Many Douglas County residents think of the county as just the place where they live, but archaeologists and geologists see 13,000 years of county history waiting to be discovered.
University of Kansas geologist Rolfe Mandel and Augustana University archaeologist Austin Buhta, along with undergraduate students, have begun a year-long survey to document historical sites in Douglas County. The group is specifically looking at areas situated along the California, Oregon and Sante Fe trails, as well as areas with exposed streambanks.
“We want to find new archaeological sites that haven’t been discovered yet,” Buhta said. “We will be looking for anything from the first inhabitants of the county. I’m hoping we can find a couple of folks that might have parts of those trails on their property.”
The survey has a budget of $99,677 provided by the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Counsel.
The group welcomes interested residents to contact them to have their land surveyed for potential historical deposits, specifically in exposed streambanks or along the Wakarusa River. They are interested in crop fields above any waterways. Participation is voluntary, free and confidential.

The Santa Fe Trail runs through Baldwin and the California trail runs through Eudora and Lawrence, according to a map from the National Park Service. Residents interested in participating can email [email protected] or call (605) 274‐4369 for more information.
The project is unique due to the fact there will be no excavating or digging, Buhta said.
“Digging is really cost intensive,” Buhta said. “And we can just cover so much more ground by walking through people’s fields. We will be documenting and taking photos.”
Exposed streambanks give geologists like Mandel a better picture of an area’s history. Streambanks show layers that date back thousands of years, which archaeologists can access without excavating or digging, Mandel said.
Mandel and his team will create a map of areas in Douglas County that will highlight areas with low, moderate, high or no possibility for buried historical deposits.
“It’s all about potential,” he said. “Then we can know what’s there.”
Due to development across the county, historians and archaeologists want to document potential historical sites before they’re gone, Mandel said.
“This project is to have an understanding of where the cultural resources are and also where they are, since they might not be visible because of development,” Mandel said. “Knowing areas where there’s a really high potential for archaeological sites is important because you might want to test those areas before going into a major phase of construction.”
Eudora Community Museum Executive Director Ben Terwilliger believes this history is beneficial to learn since those trails originated close by in Independence, Missouri.
“As time goes on, historical structures and sites can deteriorate, and are susceptible to weather and fire,” Terwilliger said. “Hundreds of thousands of people walked through Douglas County on those trails going to the West Coast. That’s a big part of our history.”
Terwilliger suggests those who live in rural parts of the county participate in the survey.
Findings will be documented in Douglas County records as well as the state Historical Society databases. There will be a public presentation to county officials at the end of the survey.
Reach reporter Maya Smith at [email protected].