For traders on the Santa Fe Trail after 1858, the Conn Store was a welcome sight. At the store, traders heading east from Santa Fe to “the States” could purchase a meal or sleep in a bed for the first time after crossing 625 miles of prairie. For those heading southwest, Council Grove was one of the last major stops for supplies and amenities before travelers trekked to New Mexico.
This store was one of the most important trading posts in Council Grove during the heyday of the Santa Fe Trail, the Kaw Reservation, and the early settlement of Morris County. The building is no longer standing but you can learn more from the exhibit at the site.