African Americans in Kansas

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is fast approaching and beyond that is African American History Month in February. Interwoven into the fabric of Kansas history are the experiences of the many people of African descent who settled in the Sunflower State, some before statehood. There is a wealth of information on African American History in Kansas. Below is a sampling of resources particular to Kansas as well as general U.S. information.

KANSAS

KANSAS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

• http://www.kshs.org/
• African American History Resources
• African American Experience in Kansas
• Popular collections - African American history
• African Americans in Kansas and the West: a bibliography
• African American Newspapers
• Brown v. Topeka Board of Education Oral History Collection
• Brown v. Topeka Board of Education documents
• Mamie Luella Williams Collection
• Paul E. Wilson Papers, 1951-1975
• Exoduster Flier
• First Kansas Colored Infantry Flag
• "The Colored Soldiers"

MUSEUM OF THE KANSAS NATIONAL GUARD
http://www.kansasguardmuseum.org/

• Independent Colored Kansas Battery
• First Kansas Volunteer Colored Infantry
• Second Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry
• The Twenty-Third Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry

BUFFALO SOLDIERS

• Buffalo Soldier (Wikipedia)
• 92nd Infantry Division (Wikipedia)
• "Buffalo Soldiers named Kansas ‘Wonder’"
• Buffalosoldier.net
• Buffalo Soldier Monument
• Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Leavenworth, 1930s & 1940s

NICODEMUS, KANSAS

• Nicodemus National Historic Site
• Library of Congress site
• Nicodemus Historical Society
• nicodemuskansas.org
• Nicodemus Photo Tour
• Interview with Angela Bates
• Nicodemus, Graham County (Kansapedia)
  

BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
http://www.nps.gov/brvb/parknews/index.htm

• Photos and Multimedia
  
• History and Culture
• For Teachers
• For Kids
• News

Biographies of African Americans
held by the State Library of Kansas
http://sites.google.com/site/afambio/
(Resources that can be requested by contacting the Library)

African American Oral History Interviews
http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/oralhistory/
(Lawrence/Douglas County, Kansas)

Brown v. Board of Education (Kansas 150 SLK)
http://kansas150slk.blogspot.com/2010/07/brown-v-board-of-education.html
(An article appearing in a previous issue of this Blog, Kansas 150 SLK)

BlackPast.org: Kansas
http://www.blackpast.org/?q=tree/Kansas/Kansas

Quindaro, Kansas (Kansas City, Kansas)
http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/kscoll/lochist/quindaro/quindaro.htm

Western University (Quindaro)
http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/kscoll/lochist/quindaro/tour.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_University_(Kansas)

Territorial Kansas, 1854-1861
Subject Search for "African Americans"

Kansas Memory
Subject search for: "African Americans"

Kansas Industrial and Educational Institute (1895-1919)
http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aaw/kansas-industrial-and-educational-institute-1895-1919

Kansas African American Affairs Commission
http://www.kaaac.org/

Kansas African American Museum (Wichita)
http://www.tkaamuseum.org/index.html

• About the Museum
• Current News
• Photos
• Events Calendar
• 360 Virtual Tour
  

The Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City
http://www.blackarchives.org/

African Americans in Kansas
http://www.kslib.info/sdc/documents/AAHM2010.pdf
(Current statistics from the Kansas State Data Center)

Langston Hughes Center for African American Studies
http://www2.ku.edu/~lhcaas/Home.html
(at the University of Kansas)

Spencer Museum of Art (University of Kansas)
African American History Month Exhibit

Standing Tall
http://www.wichita.lib.ks.us/Programs/StandingTall.htm
(Wichita Public Library celebrates African-American History Month)

SOME ONLINE ARTICLES

Exodus to Kansas
(National Archives)
"Wyandotte and the First 'Exodusters' of 1879," by Glen Schwendemann
(Transcribed article from the Kansas Historical Quarterly, Autumn, 1960 (Vol. 26, No. 3), pages 233 to 249, at the Kansas Collection website)

"Racial Uplift, Black Power, and Reparations on the Kansas Frontier," by Charlotte Hinger
(An Article that explores the concept of racial uplift, black electoral power and reparations for slavery in the ideals of three early citizens of Nicodemus)

The African American Religious Experience in Kansas
(by Amy Leigh Beecher, University of Kansas)

"This Is Not Dixie," by Brent M. S. Campney
(An article from Southern Spaces on the state of race relations in Kansas after the Civil War as former slaves settled in the state, comparing it to stereo-typical views of racism in the South)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Resources from the US National Archives Information Center
http://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/black-history.html

Hot Topics: Black History Month
http://govdocs.evergreen.edu/hotopics/blackhistory.html
(Evergreen Government Documents and Maps Website)

