Park Square

Baptiste Peoria's Paola Town Company sold the land at the center of Paola with the stipulation that no building would ever be erected on this site. Baptiste Peoria, Chief of the Confederate tribes, made the transaction possible. As a result of the stipulation, the county's courthouse was not built in the center of square but rather a block to the south. Native Americans and Indians used this place for horse racing, times of hearing and other events. The square also features a Trail of Death plaque honoring the Potawatomie Nation and the Spanish American Monument. Two gas lights, one on each side of the gazebo, honors Paola's history as the first town west of Finley, Ohio, to commercially use gas. Near the gazebo is a bust of Baptiste Peoria and Mary Ann Isaacs Dagenet, the first settlers and founder of Paola. It is believed to be the only monument in the United States that features a Native American and his wife together.