KANSAS TREES

Dear cottonwood, so lovely then,
How wide and tall it grew.
What joy to those long absent when
Its top first came to view!
A sentinel it seemed to be
That stood majestic there,
And guarded those who dwelt within
That dear old home so fair.
--Ed Blair -- "The Planting of the Cottonwood Tree"
(From Poetry of Kansas)

Stereotypically Kansas is often seen in literature and on film as flat and barren or a large wheat field stretching from one end to the other. But much like Brooklyn a tree does grow in Kansas! Actually many trees grow in the Sunflower State providing shelter, shade, commerce, beauty, protection and a home to humans and animals.

Below are links to some information on trees in our state... historical, cultural, commercial and societal resources.

Kansas Forest Service
("Care of natural resources and service to people through forestry")
Site Map/Website Directory
Order Conservation Seedlings
Community Forestry
Rural Forestry
Riparian Forestry
Wood Energy Initiative
Arbor Day
Champion Trees of Kansas

Woody Plants in Kansas
http://www.gpnc.org/woody.htm
(Great Plains Nature Center)

Kansas Trees and Shrubs
http://www.kswildflower.org/tree_index.php
(Kansas Wildflowers & Grasses website)

KANSAS RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
(Publications issued by Kansas Research and Extension at Kansas State University)
Champion Trees of Kansas
Fertilizing Trees in the Landscape
Handling and Planting Container-Grown Trees
Native Kansas Forest Trees
Selecting and Planting a Tree
Shade and Ornamental Trees for Kansas
Staking and Guying Landscape Trees
Street Trees for Kansas
Tree Diseases in Kansas
Tree Squirrels: Urban Wildlife Damage Control
Trees and Shrubs for Difficult Sites
Trees and Shrubs That Attract Songbirds and Wildlife
Watering Newly Planted and Young Trees and Shrubs

Kansas Memory--Trees
http://www.kansasmemory.org/category/708

Kansas Christmas Tree Growers Association
http://www.kctga.com/

Christmas Tree Recycling
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/solw2/ep1.pdf

The Aluminum Christmas Tree
http://www.kshs.org/p/cool-things-aluminum-christmas-tree/10148

THE COTTONWOOD
(Kansas designated the Eastern Cottonwood as the official state tree in 1937. The cottonwood tree are deciduous trees which are distinguished by thick, deeply fissured bark and triangular to diamond-shaped leaves. The Eastern Cottonwood is also the state tree of Nebraska. Wyoming has the Plains Cottonwood as its state tree)

Adoption of the Kansas State Tree
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/trees/ks_cottonwood.htm

Cottonwood Trees: Facts and Information
http://www.cheyennecity.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1150
(From City of Cheyenne, Wyoming)

Cottonwood Tree Coloring Page
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/oversite/kidstuff/cottonwd.htm
(The cottonwood is also the Nebraska state tree. A page for children and others who enjoy coloring in between the lines!)

Cottonwood Trees in Kansas
http://ravenstonepress.com/cottonwd.html
(From Ravenstone Press)

ATLAS TOPEKA LIBRARIES CATALOG
(Library resources from online catalog of the State Library, Kansas Historical Society, Supreme Court Law Library and Washburn University Libraries)
Trees
Trees--Kansas
Cottonwood--Kansas
Tree planting -- Kansas
Trees, Care of -- Kansas
Ornamental trees -- Kansas
Bird attracting -- Kansas
Forests and forestry -- Kansas
Kansas -- Forestry Management
Kansas Forest Service
Windbreaks, shelterbelts, etc. -- Kansas

John R. Brinkley

Dr. John R. Brinkley.
July 6, 1885 – May 26, 1942.

Dr. John R. (Richard) Brinkley was one of the greatest hucksters who ever lived in the United States. He started out as a poor boy from the South, and grew to be worth millions of dollars by the mid 1930’s. He was known as the “Goat Gland Doctor” for his famous operation, which he claimed would rejuvenate older men, and in fact claimed that some of his patients had later sired children. He built

hospitals in Milford, Kansas (1st), Little Rock, Arkansas, and Del Rio, Texas. He pioneered the use of radio in the early 1920s through the 1930s. He was the first broadcaster to build “super” radio stations, which could reach radio audiences throughout the country.

