This church was constructed in 1902 of native limestone quarried near Threshing Machine Canyon located along the Smoky Hill Trail. PA Nelson quarried all of the stone for the Church and his nearby home. Mr. Nelson would pack a bottle of water and a sandwich each day and ride his horse from this location to the quarry. Mr. Hughes was the main builder of the Church and Mr. Schutte from Ellis constructed it's arches. The original name was Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Emanuel Church and was established by early settlers from Sweden. Services were held at 6:00 am on Christmas morning. There is still an active congregation which celebrated it's 100th anniversary in April of 2000. You'll find this historic limestone church 7.5 miles south of Ogallah on Hwy. 147 on a very scenic drive prior to arriving at the Cedar Bluff Reservoir.

Stone markers can be seen where this trail crosses the north-south country roads. The Butterfield Overland Despatch followed the route of the old Smoky Hill trail from Atchison to Denver. David Butterfield had the Smoky Hill route surveyed in 1865 and began his passenger and freight company, but the route was too hard and dangerous and the BOD operated only a few months.

In 1867 a party of travelers were transporting three threshing machines belonging to Brigham Young along the Smoky Hill Trail. While encamped at the base of the cliff, the party was attacked by Indians, who killed all of the men and put the threshing machines to the torch. Pieces of these machines were found later by early settlers.

Every year since 1950, the community has gathered together to tie the fresh fragrant pine boughs to the beautiful 35 foot tree that stands majestically at the intersection of Main Street and Russell Ave. in WaKeeney. A canopy of sky blue lights radiates from the ivory star that crowns the tree. The street posts and cross garlands are also decorated with fresh greens along with hand crafted wreaths, bows, and bells. This spectacular display can be seen between the Saturday following Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

The Trego County Historical Society Museum, along with the recent addition of a one-room country school house, is located on the Trego County Fairgrounds.
There is a vast collection of pioneer possessions on display. The old safe from the office of the Trego County Treasurer, which was installed there in 1901, was given to the historical society in February 1989.

• The tellers cage from the Ogallah bank
• A telephone exchange used in Collyer in 1910
• Medical, dentist and optometrist equipment used by pioneer doctors
• The first printing press of the Western Kansas World Office dating back to 1879
• Newspapers, county abstractors records and school records
• World War I and II items are on display
• Early day household and farm equipment and tools

The many people settling in Trego County were Civil War veterans, soldiers and sailors from Chicago, Germans from Russia, Bohemians, Swedes and Czechoslovakians beginning somewhere in the years from 1875-1878.

Visit this native limestone courthouse built in 1889. Quite unlike many of the early Kansas limestone buildings, it has had it's top removed.

Take a walk along the 80 foot-wide brick streets of downtown. WaKeeney was founded in 1879 by the efforts of a 33 year old Chicago real estate developer, James Franklin Keeney and partner-friend Albert Warren. The Warren-Keeney land development company was formed which provided an architect to lay out these streets.

This attractive building, which houses the city administration office, was built in 1937 of native limestone.

This bed and breakfast guest house is located north of the Court House Square. It was originally the house of Margaret Swiggett (Trego County register of deeds from 1907-1915) and her brother Walter Swiggett (Trego County probate judge from 1933-1947). Many wedding vows were exchanged in their home.

A shop you would expect to find in the Christmas City of the High Plains allows visitors to experience the Christmas spirit all year long. It overflows with decorated trees and a wide array of Christmas decorations.

Art collectors come from near and far to visit this Greenwich Workshop Gallery.

Grasp a taste of the western Kansas rancher's lifestyle at the WaKeeney Livestock Auction Barn where the second largest livestock sale in Kansas takes place every week.

Searching for antiques? Check out Boeve's Coin and Antiques located on the south side on I-70 at exit #127, Joyce's House of Glass north of exit #127 and the Main Street Antique Mall located on Main Street in the downtown business district.

WaKeeney has the distinction of having two old fashioned soda fountains on Main Street. Be a kid again and visit the Cleland Drug Store and Gibson Health Mart. Climb up on one of the bar stools and enjoy an old fashioned ice cream soda or a malted milk.

The Western Kansas Saloon & Grill was originally built as a hardware store on Main Street in 1925 and is where the Christmas decorations for WaKeeney were designed and constructed in the late 1940's. It served as a barber shop and pool hall in the late 1950's. The building has been restored to near original complete with hardwood floors, tin ceiling, balcony and skylight.