After leaving Beecher Island and continuing east along state highway 36, passing through St. Francis, and then Wheeler Kansas, look for an unnamed county gravel road (R-28) that leads due south. If you miss this road, ask the friendly folks in the nearby city of Bird, to point you in the right direction. R-28 links highway 36 to interstate 70 to the south, passing through isolated farmland. At times, you can stop your car, get out, and turn 360 degrees and see nothing but rolling plains. No services here. About half way down this road(south of Beaver Creek) you will find a historical marker on the left, as shown in the above photo. The Kidder massacre site is not found as stated on this marker, but is actually on the north side of the creek on private property. Ask permmission before proceding.
The monument erected to the ill-fated Kidder party is 1.5 miles east of the road, on private property. Before proceeding, I checked with a nearby farmer who was working on his tractor if it would be permissible to pass. He nodded approval. Be on the lookout for rattlesnakes. The owner of the land has kindly moved the fence so that the monument marker lies on the outside, and thus accessible. Experts feel that the marker location is not the actual site of the Kidder "last stand." The depression in which the Kidder men made a defensive stand lies further to the east and somewhat closer to the creek.
A plaque on the historical marker lists the members of the Kidder party.