LUCY SULLIVAN AND HER BALDWIN CITY LEGACY 132 years and counting

In the heart of the heartland lies the picture-perfect community of Baldwin City, Kansas. Celebrating its sesquicentennial in 2020, the city has no shortage of small-town charm along the aged, brick streets of its downtown area. At last count, 835 maple trees are dotted among store fronts, parks and the quaint, limestone halls of Baker University, which stretches through the center of town. In fact, so celebrated are the maples of Baldwin City that they are honored each autumn at the annual Maple Leaf Festival. During the third weekend of every October, the town’s population skyrockets from about 4,700 residents to more than 30,000 as tourists explore, dine, and shop under the canopy of blazing trees.

Follow the sidewalk just a few blocks west of downtown and you’ll run into West Park, affectionately referred to