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
African American History
http://free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm?subject_id=116
(Federal Resources for Educational Excellence)

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

• African American Odyssey
• African American History and Culture
• African American Perspectives, 1818-1907
• The African American Experience in Ohio, 1850-1920
• The African American Pamphlet Collection, 1822-1909
• Slave Narratives, Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938
• Slaves and the Courts, 1740-1860
• Voices from the Days of Slavery

U.S. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
African American History
http://www.nps.gov/history/aahistory/
(Visit sites around the country with a connection to African Americans and African American history)

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

• Black (African-American) History Month, 2010
• Black (African-American) History Month, 2009
• Black History Month, 2008
• Black History Month, 2007
• African American History Month, 2006

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
African American History Resources
http://www.dol.gov/oasam/library/bib/african.htm

SEARCH THE ATLAS CATALOG
Search the resources of the State Library of Kansas, Kansas State Historical Society, Kansas Supreme Court and Washburn University Libraries:
AFRICAN AMERICANS--KANSAS
AFRICAN AMERICANS--EDUCATION--KANSAS
AFRICAN AMERICANS--COLONIZATION--KANSAS
KANSAS TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
KANSAS VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
BROWN, OLIVER, 1918-1961
BROWN V BOARD

Kansas Day 2011

Some KANSAS DAY Resources
on the INTERNET

Though we're still in December Kansas Day 2011 is just around the corner. With that in mind we're providing a list of some resources here on Kansas Day in the hopes of helping out librarians, teachers, students and others in preparing for the upcoming festivities.

KANSAS 150 WEBSITE
A cooperative effort involving many different state agencies, organizations and individuals, "this website gives Kansans an opportunity to share their talents with others, find valuable cultural resources to bring to their community, and promote hometown events, projects, and programs."
http://ks150.kansas.gov/Pages/default.aspx

FROM THE KANSAS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Some resources from our State Historical Society
KANSAS DAY pages at kshs.org

KANSAS DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL
"In honor of the milestone anniversary of Kansas statehood a special Kansas Day program will be held at the Capitol on Friday, January 28, 2011. Due to construction on the building and limited access to the program location, this 30-minute program will be live streamed over the Internet. We encourage all schools to take advantage of this unique opportunity to celebrate Kansas Day. The Kansas Department of Education is developing civics lessons for grades K-12 to use with the program that will be available online in early January."
http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-day-at-the-kansas-state-capitol/14805

KANSAS DAY IN YOUR CLASSROOM
"[The Kansas Historical Society] offers a variety of resources for those unable to join us for Kansas Day at the Museum in Topeka or a State Historic Site]
http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-day-in-your-classroom/14770

BIRTH OF KANSAS DAY
"... taken from an article originally published in the January 1932 issue of The Kansas Teacher and Western School Journal. The article "The Origin of Kansas Day" was written by Esther Clark Hill, Kansas Historical Society"
http://www.kshs.org/p/birth-of-kansas-day/15952

KANSAS DAY PLANNING TOOL KIT
"This Kansas Day toolkit is designed as a general guide to planning a large public event."
http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-day-planning-toolbox/15663

150 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT KANSAS
A special exhibit at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka, January 28-December 31, 2011, which will feature 150 objects, images, and documents about Kansas
http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-museum-of-history-upcoming-exhibits/15782

STATE LIBRARY OF KANSAS

THE 150 BOOKS THAT KANSANS LOVE
In keeping with our books focus, the State Library plans to compile a list of 150 books that Kansans love. Nominations and votes were compiled throughout much of 2010. The list will be announced in January 2011.

KANSAS PUZZLE
550 pieces of Kansas history, culture, people and geographical wonders gathered into a box ready for you to put together! Monies raised by sales go to support the Kansas Center for the Book.
http://statelibrary.mykansaslibrary.org/?p=8992
(Article on the puzzle with a link to retail outlets selling the puzzles)
http://statelibrary.mykansaslibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/Kansas_box.jpg
(Large puzzle graphic)

KANSAS 150 SLK BLOG
Yessiree, friends and neighbors... this blog is part of the Kansas 15oth celebration! Begun in January, 2010, it will continue through December 2011 providing information on the history, people, culture, geography and nooks and crannies of the Sunflower State.
http://kansas150slk.blogspot.com/

OTHER KANSAS RESOURCES

Today in History: January 29th
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan29.html
(Some Kansas History Resources From the Library of Congress)

Kansas Information for Students & Researchers
http://www.kslib.info/information.html
(Links to Kansas history, statistics, facts, etc.)

