Home to Lee Jeans – Salina, Kansas

Salina, Kansas owes its founding to an expedition. Or rather, to a tour. Or rather, to be more specific, to a foot tour.

In 1857 a  Scottish-born journalist, Free-State abolitionist, Civil War colonel for the Union army and future Kansas Congressman headed up a group that ventured west – by foot – from Fort Riley. Their goal? Find a new townsite.

That Colonel who led the foot tour was William A. Phillips. Colonel Phillips commanded the Indian Home Guard regiments during the Civil War.

To find his new townsite, Colonel Phillips led his men along the Smokey Hill River’s course. The Smokey Hill extends all the way to eastern Colorado. In Kansas, the Smokey Hill connects with the Republican River to form the Kansas River, just a tad east of Fort Riley in Junction City.

On their 35-mile foot tour, running low on supplies, Colonel Phillips and his men restocked in Manhattan. Then followed the bends of Blue River from Manhattan to Saline County.

Upon their arrival, on the banks of the Smoky Hill River, Colonel Phillips found an ideal setting. And what Colonel Phillips found would go on to become the very first settlement in the future Saline County.

Prior to Colonel Phillips arrival in today’s Saline County, the region had been claimed as hunting grounds by  High Plains tribes. The High Plains tribes were hostile to American settlers. Attacks on settlers was commonplace. By 1858, the threat of those High Plains tribes attacks had been put to rest. Enabling Colonel Phillips to establish his settlement.                                    

That same year, Colonel Phillips along with the group he led – David Phillips, Alexander M. Campbell Sr., A.C. Spillman, and James Muir –  chartered the Salina Town Company with the Kansas territory legislature.                                    

The following year Phillips, Phillips, Campbell, Spillman and Muir organized the surrounding area as Saline County.                                    

The Kansas territory legislature approved the formation of five new Kansas territory counties. Saline County was one of the five.                                                                                                                                                                                    

Saline County was incorporated in 1860. Salina, Kansas – incorporated ten years later – would go on to become the county seat.

William A. Phillips was elected to the United States House of Representatives 1872. He served from 1873 through 1879.                                    

Founded in Salina by Henry David Lee as the H.D. Lee Mercantile Company – originally, a grocery store – H.D. Lee Mercantile Company would go on to become Lee Jeans.

Lee Jeans opened their first garment factory in 1889. In Salina. Twenty-nine years after Salina was incorporated.