Driving along Post Rock Scenic Byway, you can envision a time when the first buffalo roamed through the tall and short grasses of the Smoky Hills and Saline River Valley. Because the Native Americans followed the buffalo, you can stop to see the hunting petroglyphs they left in the Dakota Sandstone Bluffs surrounding Wilson Lake. Since art is such an intrinsic part of this area, it's no wonder that several of the locals have become grassroots artists.
Spend a moment perusing through the local artists' collections at the Grassroots Art Center in Lucas. Some of the pieces include a motorcycle made from over 179,000 pull-tabs, a 1/3 life size sculpture, weighing over 1500 lbs, of a family heading west in their covered wagon, and an opportunity to tour Florence Deeble's rock garden filled with backyard post card scenes like Mount Rushmore and an Indian Pueblo. You will be amazed by the originality and creativity of the artists.
After visiting the Art Center, continue on to Samuel Perry Dinsmoor's Cabin Home & Garden of Eden. Built in 1907 by Dinsmoor himself, the log cabin type home boasts complete originality with no doors or windows alike. In the "garden," you will find 113 tons of sculpted concrete depicting a biblical portrayal of Adam, Eve, their two sons Cain and Abel, an All-Seeing Eye of God, and the Devil with his pitchfork in hand. Like the grassroots artists were inspired by the art of the Native Americans, Dinsmoor's architecture was inspired by the pioneers in the area.
The early immigrants of Kansas were determined to make the best of their treeless surroundings, so the hardworking Germans, Scandinavians, and Czechoslovakians utilized the native limestone. They built houses, barns, bridges, and churches out of limestone building blocks; they even used limestone to make up their mortar. The Wilson Downtown District is lined with historical limestone buildings with ornate architecture.
But the most famous use of the functional stone is the fence posts that have become an identifying feature of the landscape. In the vast and open prairies of Kansas, the limestone fence posts allowed for pastures, productive farming, and a fireproof fence an important feature, as you can imagine. These fence posts eventually led to the native limestone being called "post rock limestone," thus the name of the byway.
The Post Rock Scenic Byway celebrates the cultural legacies of these natives and pioneers. Through art and architecture, they have created a unique environment to share with travelers and visitors who enjoy the unexpected.
