# Event Details - **Event Name**: Kaw Mission Councils: The First Documented Free African American Women on the Santa FeTrail - **Event Start and End Date**: Sun, 11 Oct, 2026 at 02:00 pm – Sun, 11 Oct, 2026 at 04:00 pm (-05:00) - **Event Description**: The October 11th Kaw Mission Councils: 2026 Westward Expansion Lecture Series will be "Mary Ann Willison/de/Tevis/Joseph/Means:The First Documented Free African American Women on the Santa Fe Trail, presented by Dr. Leo Oliva. The program will held at 2 pm at the Council Grove Methodist Fellowship Hall, located at 21 North Mission Street, Council Grove, Kansas. The program will be Mary Ann Wilson/ de Tevis/Joseph/Means: The First Documented Free African American Woman on the Santa Fe Trail. Mary Ann Wilson was born a slave in Alabama. When she was a young adult, she was purchased by Portuguese immigrant Peter Joseph de Tevis. He freed her and married her in St. Louis. Peter Joseph was a friend of Kit Carson and other Santa Fe traders and engaged in the trade. Carson recommended that Peter Joseph establish a mercantile business in Taos, New Mexico, where many Santa Fe Trail traders had gone but decided to open their store in Santa Fe. In 1844, Peter Joseph, Mary Ann, and their infant son, Antonio, led a wagon train to Taos, where they built a store and home. They were neighbors of Kit and Josepha Carson. There store was successful. During the Taos Revolt following the U.S. military occupation of Santa Fe in 1846, Mary Ann and Antonio were captured by the rebels and returned safely when the revolt was crushed. Peter Joseph died in 1862. Kit Carson was an executor of his estate and helped Mary Ann and her children. She later married a Civil War veteran, Thomas Means, who abused her and was arrested. Mary Ann's son, Antonio, served as New Mexico Territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress for ten years and also held public office in New Mexico. The story of Mary Ann is mostly unknown outside of Taos. This presentation provides details of her historic life. Leo E. Oliva earned a Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of Denver and taught history at Fort Hays State University. He is author of a dozen books, including military history of the American West, Kansas history, and the Santa Fe Trail. He was a founding member of the Santa Fe Trail Association and edited the quarterly newsletter for 25 years. He has presented more than 400 programs at museums, libraries, and historical societies, and he is currently a member of Humanities Kansas speakers' bureau with a program about Kansas railroads. He is co-authoring a book about women and the Santa Fe Trail. He served on the Kansas Historical Society board of directors for more than 20 years. The friends of Kaw Heritage will provide refreshments after the program. The Kaw Mission Councils Lecture Series “Westward Expansion” is sponsored the Kansas Historical Society, Friends of Kaw Heritage, Trembly, Young, Nystrom, Hylton, and Area Foundations, and trusts. The City of Council Grove. A $3 suggested donation will be collected. For more information contact 620-307-2754 or mark.brooks@ks.gov - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/council-grove/kaw-mission-councils-the-first-documented-free-african-american-women-on-the-santa-fetrail/200029762800444 - **Event Categories**: trips-adventures, art, literary-art, nonprofit - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 14 ## Ticket Details ## Event venue details - **city**: Council Grove - **state**: KS - **country**: United States - **location**: Council Grove Dunlap and Simpson United Methodist Churches - **lat**: 38.66134681256 - **long**: -96.492640357476 - **full address**: Council Grove Dunlap and Simpson United Methodist Churches, 28 N Mission St, Council Grove, KS 66846-1629, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Kaw Mission Councils: The First Documented Free African American Women on the Santa FeTrail - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events5/banners/d9a895fc770ee85b0a4882f3b7978ed0c78bb2011c1d71d159c0df8e2b598702-rimg-w485-h575-dc151515-gmir?v=1774677353 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Kaw Mission Councils: The First Documented Free African American Women on the Santa FeTrail being held? - **A:** Kaw Mission Councils: The First Documented Free African American Women on the Santa FeTrail takes place on Sun, 11 Oct, 2026 at 02:00 pm to Sun, 11 Oct, 2026 at 04:00 pm at Council Grove Dunlap and Simpson United Methodist Churches, 28 N Mission St, Council Grove, KS 66846-1629, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Kaw Mission Councils: The First Documented Free African American Women on the Santa FeTrail ? - **A:** Kaw Mission Councils: The First Documented Free African American Women on the Santa FeTrail is organized by Kaw Mission and Last Chance Store Museums. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Kaw Mission Councils: The First Documented Free African American Women on the Santa FeTrail", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events5/banners/d9a895fc770ee85b0a4882f3b7978ed0c78bb2011c1d71d159c0df8e2b598702-rimg-w485-h575-dc151515-gmir?v=1774677353", "startDate": "2026-10-11T14:00:00-05:00", "endDate": "2026-10-11T16:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/council-grove/kaw-mission-councils-the-first-documented-free-african-american-women-on-the-santa-fetrail/200029762800444", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Council Grove Dunlap and Simpson United Methodist Churches", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "28 N Mission St, Council Grove, KS 66846-1629, United States", "addressLocality": "Council Grove", "addressRegion": "KS", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "38.66134681256", "longitude": "-96.492640357476" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "The October 11th Kaw Mission Councils: 2026 Westward Expansion Lecture Series will be \"Mary Ann Willison/de/Tevis/Joseph/Means:The First Documented Free African American Women on the Santa Fe Trail, presented by Dr. Leo Oliva. 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