HIGHLAND PRESBYTERIAN MISSION

Highland Presbyterian Mission is a Kansas historical marker in Doniphan County.

Doniphan County · US-36, one-fourth mile east of Highland · location approximate

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IOWA, SAUK AND FOX INDIANS OF MISSOURI WERE REMOVED BY TREATY TO PRESENT DONIPHAN COUNTY IN 1837. WITH THEM CAME SAMUEL M. AND ELIZA IRVIN, PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARIES, WHO ESTABLISHED A LOG-CABIN MISSION AND SCHOOL. IN 1843 IRVIN AND HIS ASSOCIATE, WILLIAM HAMILTON, SET UP A PRESS (THE SECOND IN KANSAS) TO PRINT SCHOOLBOOKS AND RELIGIOUS WORKS IN THE IOWA LANGUAGE. A THREE-STORY STONE AND BRICK BUILDING OF 32 ROOMS WAS COMPLETED IN 1846 ON A SITE ONE MILE EAST AND A LITTLE NORTH OF THIS SIGN. HERE INDIAN PUPILS RECEIVED ELEMENTARY SCHOOLING AND INSTRUCTION IN DOMESTIC ARTS, MANUAL TRADES AND AGRICULTURE. REMAINS OF THE BUILDING MAY STILL BE SEEN. WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF KANSAS AS A TERRITORY THE TRIBES WERE REMOVED TO DIMINISHED RESERVES AND THE MISSION WAS FINALLY CLOSED ABOUT 1863.

Verbatim 1941 text, presented as a historical record, not current interpretation. Kansas rewrote many of these signs in 2011-2012 and retired others, and the current texts use different language about Native people.

The Kansas Historical Society maintains the marker program and its current texts. Current marker program ↗

TodayHistorical map

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

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under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s

what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here

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Marker data: Kirke Mechem, "Kansas Historical Markers", Kansas Historical Quarterly, v. X no. 4 (November 1941), published by the Kansas State Historical Society

More markers nearby

On the National Register nearby

Highland Christian Church20 ft

Places within about 300 feet of this marker that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A nearby listing is not always the marker's own subject.