If you are a native Kansan, there is a good chance that you are familiar with the small hilltop castle known as Coronado Heights… but do you know the story behind the structure?
In the mid-1500s, Spanish conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado lead a large quest from Mexico to (modern-day) Kansas in search of the legendary “Seven Cities of Gold.”
Wikimedia Commons The explorers started in Compostela, Mexico and then headed up through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
Flickr/Chris Murphy
Unfortunately for Coronado and his men, their two-year expedition was for not, leading them to desert their mission and head back home after reaching modern-day Lindsborg.
Flickr/Steven Rodriquez
Flickr/Ike60
In 1915, a professor from Bethany College discovered pieces of material from Spanish-style armor near one of the area’s sandstone bluffs, leading to the idea for a monument to immortalize the end of Coronado’s expedition.
Flickr/frank thompson photos
Flickr/Chris Murphy
In 1920, the first road to the hill was paved and in 1936, the iconic castle was erected atop the hill by the Works Progress Administration.
Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Eric Swanger
Today the area is called Coronado Heights Park and is visited by thousands of locals and tourists each year.
Flickr/Eric Swanger
Want to discover even more historic Kansas attractions? Check out These 11 Hidden Gems In Kansas Hold Historic Keys To The Past.
Wikimedia Commons
The explorers started in Compostela, Mexico and then headed up through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
Flickr/Chris Murphy
Flickr/Steven Rodriquez
Flickr/Ike60
Flickr/frank thompson photos
Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Eric Swanger
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