One of the most iconic images in Wichita, the Keeper of the Plains stands at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers. This 44-foot, 5-ton weathered steel sculpture was donated to Wichita by Native American artist Blackbear Bosin in 1974. It sits atop a 30-foot pedestal overlooking the city.

https://www.visitwichita.com/.../keeper-of-the-plains/

The beginnings of the community date to 1868, when J.R. Mead founded a trading post on the banks of the confluence of two rivers, the Arkansas and the Little Arkansas. For centuries this location had also served as a trading place for Native Americans. The name Wichita comes from the Wichita Indians, who settled at various times in the vicinity, and means either "scattered lodges" or "painted faces," depending on which historian you ask. [https://www.wichitachamber.org/welcome/history-of-wichita/]

Check out our video on this surprising town and unsung National Park. Two days was not enough to do it justice and we will be back.