You Can Now Tour The Remnants Of A Lost City Hidden In Kansas History

It’s been almost a year since an archaeologist discovered the lost city of Etzanoa, and we were very excited to share it with you. We love learning more about Kansas’ history, and new areas offering tours is always exciting news. Now, we can see for ourselves what used to be.

The lost city of Etzanoa is centered near what is now Arkansas City, and has been confirmed as the location where the ancestors of today’s Wichita Nation once settled. It’s thought to be the location of around 20,000 Plains Indians, originally recorded by Spanish explorers in 1602. Those explorers documented a city with over 2,000 houses that could hold up to 10 people each. It allegedly spanned both sides of the river, and the estimated area of it was huge compared to the evidence we previously found.

The Wichita Eagle/YouTube

All over the area, people have been finding flint tools and other small pieces of the culture left behind. It wasn't until a Wichita archaeologist named Donald Blakeslee found a cannonball from the alleged battle that happened here that we finally had a key to unlock the story. War, disease, and other factors led to the eventual demise of the local tribes, and they scattered, leaving behind a city that was eventually covered up by settlers and time. This city is important, because it could be the second largest in the United States ever recorded.

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The Wichita Eagle/YouTube

A local museum is offering tours of a small area of what they've discovered, allowing the general public to see for themselves some of the remnants left behind. The tour goes by a few of the most major sites of evidence, and you'll really be able to put the pieces together with their informative tour and explanation. Can you believe this place was hidden in plain sight?



Here's a video by The Wichita Eagle on YouTube that details his search and further plans for this site back in early 2017.

Tours are offered by Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum for $10, and you can find more information about them at their website here. Happy trails!

For more about Kansas’ past, check out this piece about another mark our history has left on the land.