Kansas Blog

The information highway got its start the hard way through Northeast Kansas.While Missouri’s St Joseph gets the credit as the jumping off point of for the Pony Express, the real adventure started in ...

Vast is the word that strikes a traveler on the Western Vistas Historic Byway. It is very nearly the only way to describe the open plains that greet you along this 102-mile road in the furthest ...

Fort Scott has a unique history that follows the growing pains of our country in the middle of the 1800s. The National Historic Site recently marked the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil ...

In recognition of this year’s 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, I wanted to share the pivotal role Kansas played in its history. Most Americans don’t realize that Kansas’ decision to enter the Union as a “free” state on January 29, 1861, ignited the passion and fury of a country divided over slavery. Just a few months later, on April 12, the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, S.C.Long before the war began, “Bleeding Kansas” had etched its struggles into the souls of a nation. Today, the battlefields, massacres, burnings and all-out border wars in 29 counties in eastern Kansas and 12 counties in western Missouri are designated the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area. From the Underground Railroad to the Lecompton Constitution, the FFNHA showcases the region’s contributions to the struggle for equality and provides a rich learning experience for people of all ages.

The story told at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, proves the flatlands of Western Kansas were once one of the most exciting places on earth.

The story of Kansas cannot be told without the railroad. The iron giants that pushed their way onto the prairie are as much a part of the landscape and development of this state as the vast open ...

If you thought you knew what you loved about Kansas, it’s time to take another look.The Kansas History Museum in Topeka is featuring “150 Things I Love About Kansas” as a special exhibit in conjunction with the state’s 2011 sesquicentennial celebration. The display of ordinary items (a pair of overalls made in Kansas and worn by a Kansas farmer) mixes with the extraordinary (the first known photo of a tornado from 1884) to inspire visitors to think about the variety of unique people, places and things that make Kansas a place to celebrate.