This event called, '“The City of Many Names”: The Hartford Steamboat and the naming of Manhattan, KS' was held at the Manhattan Public Library and was free and open to the public.

More about the presentation:

"On June 3rd, 1855 Chestina Bowker Allen, New England Immigrant and homesteader, wrote in her diary, “The City of many names last called Bluemont is now permanently named Manhattan.” Whether or not the fledgling town on the Prairie would survive depended on good weather, lots of luck, and a chance to outcompete surrounding towns for settlers, rail lines, and businesses. Without the perfect combination of conditions, Manhattan, KS, could have ended up like the hundreds of other ghost towns founded during westward expansion. This talk chronicles one fateful event that shaped not only the name of Manhattan, KS, but also helped seal its chance of survival: the Hartford Steamboat Crash. We will explore how this ill-fated steamboat voyage became a much-needed boost during the early settlement of Manhattan, and what the many names of Manhattan reveal about the precarious fates of communities throughout Kansas in the 19th century."

Visit the webpage:

https://ccrsdigitalprojects.com/.../the-hartford...

This presentation is part of a larger project called, "Walking Through History on the Linear Trail," where 10 historical markers related to Manhattan’s past will be placed at trailheads along the 9.4 mile path of the Linear Park Trail. View the RCGS and the Chapman Center project website: https://ccrsdigitalprojects.com/.../walking-through...