He sold patented medicines, published promotional pamphlets, advertised his hospitals, and had famous country and westerns stars entertain his audiences via his radio station. Over a period of time he owned three yachts, and even hobnobbed with the Duke of Duchess of Windsor at Nassau in the 1930s. He had a political career and almost became the governor of Kansas, much to the horror of men such as William Allen White.

Brinkley’s greatest medical nemesis was Dr. Morris Fishbein of the American Medical Association. In 1938 Dr. Fishbein published an article wherein he called Dr. Brinkley a charlatan. Dr. Brinkley sued in Texas, and lost. By this time the good doctor was in trouble with the IRS for millions in back taxes..

Brinkley declared bankruptcy in 1941. He died of heart problems in 1942 and was survived by his second wife and his son known as Johnny Boy. Today you can still see his fabulous mansion in Del Rio, a Texas historical landmark. To read more about this fascinating Kansas character see the bibliography below, or follow the links to learn more about him, and to see many pictures.


Campaign paperweight from when Dr. Brinkley ran for Governor Of Kansas.






BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brinkley, J.R. The Brinkley Operation. Chicago. Sydney B. Flower, 1922.

Brinkley, John R. Dr. Brinkley’s doctor book. Del Rio, Texas, 1936.

Brinkley, John R. Road Courageous: being a compilation of radio talk given over radio station XERA during the full and Winter months of 1937 and 1938. Printed by John R. Brinkley, 1938.

Brock, Pope. Charlatan: America’s most dangerous huckster, the man who pursued him, and the age of flimflam. New York. Crown, 2008.

Carson, Gerald. The Roguish world of Doctor Brinkley. New York. Rinehart & Co., 1960.

Lee, R. Alton. The Bizarre careers of John R. Brinkley. University Press of Kentucky, 2002

Wood, Clement. The Life of a man. Kansas City, Goshorn Publishing Co., 1934.

INTERNET RESOURCES

Wikipedia entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Brinkley

Quackwatch entry for The Goat Gland Doctor: the Story of John R. Brinkley.
http://www.quackwatch.com/11Ind/brinkley.html

Border Radio Quackery – go here, and you can hear Dr. Brinkley.
http://wfmu.org/LCD/GreatDJ/Brinkley.html

Kansapedia entry for John R. Brinkley.
http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/john-r-brinkley/11988

Information on Brinkley Papers – KSHS.
http://www.kshs.org/p/john-r-brinkley-papers/13988

Kansas Memory entries for John R. Brinkley.
http://www.kansasmemory.org/locate.php?query=john+r.+brinkley

A Humorous graphic novel view of Dr. Brinkley
http://www.matthewmusial.com/brnkpgs/brnkpgs.htm

Article by: Tom Roth, State Library of Kansas
Please use the "Comments" link/box below for questions and comments.

The Wheat State

"As I sat on a Kansas hilltop,
While, far away from my feet,
Rippled the lights and shadows
Dancing across acres of wheat,

The sound of the grain as it murmured
Wrought a wonder with me.
It turned from the voice of the Prairie
Into the roar of the sea.

And I saw not the running wind-waves,
But an ocean that washed below
In ridging and crumbling breakers
And ceaseless motion and flow..."


("A Wheat-Field Fantasy", by Harry Kemp. Poetry of Kansas)

Kansas is known around the world as both The Sunflower State and The Wheat State. The nicknames denote two different aspects of our state. The wild, tenacious sunflower signifies the stubborn spirit of Kansans. Through storm, drought, fire and famine we have struggled up through the hard times and bloomed, our gaze always on sun, that bright star pointing the way to a new dawn.

Wheat symbolizes the outcome of that struggle... A harvest of plenty amidst the once supposed "Great American Desert." It is that stubborn spirit of the Kansas sunflower come to fruition in fields of waving grain spreading across rolling hills as far as the eye can see. Wheat is a survivor, often flourishing in the harsher climate of the prairie better than other crops. It is an "immigrant," originally brought to Kansas by hard working folk intent on creating a place where they could be free to live and experience life according their own beliefs.

So how important is wheat in the 21st century to Kansas? From the Kansas Dept. of Agriculture: "On average, Kansas produces more wheat than any other state. Nearly one-fifth of all wheat grown in the United States is grown in Kansas. And, Kansas ranks first in the nation in flour milling, wheat gluten production and wheat stored. Roughly one-third of Kansas' 63,000 farmers grow wheat. Normally, Kansas farmers produce about 400 million bushels of wheat a year, with a production value that hovers around $1 billion."