Kansas State Symbols (State Library of Kansas)
http://www.kslib.info/symbols.html
(Links to information on Kansas state symbols)

Kansapedia
http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/
(An online encyclopedia of Kansas history provided by the Kansas Historical Society)

Kansas Memory
http://www.kansasmemory.org/
(Excellent online resources on Kansas history provided by the Kansas State Historical Society)

The Kansas Collection
http://www.kancoll.org/
(An online collection of books, articles and graphics on Kansas history)

Map of Kansas Literature
http://www.washburn.edu/reference/cks/mapping/index.html
(Washburn University)

Territorial Kansas Timeline leading up to Kansas Day, 1861
http://www.territorialkansasonline.org/cgiwrap/imlskto/index.php?SCREEN=timeline
(From Territorial Kansas website)

Kansas History Resources
http://www.kansashistory.us/ksstateorg.html

Kansas Heritage Group
http://www.kansasheritage.org/
(online archives devoted to digitally preserving Kansas' past)

Kansas Sampler Foundation
http://kansassampler.org/
(Information on Kansas architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history, and people)

Poetry of Kansas
http://www.skyways.org/poetry/
(A growing collection of poetry on Kansas)

Kansas Center for the Book
http://www.kcfb.info/
( The mission of the Kansas Center for the Book is to stimulate public interest in the educational and cultural role of the book; authorship and writing; literacy; and the promotion of reading and libraries.)

Kansas Governors' Messages, 1861-2008
http://www.kslib.info/messages/index.html
(State Library of Kansas. Read Kansas history in the speeches of its governors)

Kansas Legislators Past and Present
http://www.kslib.info/legislators/index.html
(State Library of Kansas. Basic information on more than 8,000 men and women who've served in the State Legislature.)

Natural Kansas
http://www.naturalkansas.org/
(Come see the natural beauty of Kansas)

Request a copy of the Kansas Visitor's Guide
http://www.travelks.com/s/VisitorGuideE.cfm
(Full of pictures, maps and information on Kansas. Provided by Kansas Travel & Tourism, Kansas Dept. of Commerce)

Check out the ATLAS Catalog for other resources:
KANSAS DAY
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS, ETC -- KANSAS
KANSAS--ANNIVERSARIES, ETC.

Article by: Bill Sowers
Please use the "Comments" link/box below for questions and comments.

Kansas State Seal

This week’s Kansas 150 blog provides links to information about the State Seal of Kansas.

For the first fifty years of statehood, Kansas only had two symbols: the sunflower and the state seal. Since then, these symbols have been joined by other statutory symbols such as the Cottonwood, the Western Meadowlark and the Ornate Box Turtle.

Our State Seal is provided for by the Kansas Constitution, article 1, section 9: “There shall be a seal of the state, which shall be kept by the governor, and used by him officially, and which shall be the great seal of Kansas. All commissions shall be issued in the name of the state of Kansas; and shall be signed by the governor, countersigned by the secretary of state, and sealed with the great seal.”

But why have a seal? Why would a governing body need this colorful graphic?

Frank Blackmar in his 1912 book, Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history..., tells us that “from the earliest period of history the seal has been used 'by individuals, corporate bodies and states, for making impressions on instruments of writing, as an evidence of their authenticity.' Every civilized country has its great seal, …. Prior to the Revolution, each of the American colonies had its seal, which in most instances, with some modifications, became the seal of state after the formation of the Federal Union. And almost the first act of every state, upon its admission into the Union, has been to adopt by suitable legislation a design for a great seal of state. Even before admission, and while under a temporary government as an organized territory, a seal has been found necessary as a testimony of official sanction or authority.”

Throughout its history Kansas has always had an official seal. During the territorial period a Seal was designed featuring a pioneer holding a rifle and hatchet opposite the goddess of agriculture, Ceres, encircled with a Latin motto translated as “Born by the voice of the people” or “Born of the popular will”. Encircling the border were the words: “Seal of the Territory of Kansas, Erected May 30, 1854." The Territorial Seal was designed by Governor Andrew Reeder and now resides at the Kansas Museum of History.

The Wyandotte Constitution of 1859, which was eventually adopted as the State Constitution, required that "There shall be a seal of state, which shall be kept by the governor, and used by him officially; and which shall be the great seal of Kansas."

In Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history Blackmar related the adoption of the State Seal as one of the first actions of state government soon after Kansas entered the Union:

"In his first message to the new State Legislature in 1861, Governor Charles Robinson called attention to the requirement for a seal. A committee was soon appointed and it drafted a resolution and the legislature approved a resolution which described the newly designed seal: 'The east is represented by a rising sun on the right hand corner of the seal; to the left of it, commerce is represented by a river and a steamboat; in the foreground, agriculture is represented as the basis of the future prosperity of the state, by a settler's cabin and a man plowing with a pair of horses; beyond this, is a train of ox wagons going west; in the background is seen a herd of buffalo, retreating, pursued by two Indians on horseback; around the top is the motto: 'Ad astra per aspera'—and beneath a cluster of 34 stars; the circle is surrounded by the words 'Great Seal of the State of Kansas, January 29, 1861'”. (General Laws of the State of Kansas. 1861, ch.78. )

John J. Ingalls is credited with being instrumental in designing the State Seal and is largely credited with choosing the motto, Ad astra per aspera. Suggestions for mottos that were not accepted: “We will”, countered with “We won’t”.

THE SEAL ON THE FLAG
In 1927 a state flag was established with the seal as a basic element of the flag.

THE GREAT SEAL
Often the term “Great Seal” is confused with the “State Seal”. The Great Seal is used only by the governor, is encircled by a double rope border with the date January 29, 1861, the date on which Kansas became the 34th state and includes the words “The Great Seal of the State of Kansas”. Other usage of the seal should not include the rope border with the described text.

OTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

In an address before the Kansas Historical Society on Jan. 17, 1883, Robert Hay said: “All the seal is historic, but suggestive of a fact that will be true forever, that the conquest of difficulties is the way to moral as well as to political success.”

“There’s No Place Like Home: Symbols and Images of Kansas”
(magazine article : Kansas History, vol. 8, no. 3 (Autumn, 1985), p. 138-161)
(An excellent article by James Nottage and Floyd R. Thomas, Jr. on Kansas symbols which can be purchased from the Kansas State Historical Society or requested via interlibrary loan from the State Library of Kansas.)

A picture of the Great Seal, suitable for coloring, can be found on the Secretary of State’s web site.

A detailed description on each of the elements found on the Seal and their meaning is provided on the Governor's website.

Kansas Statute Annotated 75-201 - 203
(The legal description of the State Seal)

Article by: Cindy Roupe
Please use the "Comments" link/box below for questions and comments.

The Korean War

Sometimes known as the "Forgotten War," the Korean War was a military conflict fought on the Korean Peninsula in the early 1950s (1950-1953 armistice). It marked the first major armed conflict of the Cold War involving the world's superpowers as well as the United Nations. Never fully resolved, it is still felt in heated actions and words on the Korean Peninsula today.

During the war many Kansans served as soldiers, sailors, airmen, medical staff, military chaplains and in other capacities. Casualties were heavy. Over 400 Kansas military personnel lost their lives with many more sustaining serious injuries.

There has been an increased interest in the Korean War within the past decade. Memorials, monuments and ceremonies have honored the men and women who participated in this conflict. Below are links to some Kansas information as well as a few general sites on the War and its aftermath.

Kansas Casualties in the Korean War, 1950-53
Kansas State Historical Society
http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-casualties-in-the-korean-war-1950-53/15802
Kansas Adjutant General's Department
http://www.accesskansas.org/kskoreanwar/ksvets/kscasualties.html

Military Records: Korean War
http://www.kshs.org/p/military-records-korean-war/11194
(Kansas State Historical Society)

Kansas Memory
Military - Wars - Korean War
http://www.kansasmemory.org/category/1159
Military - Wars - Cold War
http://www.kansasmemory.org/category/1156
(Check out original source material at the Kansas State Historical Society's Kansas Memory website)

Korean War Commemoration, 1953-2003
http://www.accesskansas.org/kskoreanwar/index.html
(Kansas Adjutant General's Department)

Cool Things: Korean War Anniversary
http://www.kshs.org/p/cool-things-korean-war-anniversary/10219
(Kansas State Historical Society)

Kansas Korean War Memorials in Kansas
(Korean War Veterans Association)
http://www.kwva.org/memorials/ks/p_mem_ks.htm

Korean War Memorial, Wichita, Kansas
pictures http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/memorials/ks/index.htm

Korean War Memorial, University of Kansas
http://www.buildings.ku.edu/markers_memorials.shtml

Northeast Kansas Korean War Memorial, Topeka
http://www.simemorials.com/our_projects/topeka_kansas.htm

Korean War Memorial, Overland Park
http://www.siveteranmemorials.com/siprojects/si_projects_overland_park.htm
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=36725

Korean Vietnam War Memorial, Kansas City, Kansas
http://www.wycokck.org/Dept.aspx?id=16232&banner=15284

Kansas Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients
http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/kansas-congressional-medal-of-honor-recipients/11698
(Kansas State Historical Society. Includes information on Stanley T. Adams who served during the Korean War)

