Old Settlers: An Olathe Tradition Since 1898

Every September, downtown Olathe takes on a different personality.

Carnival rides rise above the rooftops. The smell of festival food drifts across the square. Families line the streets for the parade, old friends reconnect, and thousands of people gather for one of Johnson County’s longest-running traditions.

We know it today as Johnson County Old Settlers.

But it began with something much simpler: a picnic, a few speeches and a desire to remember the people who helped build Johnson County.

It Started in a Shady Grove

The idea behind Old Settlers can be traced to September 1877.

Residents from across Johnson County gathered in a shady grove southwest of Olathe for an all-day community picnic. There was musical entertainment, an election of officers and plenty of conversation about the county’s earliest days.

Before leaving, the group voted to create the Pioneer Association of Johnson County. Membership was open to anyone who had lived in the county before January 29, 1861, the day Kansas entered the Union.

They planned to meet every year.

It would take more than two decades for that plan to become a lasting tradition.

A Bugle Call on the Courthouse Square

In the spring of 1898, an invitation appeared in local newspapers asking interested residents to organize a new countywide association.

The result was the Johnson County Old Settlers’ Association.

Its first official reunion was held on September 17, 1898, on the courthouse square in downtown Olathe.

At 11 a.m., a bugle call opened the celebration. It was followed by prayer, musical entertainment and a basket dinner. During the afternoon, longtime residents shared stories and memories of Johnson County’s pioneer years.

There were no carnival rides, food trucks or concert stages. Old Settlers was originally a homecoming, a chance to renew friendships and preserve stories that might otherwise be lost.

That first gathering established a tradition that has lasted for more than 125 years.

When Old Settlers Looked a Little Different

As Johnson County grew, so did the celebration.

Picnic dinners and historical speeches were joined by fireworks, races, contests and other community entertainment. Some of those early events would look a little unusual today.

The 1910 celebration included:

• A baby show
• A tug-of-war
• An automobile show
• A potato race
• A slow-mule race
• A walking race for men over 70

In 1912, the Olathe Fire Department staged a two-wagon run around the courthouse square to extinguish a fire built from a large pile of boxes in the street.

During the 1935 celebration, couples who had already obtained marriage licenses were invited to participate in a public wedding ceremony on the courthouse lawn.

Old Settlers has never been afraid to mix a little fun with its history.

The Traditions People Still Remember

Many of the features now associated with Old Settlers arrived years after the first reunion.

The carnival midway was added following World War II. Nonprofit food booths became popular during the 1950s, while arts and crafts booths arrived in the 1970s.

Then there is the Grange Pup.

The now-famous festival food was introduced in 1948 as a fundraiser for Morning Grange. Generations later, it remains one of the foods most closely associated with Old Settlers.

The Gab Fest also has deep roots. It grew from a reception for Johnson County natives and longtime residents first held in 1941. By the 1950s, it had become known as the Gab Fest, an appropriate name for a gathering built around visiting, storytelling and renewing old friendships.

More Than a Festival

Johnson County looks very different than it did in 1898.

A county once defined largely by farms, small towns and dirt roads has become the most populous county in Kansas. Downtown Olathe has changed repeatedly, and several different courthouses have stood near the square.

Old Settlers has changed too, but its connection to the center of Olathe has remained remarkably consistent.

The celebration has survived economic depressions, wars, construction projects and public-health emergencies. It was canceled in 1946 during a polio epidemic and again in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Courthouse construction prevented its return in 2021.

Each time, the tradition eventually came back.

History Hidden Around the Square

Visitors to Old Settlers are surrounded by reminders of the celebration’s history.

The Santa Fe Trail Monument located in Johnson County Square was dedicated during the 1907 Old Settlers reunion.

A separate monument recognizes the men and women who have served as presidents of the Old Settlers Association since 1898.

The association also placed a time capsule in the square during its 100th anniversary celebration in 1998. It is scheduled to be opened in 2057 as part of Olathe’s bicentennial.

That means a future generation will gather on the same ground, open a piece of Old Settlers history and celebrate Olathe’s first 200 years.

Old Settlers Returns to Downtown Olathe

The 2026 Johnson County Old Settlers celebration takes place September 10, 11 and 12 in downtown Olathe.

This year’s theme is “Let Freedom Ring: Celebrating 250 Years.”

Visitors can expect three days of activities, including:

• The Old Settlers Parade
• Carnival rides
• Arts and crafts
• Food booths
• Free live concerts
• The flower show
• The Gab Fest
• A vintage automobile show
• Activities around Johnson County Square

Free shuttle service is also available from Olathe North High School during designated hours.

For the complete schedule, parking information, parade details and event updates, visit the official website:

View the Official Johnson County Old Settlers Website

Old Settlers has grown far beyond the picnic and basket dinner held on the courthouse square in 1898.

But beneath the carnival lights, concerts and parade floats, its original purpose is still visible. It remains a place for people to gather, reconnect and remember the generations that helped turn Johnson County into the community it is today.

Shawn Lewis
Johnson County Real Estate Consultant (Est. 2001)
allkchomes.com