch of 1855 territorial election by Joyce Schild 1850Ink sketch by Joyce Schild of the 1855 territorial election held in Bloomington. The election was overrun by proslavery voters from Missouri who cast over 300 fraudulent votes.Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum -
J.C. Steele Photograph 1850Colonel J.C. Steele. Steele was one of several settlers who used their homes as stations along the Underground Railroad.Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum
Sources
- Martha Parker and Betty Laird, Soil of Our Souls (1976).
- Claire Cox, “Decolonizing the Wakarusa Museum: The Role of Public Education and Forced Displacement Within the Settler Colonial Structure," (2023).