Mills House
William M. Mills, an oilman from Pennsylvania, drilled over 400 oil and gas wells in his lifetime. He drilled the Norman #1 well in Neodesha, Kansas which was the first successful commercial oil well west of the Mississippi and opened up the mid-continent oil field. His companies supplies gas to the towns of Osawatomie, Paola, and Spring Hill.
In 1902, Mills used profits from these ventures to build the magnificent home on First Street. The Queen-Anne style house was designed by the famous architect, George Barber, and cost $49,000 to build. The house is 7,000 sq ft (650 m2), has 9 fireplaces, and displays elaborate woodwork and ornamental ceilings.
During the mid 1900s, the house was converted into several apartments and was allowed to deteriorate. The home is now being restored to its original beauty by former State Senator Doug Walker and his family.
Tourism
Recognized nationally as one of the towns that sparked the Civil War, Osawatomie boasts seven sites on the National Register of Historic Places:
