Junction City

River and rail town on the Kansas Pacific Railroad in Kansas.[1]

First settled in October of 1855 near Fort Riley and named Millard City for Captain Millard of the steamship Hartford. The location was selected for its proximity to Fort Riley and for its location on the upper navigable waters of the Kansas River It was renamed Junction City in 1857 for its location at the confluence of the Smokey Hill and Republican rivers with the Kansas River.[1]

The waterways were often too dry or shallow to provide reliable navigation for river traffic, and railroad interests became more prevalent and the Union Pacific, eastern Division, arrived in Junction City[1] on November 10, 1866.[2] In August of 1867, construction of the Brasada Spur began, linking to town to King City in February of 1868.[3]

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ABOVE: Roy Stafford points out Junction City on the Brasada Spur map to Bart Maverick,1872.[2]

Brasada Spur: In August of 1872, Bart Maverick arrived in Junction City from San Francisco on the Kansas Pacific Railroad and changed to the Brasada Spur to move on to the gambling opportunities in King City.[3] In September, he traveled through Junction City again on his way to and from Chicago.[3] Later that month, a mob organized by Horace Hogan for the Great Western Railroad commandeered a Brasada Spur train in Junction City to travel south along the Brasada Spur route and destroy its stations.[4]

Today, Junction City is the county seat of Geary County and has experienced a new era of growth with the return of the 1st Infantry Division to nearby Fort Riley.[5]

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