HISTORY & HERITAGE

We take pride in our state's history and heritage. From the native tribes who resided on this land for centuries to the innovative pioneers who lead the way and everything in between.

  • 6 minutes

Photography by Nick Krug A small museum on the campus of Kansas State University houses a rare and unusual collection of historic clothing and textiles The museum is here, but few know where to find…

History & Heritage

Miss Able: The History-Making Space Monkey

  • 3 minutes

Illustration: Torren Thomas An unlikely astronaut, a Kansas monkey named Miss Able, rocketed the U.S. into the space race in 1959. Her successful ride in a Jupiter nose cone paved the way for humans…

History & Heritage

The Lost City of Etzanoa

  • 10 minutes

Illustration by Lana Grove Artifacts from Ark City digs challenge what previously has been known about Plains Native Americans After recent archaeological digs in Kansas, our understanding, and our…

History & Heritage

Elmer McCurdy: Not Your Typical Outlaw

  • 5 minutes

Elmer McCurdy wasn’t your typical outlaw—his life of crime was defined by failure, and his bizarre posthumous journey only added to the tragic comedy of his existence. In October 1911, the Leader, a…

History & Heritage

How Nat Love (almost) Stole the Fort Dodge Cannon

  • 4 minutes

Nat Love, or Deadwood Dick, is one of the most famous cowboys who rode the Western Cattle Trail. His autobiography tells of growing up enslaved on a plantation in Davidson County, Tennessee. He left…

History & Heritage

Dodge City's Western Cattle Trail

  • 8 minutes

150 years ago, Texas cowboys began driving cattle herds along the newly established Western Cattle Trail and transformed Dodge City with their business, celebrations, and wild ways This year marks…

History & Heritage

Quantrill's Raid Survivor: Kate Doane Earle Riggs

  • 2 minutes

Kate Doane Earle Riggs Bushwhacker Beater Kate Doane Earle was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 29, 1836. As a young woman, she taught school before moving to Lawrence and marrying…

History & Heritage

Notorious: Rebels for a Good Cause

  • 7 minutes

Artwork: Torren Thomas In the late 1800s and early 1900s, criminals often broke the law on the Kansas plains, but some were rebels with a cause – and others were outlaws While struggling to…

History & Heritage

Notorious: The Outlaws

  • 9 minutes

Artwork: Torren Thomas In the late 1800s and early 1900s, criminals often broke the law on the Kansas plains, but some were rebels with a cause – and others were outlaws Manifest destiny, a term…