Korean War Service Medal Information
http://www.accesskansas.org/kskoreanwar/ksvets/servicemedal.html
(Kansas Adjutant General's Department)

Emil Kapaun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Kapaun
(Kapaun, a Roman Catholic priest and US Army chaplain, was born near Pilsen, Kansas, and died a prisoner of war in Korea in 1951. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in Korea and is being promoted for both the Medal of Honor as well as canonization within the Roman Catholic Church)

Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/index.php
(Truman was president during much of the Korean War. The Presidential Museum and Library, located in Independence, Missouri, has a wealth of information on the Korean War during his administration. Do a search for Korean or Korea in the upper left search box to get an idea of what is available there. Or search the National Archives search page for the library's holdings)

Center for the Study of the Korean War
http://www.koreanwarcenter.org/
(Located in Independence, Missouri)

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library & Museum
http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/
(President Eisenhower worked to achieve an armistice in 1953. The Presidential Library and Museum, located in Abilene, Kansas, also has information on the Korean War during his administration. Search the National Archives search page for the library's holdings)

Korean War Educator
http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/home.htm

Korean War National Museum
http://www.theforgottenvictory.org/

United States Forces Korea
http://www.usfk.mil/usfk/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
(Official page on the current presence of U.S. Military in South Korea)

60th Anniversary of the Korean War
http://www.usfk.mil/usfk/hot-topic.the.60th.anniversary.of.the.korean.war.471
(United States Forces Korea)

Korean War Historical Information
http://www.history.army.mil/reference/Korea/kw-remem.htm
(U.S. Army Website)

Timeline of Korean War
Wichita Eagle
http://www.kansas.com/2009/12/03/1081944/timeline-of-the-korean-war.html
US Army Website
http://www.history.army.mil/reference/Korea/kw-chrono.htm

Korean War Images
http://www.kansas.com/2009/12/03/1082697/korean-war-images.html
(Wichita Eagle)

Understanding Is Better Than Remembering: The Korean War, 1945-1954, by Allan Millett
http://www.k-state.edu/history/specialevents/Eisenhowerlecture/eisenhower7.htm
(The Dwight D. Eisenhower Lectures in War & Peace, no. 7 -- Kansas State University, 1995)

Material on Korea and the Korean War found in the Topeka Libraries ATLAS Catalog:

KOREAN WAR
KOREA

Article by: Bill Sowers
Please use the "Comments" link/box below for questions and comments.

Kansas Railroad History

The plow and the rail were two important tools employed in developing the early economy of Kansas. The plow opened up the rich prairie soil to new possibilities for thousands of land-hungry settlers while the laying of rails across Kansas opened up these lands for the establishment of farms, ranches and towns.

Our state's history is in many ways the history of the railroad in settling and developing the Great Plains. Lacking major highways or deep rivers much of Kansas' commerce depended heavily on the presence of nearby railway transportation. This made railroad companies a powerful force in Kansas politics, economic development and daily life. Communities thrived or died depending on access to railway traffic.

The links below are a small sampling of resources available on the history of railroads in the Sunflower State.

Railroads in Kansas
http://www.kansasheritage.org/research/rr/index.html
(Articles on the history of railroads in Kansas from Kansasheritage.org)

History of Kansas Railroads
http://www.ksdot.org/burrail/rail/railroads/history.asp
(A time line provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation. The Department also has a page on railroad terms as well as a listing of current railroads in Kansas)

Digitized Kansas Maps
http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/collections/maps/18801889.asp?offset=10
(Provided by Special Collections at Wichita State University. This page is a search result display showing historic Kansas maps which include railroad routes)

Railroads of Kansas, compiled and edited by Kathy Weiser
http://www.legendsofkansas.com/railroads.html
(From the Legends of Kansas website)

List of Kansas Railroads
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kansas_railroads
(Wikipedia article listing past and present railroads in Kansas)

Territorial Kansas website
(Digitized items pertaining to the early development of railroads in Kansas, 1854-1861)
Immigration and railroads
Railroad companies
Railroad conventions
Railroad land grants
Railroad legislation
Railroad promotion
Railroads
Railroads design and construction
Railroads economic aspects
Railroads finance

Kansas Memory website
(Kansas primary sources from the Kansas State Historical Society. The categories below bring up huge numbers of hits but check out the menu on the left side for subcategories)
Business and Industry -- Railroad
Transportation - Railroads
Transportation -- Railroads -- Depots