Kansas wheat... It's is a vital part of our economy, culture and history. Below are links to information on Kansas wheat provided by various online resources.

Kansas Wheat Commission
http://www.kswheat.com/
(The Kansas Wheat Commission is a grower-funded, grower-governed wheat products advocacy organization)
Their site includes:
--Annual Recipe Book
--Bake and Take Month
--Baking Laboratories
--Educational Materials
--Just For Kids
--Kansas Bakeries Directory
--Kansas Wheat Blog
--Kansas Wheat Products
--News
--Nutrition
--Online Videos
--Recipes
--Straw Artists
--Wheat Facts
--Wheat Fun
--Wheat Mania: All About Wheat

Wheat Page
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/wheatpage/
(Kansas State University Research and Extension)

Wheat People: Celebrating Kansas Harvest
http://www.kshs.org/exhibits/wheat/wheat.htm
(An online exhibit provided by the Kansas State Historical Society)

Kansas Memory: Wheat
http://www.kansasmemory.org/category/14
(Digitized primary sources provided by the Kansas State Historical Society)

Kansas Wheat History
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Crops/whthist.pdf (2009 publication by Kansas Agricultural Statistics cooperating with the Kansas Dept. of Agriculture)

Winter Wheat in the Golden Belt of Kansas
http://www.skyways.org/orgs/fordco/malin/
(A transcription of a 1944 history of wheat in Kansas agriculture written by James C. Malin)

Wheat Varieties
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Crops/Whtvar/index.asp
(Information from the National Agricultural Statistics Service)

KU Waving Wheat
http://www.ku.edu/about/traditions/wheat.shtml
(OK, OK... Apologies to Wildcats, Hornets, Shockers, Tigers and others.... But we can't leave out the University of Kansas' famous "Wave the Wheat" tradition. And for those of us who are "cheer challenged" there's actually a video on how to do it just right!)

Kansas Wheat (FaceBook)
http://www.facebook.com/kansaswheat
(A FaceBook page that promotes wheat growing and growers in the Sunflower State)

The World in 1861

AROUND THE WORLD IN 1861

In a few days we'll be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Kansas statehood. Most Americans are aware of the fact that Kansas entered the Union a few months before the official beginning of the American Civil War. Statehood came on January 29th, 1861 and shots were fired on Fort Sumter, South Carolina on April 12th starting up four years of confrontation between North and South.

This article takes a look at what was going on in the rest of the world during that first year of Kansas statehood. We'll step out of the "Kansas Box" and see what other people around the globe were doing. Wars, natural disasters, discoveries, literature, music and dress... it's interesting to place ourselves in the context of Kansas within the activities of the bigger picture.

Imagine Kansans not just as a people struggling to survive their first year of statehood dealing with a Civil War that would spill into their lives again and again but also as human beings who will also feel the ripples of other lives far away... sometimes faintly, sometimes powerfully.

The Great Comet of 1861
http://cometography.com/lcomets/1861j1.html
http://www.phenomena.org.uk/Cometof1861.htm
http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=1861J1;orb=1
(formally designated C/1861 J1 and 1861 II, was a comet that was visible to the naked eye for approximately 3 months. It was categorized as a Great Comet, one of eight in the 19th Century)

Discovery of Thallium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thallium
(Discovered independently by William Crookes and Claude-Auguste Lamy, thallium production is used in the electronics industry, and the rest is used in the pharmaceutical industry and in glass manufacturing. It is also used in infrared detectors)

Italian Unification, or Risorgimento (Europe)
http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/history/italian_unification_risorgimento_map.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Gaeta_%281860%29
http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Victor_Emmanuel_II_of_Italy
(Throughout the 19th Century up until about 1871 the Italian Peninsula went through wars, insurrections and revolutions in slowly creating a united Italian state. Several incidents played out in 1861, among them the Siege of Gaeta, the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy and crowning of Victor Emmanual II as its first king)

End of First Taranaki War (New Zealand)
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Cow01NewZ-c18.html
(An armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Maori and the New Zealand Government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand's North Island from March 1860 to March 1861)

