Troy and White Cloud Kansas

Today mom and I drove the Glacial Hills Scenic Byway. It began in Leavenworth Kansas and ends 63 miles later in northeast Kansas. Some of the towns we saw today were Atchison, Leavenworth, Troy, and White Cloud.

The byway was named Glacial Hills because glaciers once covered the northeast corner of Kansas. When the glaciers receded north, they left behind a unique landscape of rolling, wooded hills, rock-strewn soil and valleys with clear, running streams.

Since we already explored Atchison Kansas we made a quick stop at the visitor center to purcharse a pin and browse the brochures. Mom and I decided not to put a map on the outside of the van to show folks where we have been. Instead we buy souvenir pins of the states and places we have been. I purchased some adia cloth and created a banner to display them.

From Atchison we traveled to Troy Kansas to walk the downtown and to see "Tall Oak" a sculpture created by Peter Wolf Toth.  Troy is also famous as being the only town in the state of Kansas that Abraham Lincoln visited and gave a speech. It is reported that the Troy speech was a trail run of his Cooper Union speech in New York.

From Troy we drove to White Cloud Kansas. White Cloud was named for James White Cloud, son of Chief White Cloud of the Iowa Tribe. In its heyday the population was over 2,000. Today the population is below 300. White Cloud is featured in episode 4 of the 2008 television documentary Stephen Fry in America. Some scenes from the 1973 movie, Paper Moon, were filmed in White Cloud. White Cloud is also famous because in 1910, ten-year old Wilbur Chapman sold a prized pig to raise money for a leper colony. Coin savings banks were created in the shape of pigs, manufactured, and sold, resulting in the origination of the "Piggy Bank" as we know it today.

White Cloud today is known for its many historic buildings; in fact the entire downtown district has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately time is running out on several buildings. We ate a very late lunch by the river. Mom was getting tired so we found a RV park with amenities. Tomorrow has 50% chance of thunderstorms or as mom likes to say "50% chance of sunshine.” If mom is right we will be heading to Hiawatha and then into Nebraska.


Troy Kansas

White Cloud Kansas