1895 fire, Hays, Kansas
Date: March 30, 1895
This photograph represents the aftermath that burned fifty-five buildings in Hays, Kansas on March 30, 1895.

1903 flood in Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1903
Here are twelve photographs showing the 1903 flood in Topeka, Kansas.

1905 tornado in Alta Vista, Kansas
Creator: McCoy, W. A.
Date: May 13, 1905
Photographs of a tornado passing over Alta Vista, Kansas, on May 13, 1905.

1951 flood in Auburndale neighborhood, Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Tonsing, Ernst Frederick, 1937-
Date: July 13, 1951
This series of photographs from an Aburndale neighborhood at Edgwood Park shows the launching of boats from the steps of houses. One house represented in the pictures is located between The Drive, Knox Street, and First Avenue in Topeka, Kansas.

1951 flood in Manhattan, Kansas
Creator: King, Francis Velora
Date: 1951
Here are photographs showing the 1951 flood in Manhattan, Kansas, taken by Francis Velora King and Mabel Alberta King.

1951 flood in Manhattan, Kansas
Creator: King, Francis Velora
Date: 1951
Here are photographs showing the 1951 flood in Manhattan, Kansas, taken by Francis Velora King and Mabel Alberta King.

1951 flood in Manhattan, Kansas
Creator: King, Francis Velora
Date: 1951
Here are photographs of the 1951 flood in Manhattan, Kansas, taken by Francis Velora King and Mabel Alberta King.

1951 flood in northeast Kansas
Date: 1951
Here are twelve photographs, possibly used to illustrate a publication, showing the 1951 flood in the towns of Topeka, Lecompton, Lawrence, and Perry.

1951 flood in Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Tonsing, Ernst Frederick, 1937-
Date: July 13, 1951
This series of photographs shows men working at the dike around the waterworks in Topeka, Kansas during the 1951 flood. One photo shows the filling of the sandbags and the other passing them along a long line to be placed on top of the dike and brick wall. Boy Scout Ernst F. Tonsing photographed and filled bags for 36 hours. While flood water did seep onto the grounds, the waterworks continued to pump clean water to the homes and businesses in Topeka.

1951 Flood motion picture film
Creator: Weir, Alexander
Date: 1951
This is an 8mm motion picture film showing the 1951 flood in northeast Kansas. Locations in northeast Kansas include Topeka, Lecompton, Lawrence, and Kansas City. Alexander Weir, the cinematographer, took footage during the flood and after the water receded.

1951 flood, Neosho County, Kansas
Date: July 6, 1951
These are two aerial views of Neosho County, Kansas, that were taken by and published in the Chanute Tribune newspaper. The two photographs show a flooded oil storage facility and farmstead.

1951 flood scenes in Manhattan, Kansas
Creator: King, Francis Velora
Date: July 11, 1951-July 15, 1951
Here are photographs of the 1951 flood in Manhattan, Kansas, taken by Francis Velora King and Mabel Alberta King.

1951 flood scenes in Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Taylor, Harvey
Date: July 1951
Here are 22 photographs showing scenes of the 1951 flood taken on the north side of the Kansas River in Topeka, Kansas.

1951 flood, Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1951
These fourteen photographs showing flood waters in the business areas of Topeka, Kansas.

1966 Topeka tornado
Creator: Fisher, Gail
Date: June 1966
Here are 16 slides showing damage caused by the 1966 tornado in downtown and residential areas in Topeka, Kansas. Several buildings are visible in the slides including the National Reserve Life, Topeka bus barn, Kansas State Capitol and printing plant, and KPL buildings.

4th of July parade in Eskridge, Kansas
Date: Between 1881 and 1889
Two photographs showing the 4th of July parade on Main Street in Eskridge, Kansas. The first photograph is a view of the east side of Main Street looking toward the intersection of 1st and Main. The town of Eskridge had moved to this location only six years before this photo was taken. The second photograph, looking south on Main Street from 1st Avenue, is a rare view of the west side of Main Street prior to the 1890 fire which destroyed all of the block down to the Trusler Building. In 1913, fire destroyed the exact same portion of that block. In this view, a re-enactment of Bill Cole's Last Ride, a story of Indians attacking Cole and the Smith boys, who were overland mail carriers.

Abraham Eitzen farm, Marion County, Kansas
Date: 1904
This is a photograph of the Abraham Eitzen farm located 2 miles east and 2 1/2 miles south of Hillsboro, Kansas. It shows the home, farm buildings and a windmill. It is a snow scene and there is a horse drawn sled in the image.

Address before the Old Settler's Reunion, Lincoln, Kansas
Creator: Stanley, Arthur Jehu, 1874-1967
Date: September 17, 1915
An address given by Arthur Stanley before the Old Settler's Reunion in Lincoln, Kansas. Stanley recounts life in Lincoln, of living in a dugout, the fear of prairie fires, prairie schooners passing through, the naming and meaning of places in Lincoln, and many other stories of the county and prairie life in general.

A Dust Cloud Rolling Over the Prairies (near Hugoton, Kansas)
Creator: Stovall Studio
Date: April 14, 1935
This is a photograph of a dust cloud rolling over the prairie near Hugoton, Kansas. Southwest Kansas was among the hardest hit areas during the Dust Bowl. Dust storms, such as the one depicted here, could blow for a full day, coating everything in their path with a layer of dirt. It was taken by the Stovall Studio in Dodge City, Kansas on Sunday April 14, 1935. It is labeled #3.

Aerial view of flood waters in Manhattan, Kansas
Date: 1935
This is an aerial view showing flood waters from the Kansas River in downtown Manhattan, Kansas.

Aerial views of the 1966 Topeka tornado's path
Creator: Aerial Photography International, Inc.
Date: June 10, 1966
Here are 38 aerial photographs showing the path of the 1966 Topeka tornado. Registered as an F5, the powerful storm traveled from the southwest of the city to the northeast, causing the deaths of 17 people, and more than $104 million in damage. The tornado was on the ground for 34 minutes, and left a path of destruction 21 miles long and one-half mile wide.

A family dying of starvation in Black Jack, Kansas Territory
Creator: New York Illustrated News
Date: January 19, 1861
An illustration copied from the New York Illustrated News showing a family dying of starvation in Black Jack, Kansas Territory. Kansas experienced a long period of drought from June 1859 through November 1860 and as a result settlers suffered particularly in the rural areas. With failed crops and limited supplies, thousands of destitute people packed up and went back East.

Aftermath of a dust storm in Kansas
Date: Between 1934 and 1936
This photograph shows agricultural equipment covered with dust after a storm, possibly in Scott County, Kansas.

Aftermath of June 8, 1966, Topeka tornado
Date: June 1966
These eighteen color slides show scenes of the destruction after the June 8, 1966, Topeka tornado. The first seven were shot from the top of the Statehouse, and one shows the damage to the Capitol dome. The next seven show damage to cars and buildings in the downtown area, including the water tower at 11th and Kansas Avenue, Brier Insurance, and Dependable Cars. One shows a National Guardsman directing traffic. The last four photos were taken from Burnett's Mound looking north. All the photographs were taken by Walter Fredericksen, who worked for the State Highway Commission in Topeka at the time.

Allen County, Kansas, floods--1951
Date: July 1951
These numerous photographs show flooding and flood damage from the Neosho River in Allen County, Kansas. High water marks can be seen on many buildings, as well as debris and destruction left by the water. Many homes, businesses, and public buildings were affected. These photographs were part of a preliminary survey by the Flood Control Committee of the Iola Chamber of Commerce on August 10, 1951. Many of the photos have additional information on their backs.