It's not often you hear of a woman founding a town in Kansas, but in 1884, Maria DeGeer did just that. After pitching her tent on the prairie in what is now Scott County, she woke the next morning and hand dug the four corners of the foundation for what would be the location of her claim cabin. Read more about her founding story here.

To honor this courageous woman and founder of their town, a local committee discovered the exact location of the original claim site and commissioned Jerry Thomas, an artist and historian to sculpt the impressive bronze statue to be placed on the claim site. The Maria E. DeGeer “Legacy” Sculpture and interpretive panel is located on the west side of Main Street near the sidewalk on the south side of the First National Bank building.