The Oregon-California Trail carried more than 100,000 settlers west over the prairies of the future state of Kansas in the mid-1800s. Pioneers and Pony Express riders crossed the Big Blue River at Independence Crossing or at Frank Marshalls ferry near present-day Marysville. In 1846, members of the Donner Party discovered and named Alcove Spring, now one of 20 county sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Kansas Territorial Legislature established Marshall County in 1855. After the Civil War, rich soil and abundant water attracted farmers, and its location attracted railroads and industry. Today, the same occupations still sustain the 16 towns and villages. As the Gateway to the Flint Hills, the countys rolling hills are dotted with picturesque prairie, woods, limestone outcrops, rivers, and creeks. Even though the county is a crossroads for modern highways US 36 and US 77, pioneer wagon ruts are still visible in Marshall County.

"In Marshall County, the preservation organization named for the Potawatomi word for the Yellow River, Wythougan, wanted to highlight the county's many historic sites and cultural groups that were overlooked in previous publications. This led to a beautifully illustrated publication featuring over forty historic sites and districts, most of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also featured with more expansive research and description, were four cultural groups overlooked in previous history books on the county. KW Garner provided the historical texts and architectural descriptions for the historic sites and districts, as well as contributed narratives on the county's Amish population and influx of Swedish immigrants during the middle part of the 1800s through the early 1900s. The narrative included the cultural groups' histories, census information and the architecture in which they built their homes and farm buildings."--Publisher's description