Waconda Springs

To the Pawnee the spring was Pahowa, or Kitzawitzuk, water on a bank, and one of the five lodges of the nahurac, the animal spirits who serve Tirawa and speak for the people; the others stood along the Platte, the Loup and the Republican. Many nations left offerings in it, and George Bird Grinnell listed the Pawnee gifts as blankets and robes, blue beads, eagle feathers and moccasins. The water sat on a travertine cone of its own making; the surveyor David E. Ballard measured it in 1866 at about 200 feet across the base and 30 feet high.

What the plaque says

Waconda Springs American Indians considered Waconda Springs a sacred site. Translated similarly by other tribes, the name comes from a Kaw word meaning "Great Spirit." The legend tells of the beautiful Waconda who fell in love with the warrior Takota from a competing tribe. Their forbidden relationship led to a battle. Takota was fatally shot and fell into the springs. Waconda followed her lover into the waters. Considered neutral territory, the springs drew Kaws, Pawnees, Comanches, and Osages to the site. As the Indians were forced from their lands, American settlers showed interest in the springs. Businesses bottled the mineral water to sell as tonic and opened a health spa in 1884, drawing American tourists. The owners claimed the waters could cure a range of maladies. The springs were submerged under Waconda Lake when Glen Elder Dam was built in 1969. Erected by the State of Kansas

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Geodetic Center of North America — 17 mi
• The Geographic Center — 21 mi