Abolition of Serfdom in Russia (Europe)
http://academic.shu.edu/russianhistory/index.php/Alexander_II,_Emancipation_Manifesto,_1861
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_reform_of_1861
(The 1861 Emancipation Manifesto, signed by Alexander II of Russia, proclaimed the emancipation of the serfs on private estates and of the domestic (household) serfs. By this edict more than twenty-three million people received their liberty. Serfs were granted the full rights of free citizens, gaining the rights to marry without having to gain consent, to own property and to own a business)

Conquest of the Bamana Empire (Africa)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamana_Empire
(The West African empire existed as a centralized state from 1712 to the 1861 invasion of Toucouleur conqueror El Hadj Umar Tall)

Earthquake Hits Mendoza, Argentina (South America)
http://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/35760
http://www.pbase.com/mr2c280/image/15979354
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rolandkrebs/5321294784/
(An earthquake of 7.2 magnitude. Approximately six to eight thousand people lost their lives in this city of 18,000)

The Melbourne Cup's First Race (Australia)
http://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/melbournecup
(The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major thoroughbred horse race. Billed as "The Race That Stops a Nation," it is a race for three-year-olds and over, over a distance of 3,200 metres)

The Battle of Shanghai (China)
http://www.museumstuff.com/learn/topics/Battle_of_Shanghai_%281861%29
http://www.taipingrebellion.com/
(The 1861 Battle of Shanghai was one of many confrontations of the Taiping Rebellion which was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864. About 20 million people died during this war, mainly civilians, in one of the deadliest military conflicts in history)

Lambing Flat Riots (Australia)
http://about.nsw.gov.au/encyclopedia/article/lambing-flat-riots-14-july/
(A gold rush and immigration of Chinese workers caused several conflicts, chief among them an attack on Chinese workers in 1861)

Colombian Civil War, 1860-1862 (South America)
http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Colombian_Civil_War_%281860%E2%80%931862%29
(The United States was not the only country engaged in a civil war during the 1860s)

Battle of Ky Hoa Forts (IndoChina)
http://www.historynet.com/1861-french-conquest-of-saigon-battle-of-the-ky-hoa-forts.htm
(Another war in Vietnam in a different century)

Life in 1861 (Australia)
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/outbackhouse/history/
(An excellent look at life down under in 1861)

LITERATURE and MUSIC
(Titles published, composed or written in 1861)

"Abide With Me" (hymn)
Text written in 1847 by Henry Francis Lyte, and the music composed in 1861 by William Henry Monk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abide_with_Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw5TtwJFIKU

"Aura Lea," by W.W. Fosdick and George R. Poulton (song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvBAu0JO9G4

Silas Marner, by George Eliot (book)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_Marner

The Insulted and Humiliated, by Fyodor Dostoevsky (book)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humiliated_and_Insulted

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens (book)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations

Orley Farm, by Anthony Trollope (book)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orley_Farm_%28novel%29

"Paul Revere's Ride," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (poem)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Revere%27s_Ride_%28poem%29

"Battle Hymn of the Republic" (poem/song)
http://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/BattleHymnoftheRepublic.htm

The Tragedy of Man, by Imre Madách (play)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragedy_of_Man

Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (book)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs_Beeton%27s_Book_of_Household_Management
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10136

"Washington Grays," by Claudio S. Grafulla (march)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Grays_%28march%29
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHypd4cT0IY
(Also known as "Washington Greys")

Artworks for the year 1861
http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/list_single_year.php?y=1861
(provided by The Athenaeum)

Music of the American Civil War
http://www.pdmusic.org/civilwar.html

FASHION

Fashion Print Timeline, 1861-1865
http://www.victoriana.com/library/Timeline/1861.htm

Fashion 1861
http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/social-history/1861/fashion

CSA Fashion
http://www.angelpig.org/csa_fashion.html

Kentucky Library & Museum
http://www.wku.edu/library/kylm/collections/online/fashion/fashionplates/index.html

1860s in Fashion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1860s_in_fashion


GENERAL ONLINE RESOURCES ON 1861

The Year in Review: 1861
http://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/almanac/1861
(The House Divided Project at Dickinson College aims to create resources for teachers and students that will help bring alive and explain the turbulent Civil War era in American history)

The Year 1861
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1861
(Wikipedia)

The Civil War Home Page
http://www.civil-war.net/

American Civil War Battles, 1861
http://www.mycivilwar.com/battles/1861.htm

Harper's Weekly Original Civil War Newspapers
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/the-civil-war.htm

World Events By Year: 1861
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZX3yTogiwk
(Youtube video)

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

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.