This metal sign is located along US Highway 73 in Leavenworth, Ks.
From the Leavenworth Visitor's Bureau:
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visit link)
"In 1827, Colonel Henry Leavenworth founded Fort Leavenworth on the bluffs of the Missouri River. For the next several decades Fort Leavenworth played an important role in keeping the peace among the various Indian tribes and the increasing number of settlers heading west. By the 1840's, travel to Oregon and California had begun and thousands of wagons passed through Fort Leavenworth on the way to the Santa Fe and Oregon Trail.
In 1854, the City of Leavenworth was founded as the very first city of Kansas. Leavenworth became nationally known as the "jumping off point" for the opening of the West. Buffalo Bill Cody spent part of his youth here and later worked in the area as a Pony Express rider and Army scout. Cody's parents are buried in Leavenworth.
The Land where Leavenworth and Fort Leavenworth are located today was originally inhabited by the Kansa, Osage and Delaware Indians and today many of our streets are named after these and other local Indian tribes.
In 1858, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth settled here. In 1864, the Sisters opened St. John Hospital and in 1923 founded Saint Mary College which is now the University of Saint Mary.
In 1863, the legislature passed an act to erect the Kansas State Penitentiary on a site which is now located within the city of Lansing. The contract to build the prison was let in 1863 and work started in 1864. However, because of money difficulties connected with the Civil War, work stopped in 1864 and did not resume again until 1866. The building was first occupied in 1868.
In 1881, the school that was later to become the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College was founded on Fort Leavenworth by General William T Sherman. Some of the many famous students and instructors at the college are George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Colin Powell and George Patton.
In 1885, the Wadsworth Old Soldiers Home was built, and later became the Veterans Administration Center. In 1893, the Immanuel Chapel, made famous in Ripley's 'Believe It or Not,' was built on the V.A. grounds.
In 1906, the first cell house of the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary was opened. Among the infamous criminals incarcerated here were Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz. This imposing facility took over 11 years to complete.
Leavenworth has two Sister Cities: Wagga Wagga, Australia since 1962 and Omi Hachiman, Japan since 1997.
There are a great deal of wonderful sites and experiences waiting just for you and we hope that you will have the opportunity to enjoy some of our renowned Kansas hospitality!"
From Wagga Wagga, Australia Visitor's Bureau:
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visit link)
"Wagga Wagga is a vibrant regional City nestled on the banks of the magnificent Murrumbidgee River. The original inhabitants, the Wiradjuri were the largest Aboriginal tribe in New South Wales. It is from their language the city is named. It is generally accepted that “Wagga” means crow and repeating it means the plural, hence “the place of many crows”. From these proud origins to the culturally rich community that exists today, Wagga Wagga takes its place as the capital of the Riverina region providing an exciting and yet relaxed lifestyle for residents and visitors. With over 60,000 people living in Wagga, we have the lifestyle and facilities to suit everyone.
Wagga Wagga is the ideal base for exploring one of Australia’s emerging holiday destinations – The Riverina. An easy day trip in any direction can take you through the extremes of Australia’s natural and cultivated environment. To the east rises Mount Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains. To the west lies Griffith, the heart of New South Wales’ biggest wine producing region. An easy drive takes you to great Australian towns like, Junee, Lockhart and Temora.
There is something for everyone... be tempted… pay us a visit… then come back again and again.
Sister City Affiliation: Wagga Wagga (NSW) - Leavenworth (Kansas, USA)."
Omihachiman, Japan wikipedia site:
"The city was founded on March 31, 1954. In the quinquennial census of 2010, it had a population of 81,730 (2005: 80,610). With a total area of 76.97 km2 (30 sq mi), the population density is 1,062 persons per km². On March 21, 2010, the town of Azuchi from Gamo District merged with the city to create the current city of Omihachiman.
"Omihachiman" means "Hachiman in Omi". This is caused when Hachiman Town (the forerunner of this city) became a city, there was the city of Yahata in FuOmihachiman had been a developed commercial town even since Toyotomi Hidetsugu built a castle and gathered many merchants in the last part of 16th century. Fomer merchant's residences and a canal used for transport are preserved in an old city area, designated a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and an Important Cultural Landscape.
In 1905, an American architect William Merrell Vories came to Omihachiman as an English language teacher at commercial high school. Two years later he resigned the original work, but he spent most of his productive life here. He handed down western-style buildings, a pharmaceutical company, an educational foundation and a hospital to the city.kuoka Prefecture. In Japanese, "Hachiman" and "Yahata" are written by same kanji, so "Omi" was added to avoid being confused. "Hachiman" is the Shinto god of war. Ironically, from the western point of view, his symbol is the dove.
Sister Cities
Within Japan
Fujinomiya, Shizuoka
Matsumae, Hokkaido
Outside Japan
Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Leavenworth, Kansas, USA
Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea"
From Leavenworth Times:
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visit link)
"If the smiles on their faces and the number of photos they took were any indication, 31 visitors from Omihachiman, Japan, enjoyed their stay in Leavenworth on Oct. 11 and 12.
Their visit to Leavenworth came near the start of their trip to several cities in North America. They started in Toronto, Canada, then came to Leavenworth for a couple of days before they left for Denver, Colo., Flagstaff, Ariz., the Grand Canyon and ended their visit in San Francisco, Calif.
The trip was known as the “Vories Memorial Tour” in honor of William Merrell Vories, who was born in Leavenworth in 1880. Vories traveled to Omihachiman in 1905 and played a key role in developing the city throughout his life there.
One of the visitors, Tadashi Nishii, prepared for the trip by writing an introduction in English that he passed out to residents he met in Leavenworth.
“I’m so glad to meet you, and I really appreciate to have a chance to come here thanks to this ‘Vories Tour,’” he wrote with help from his daughter.
In his introduction, he wrote that he has always wanted to visit Leavenworth because of a connection his family has with Vories. Nishii’s father, Ichiro, worked in Vories’ office as an architect for 30 years from 1927 to 1957.
“He used to show me pictures and I remember some pictures of Merrell and my family,” Nishii wrote.
His father was the architect of the Kaneda Christian Church in Omihachiman that was built in 1950 under Vories’ guidance. Nishii is deacon of the church.
Nishii’s grandparents and paternal aunt and uncle also worshiped with Vories.
“In other words, Merrell had a great influence on my family,” Nishii wrote. “That’s why I wanted to come here and find a part of my roots. I really appreciate meeting you here in Merrell’s birthplace, Leavenworth, like this.”
While in town, they had an itinerary of events designed to give them a lasting impression of their two-day visit.
They arrived on Oct. 11 at Kansas City International airport shortly after noon. Once they reached Leavenworth, they spent three hours shopping in the historic downtown district before they checked in at the Super 8 motel. Their day ended with a barbecue dinner at the home of Wes and Christel Ludwig, who live in Vories’ childhood home.
Their visit to Leavenworth was coordinated by the Sister City Committee. Members include Adrian Cruz, Andrea Adkins, Bobbie Bower, Connie Hachenberg, Peg McKane, Nancy Bauder, Terry Weakley, Maxine Hunter, Marguerite Strange and Megan Gilliland. Other volunteers who helped plan and execute the trip include Margie and Darrell Holland, Rod and Kathy Huskey and Wes and Christel Ludwig."