A Few Online Articles on Kansas Railroad History

"The Birth of The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad," by Joseph W. Snell and Don W. Wilson
Kansas Historical Quarterly
Summer, 1968 (Vol. 34, No. 2), pages 113 to 142.
http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1968/68_2_snell+wilson.htm
Autumn, 1968 (Vol. 34, No. 3), pages 325 to 356
http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1968/68_3_snell+wilson.htm

"The Building of the First Kansas Railroad South of the Kaw River," by Harold J. Henderson
Kansas Historical Quarterly
August 1947 (Vol. 15, No. 3), pages 225-239
http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1947/47_3_henderson.htm

"Thomas Ewing, Jr., and the Origins of the Kansas Pacific Railway Company," by David G. Taylor
Kansas Historical Quarterly
Summer 1976 (Vol. 42, No. 2), pages 155 to 179
http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1976/76_2_taylor.htm

"Trains," by Elfriede Fischer Rowe
Lawrence Journal-World, December 16, 1970
(One of a series of articles titled "Wonderful Old Lawrence," originally published in the Lawrence Journal-World)
http://www.kancoll.org/books/rowe/trains.htm

Titles found in the Topeka Libraries ATLAS Catalog
(Subject search results)
Railroads -- Kansas
Railroads -- Kansas -- History
Street Railroads -- Kansas

Museums, Associations, Depots, Historic Sites
(This is a very short list of railroad-related locations in Kansas today)

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
http://www.salinafyi.com/marketplace/dickinson-county/businesses/abilene-smoky-valley-railroad/
(Abilene, Kansas)

Ellis Railroad Museum
http://www.kansastravel.org/ellisrailroadmuseum.htm
(Ellis, Kansas)

Great Overland Station
http://www.kansastravel.org/overlandstation.htm
(Topeka, Kansas)

Great Plains Transportation Museum
http://www.gptm.us/
(Wichita, Kansas)

Halstead Heritage Musem & Depot
http://historicalsociety.halsteadkansas.com/page5.php
(Halstead, Kansas)

Heart of the Heartlands, Inc.
http://www.heartlandstrainclub.org/index.html
(Scammon, Kansas)

Historic Downs Depot
http://www.downsks.net/depot.htm
(Downs, Kansas)

Midland Railway Historic Association
http://www.midland-ry.org/
(Baldwin City, Kansas)

National Orphan Train Complex
http://www.orphantraindepot.com/index.html
(Former Union Pacific Railroad Depot in Concordia, Kansas)

Rock Island Depot
http://www.travelks.com/s/index.cfm?LID=209&QString=Keywords%3Dliberal%26Page%3D2
(Liberal, Kansas)
Take a YouTube Video Tour of the building
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT3J7OZ7MK8
Depot Jubilee Article
http://www.liberal.net/info/events/rock.html

Santa Fe Depot Foundation
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Kingman/depot.html
(Kingman, Kansas)

Union Station, Kansas City Mo
http://www.unionstation.org/aboutus.html

Article by: Bill Sowers
Please use the "Comments" link/box below for questions and comments.

Home On The Range

In 1947 the Kansas State Legislature adopted "Home On The Range" as the official state song of Kansas. Known around the world the song had become popular as a "cowboy ballad" promoting a simpler life in the American West. Its mention of Kansas place names, Beaver Creek and the Solomon River Valley, made it a good choice as music representing the Sunflower State.

The words, written by Dr. Brewster Higley in 1872 as a poem titled "My Western Home," described a land of blue skies and natural beauty set out on the banks of Beaver Creek in Smith County, Kansas, where Higley was living at the time. The poem had been set to music by Higley's neighbor, Dan Kelley, and within several years become popular in the West. The words had often been changed to reflect the locale wherein the song was sung but retained their original intent of a peaceful life where "the sky is not clouded all day."

There had been some controversy over the song's origins in the 1930s but the text, discovered in an 1876 issue of The Kirwin (Kansas) Chief determined that the words were Higley's. Though the words, home on the range, never appeared in Higley's original poem that title stuck and has remained as the song's official name.

Below are resources on "Home on the Range" including links to different audio versions of the song and the official words of the Kansas state version.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Home on the Range
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/homeontherange/
(Provided by National Public Radio, this web page offers a short history of the song and different audio versions. Some broken links)

Roam Is Where The Heart Is
http://www.kansashistoryonline.org/ksh/ArticlePage.asp?artid=111
(From Kansas History Online)

Home On The Range
http://ktwu.washburn.edu/journeys/scripts/2003/1601a.html
(KTWU public television Sunflower Journeys program transcript)

An Anthem
http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=459
(Provided by Discovering Lewis & Clark)

The History of the State Song
http://www.kshs.org/teachers/read_kansas/pdfs/i11card01.pdf
(Kansas State Historical Society)

