Historical Plaza Walking Tour

Ellsworth was established in typical frontier fashion along the railroad grade even before the rails were in place, with two main streets paralleling the track. The Plaza was a common area open to freight hauling teams and family buggies alike, where people met on their way to the shops and saloons, and it became a gathering place in the community. As “End of the Track” Ellsworth was a wide open town where gunfights were common. In 1868, a classic Old West duel took place there between a bull whacker and a saloon keeper; when the smoke cleared, one man was dying and the other was severely wounded.

Ellsworth, Kansas · United States