Leavenworth Kansas and Lansing Kansas: History, page 3

In the 1930s and 40s, Leavenworth staged Pioneer Days celebrations, forerunners of the annual Buffalo Bill Days celebrations which began in the late 1960s. Crowds gathered on Delaware Street to view a 1948 parade which included a number of wagons, carriages and a hearse, right foreground.

In 1885, the Wadsworth of Old Soldiers Home was built, and later became the Veterans Administration Center. In 1893, the Immanuel Chapel, made famous in Ripley's 'Believe It or Not,' was built on the VA grounds.

In 1906, the first cellhouse of the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary was opened. Among the infamous criminals incarcerated here were Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz. This imposing facility took over 11 years to complete.

continue, page 4

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