"State Song of Kansas..."
http://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/jan09/kssong12109.html
(A short article appearing on the Kansas State University's Media Relations website)

The Off-Key Story of a Song
http://www.southernlivestock.com/articles/columnists/home_on_the_range_the_offkey_story_of_a_song.4298.sls
(The controversy continues for some on the origins of the song)

INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS

Tales Out of School
http://www.emporia.edu/cgps/tales/nov2003.html
(Center for Great Plains Studies)

Read Kansas! - Fourth Grade
http://www.kshs.org/teachers/read_kansas/card_i11.htm
(Provided by the Kansas State Historical Society's Read Kansas! Program. This lesson teaches the history of the state song, “Home on the Range,” through expository text and a time line)

HIGLEY AND KELLEY

Brewster Higley VI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewster_M._Higley
(Wikipedia article)

Brewster Higley Historical Marker, Rutland, Ohio
http://www.remarkableohio.org/HistoricalMarker.aspx?historicalMarkerId=491

Historical Background of “Home on the Range”
http://www.dunelady.com/laporte/histories/Home_on_the_Range.html
(Written by Russell K. Hickman. Contains a lot of biographical information on Brewster Higley)

Brewster Higley's Gravesite
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6810840
(Provided at Find A Grave)

Daniel E. Kelley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_E._Kelley
(Wikipedia article)

SOME DIFFERENT VERSIONS

The Official Kansas State Song
https://sites.google.com/site/statesonghistory/
(Quoted from the 1947 Session Law)

Home on the Range: Classic Cowboy Poetry
http://www.cowboypoetry.com/Homeon.htm
(The original poem, the first version of the song and Lomax versions)

Three versions of the text on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_on_the_Range
(Higley, Goodwin and Lomax)

SMITH COUNTY, KANSAS

Nomination Form for "Home On The Range" cabin
http://www.kshs.org/resource/national_register/nominationsNRDB/Smith_HomeontheRangeCabinNR.pdf
(Kansas State Historical Society)

Kansas US Hwy 281
http://www.ushwy281.com/2010/01/home-on-the-range-with-kansas-us-hwy-281.html
(General information on Smith County which is also the location of the center of the 48 contiguous states)

Smith County KSGenweb
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/smith/
(Provided by the Kansas Genweb Project)

Smith County at Blue Skways
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/counties/SM/
(Provided by the State Library of Kansas)

YouTube Video

View a YouTube audio of "Home on the Range" featuring versions by Roy Rogers and Gene Autry:





Article by: Bill Sowers
Please use the "Comments" link/box below for questions and comments.

Kansas Insects, Spiders & Other Arthropods

EEK! A bug! Get it!

Wait... What sort of "bug" are you looking at? Do you see six legs, eight legs or too many legs to count? Will it wing, sting, sing or spring if you try to step on it? Just what are you threatening with your shoe?

Wiktionary defines bug as "a colloquial name for any insect, arachnid or other terrestrial arthropod." With this in mind most of us use the word, "bug," as a catch-all term for a large number of different creatures, most all of them members of a phylum (i.e. descriptive animal grouping) called Arthropoda or Arthropods. Spiders, ticks, centipedes and all insects are all arthropods. The phylum also includes aquatic animals such as crabs, shrimp and crayfish.

Terrestrial or air-breathing arthropods account for over 80% of all known living animal species. Kansas and the Great Plains are home to thousands of different varieties. They are both a bane and blessing to us. Some, notably the grasshopper, have in part fashioned our human history in the Sunflower State. Even today arthropods such as the bedbug, monarch butterfly, mosquito and tick can be news makers.

Below is a small selection of links to resources on insects, arachnids and other arthropods in Kansas and the Great Plains as well as some links to general information for students, teachers and the naturally curious. Bugs are a part of our daily lives on the prairie and getting a better idea of what they are and how they live is important.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Entomology for Kids
http://www.lib.k-state.edu/subguides/entomology/kids.html
(Resources provided by the Kansas State University Libraries)

Entomology: K-12 Recommended Resources
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/list/directory/158/vid/5
(An excellent list of resources available for studying insects, etc. Provided by Iowa State University)

Collecting and Preserving Insects and Mites
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/site_main.htm?docid=10141&page=1
(So you'd rather display bugs than step on them? This website provided by the US Department of Agriculture offers you the tools and techniques in creating your own bug museum)

Iowa Insects, Spiders, and Other Invertebrates
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IAN606.pdf
(Though you're not in Kansas any more this guide provides excellent, easy to understand descriptions of the major groups of "bugs")

BugGuide.net
http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740
(An online community of naturalists who enjoy learning about and sharing observations of insects, spiders, and other related creatures)

Fossil Insects
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Extension/fossils/insect.html
(Arthropods have been around for millions of years. Here's a short presentation provided by the Kansas Geological Survey on insect remains preserved in fossils)

KANSAS-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Checklist of Kansas Insects
http://www.gpnc.org/images/pdf%27s/Checkbugs.pdf
(From the book Insects in Kansas)

Kansas Insects
http://www.gpnc.org/insects.htm
(From the Great Plains Nature Center website)

Insects of the Konza Prairie
http://www.entomology.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=441
(A long-term program at the Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS) to study insect diversity in a natural tallgrass prairie ecosystem began in 2001. The goal is to develop baseline survey information on selected insect groups, to develop the holdings of the Kansas State University Museum of Entomological and Prairie Arthropod Research (KSU-MEPAR), and to make specimens, taxon names, and associated information for insect groups collected available to the scientific community)

The Kansas School Naturalist
http://www.emporia.edu/ksn/
(An excellent source of information on nature in Kansas, especially for students. Many of the issues are now online. Quite a few issues cover Kansas spiders, insects and invertebrates. Provided by the Department of Biological Sciences at Emporia State University)

K-State Museum of Entomological and Prairie Arthropod Research
http://www.entomology.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=103&tabid=347
(A research collection of about 824,000 specimens housed at Kansas State University)

The Insect Zoo
http://www.entomology.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=442
(Located next to the K-State Gardens at Kansas State University. Open to the public Tuesday-Saturday, 12:00-6:00pm and by appointment)

University of Kansas Division of Entomology
http://www.nhm.ku.edu/ksem/index.html
(Includes a searchable specimen database of Division collections, Insect videos and information on the University's Bee Collection)

IDENTIFICATION

Introduction to the Identification of Insects and Related Arthropods
http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/choate/insectid.pdf
(An excellent identification guide with some really cool black and white drawings. By P.M. Choate)

Kansas Insect Diagnostician
http://www.entomology.ksu.edu/desktopDefault.aspx?tabid=375
(Working through your local county extension office you can find out just what sort of bug you've got in that mayonnaise jar. Provided as a service by the Kansas State University's Department of Entomology. There is also an online pamphlet explaining instructions for submitting insect samples)

Insect Photo Gallery
http://www.entomology.k-state.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=86
(Provided by the Kansas State University Department of Entomology. Many of the graphics are of agricultural and gardening insect pests)

Facts & Information on Household Pests
http://www.entomology.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=382
(Identification of the bugs people like to swat provided by the Kansas State University Department of Entomology)

SPECIFIC ARTHROPODS

Honeybee
http://www.gpnc.org/honeybee.htm
(The Kansas State Insect. Provided by the Great Plains Nature Center)

Butterflies in Kansas
http://www.gpnc.org/butterflies.htm
(Provided by the Great Plains Nature Center)

Butterfly Links
http://doe.sd.gov/octa/ddn4learning/ThemeUnits/Butterflies/science.htm
(Provided by the South Dakota Department of Education)

Cicadas
http://www.gpnc.org/cicadas.htm
(Also known colloquially as harvestflies or incorrectly as locusts. Provided by the Great Plains Nature Center. Listen to the call of a cicada in this YouTube video)

Common Spiders
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/entml2/ep125.pdf
(A guide to common spiders in Kansas provided by Kansas State University Research and Extension)

Checklist of Kansas Orbweaving Spiders
http://www.emporia.edu/ksn/v52n2-september2005/predators.htm
(Article from Kansas School Naturalist. Includes a page with great images of spiders)

Checklist of Kansas Jumping Spiders
http://www.emporia.edu/ksn/v47n1-february2001/list.htm
(Article from Kansas School Naturalist. Includes a page with great images of spiders)

An Historic Look At Grasshoppers
http://www.kansasmemory.org/category/5851
(Kansas Memory provides some original source material on the perennial battle between Kansans and the grasshopper)

Bed Bugs
http://www.entomology.k-state.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=675
(The latest bug in the news, this short page provides basic information on bed bugs which are making their presence known in Kansas homes and businesses. The University of Kansas' Student Health Services also provides a pamphlet on bed bugs)

LIBRARY MATERIAL ON ARTHROPODS
(Much of this material can be borrowed on interlibrary loan from the State Library or other holding libraries in the ATLAS library consortium. The Kansas State Historical Society, a research library, does not lend out its books)

Insects -- Kansas
Spiders -- Kansas
Cicadas -- Kansas
Grasshoppers -- Kansas
Butterflies
Bees -- Kansas
Bee culture

Article by: Bill Sowers
Please use the "Comments" link/box below for questions and comments.