African American cowboys
Date: Around 1865
This studio portrait from a tintype shows an African American cowboy (left). The ethnicity of the second man (right) is less clear. The location is unknown.

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad poster for lands in southwest Kansas
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: 1870s
A circular of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad promotes land sales and settlement in southwest Kansas. The advertisement states the climate of southwest Kansas is ideal for farming and ranching. The illustration contrasts prairie versus woodland settlements, and cites the extraordinary growth of cottonwood trees on Polk Street in Topeka. The German language reference indicates the railroad's intent to appeal to European emigrants. The circular demonstrates the important role railroad companies performed as promoters of the settlement and agricultural development of the west. C. B. Schmidt is listed as the German General Agent at the bottom of the poster.

Cowboys and chuck wagon
Date: Between 1880 and 1900
This black and white photograph shows cowboys in front of a chuck wagon. In the background horses and rolled-up tents are visible.

Cyrus Kurtz Holliday
Cyrus Kurtz Holliday came to Kansas Territory from Meadville, Pennsylvania. He was the first president of the Topeka Town Association and was involved in founding and settling Topeka. He was an agent for the New England Emigrant Aid Company. He was very active in territorial political activities including the Topeka movement. He was a delegate to the Topeka Constitutional Convention.

Dixons' Laundry, Junction City, Kansas
Date: 1899
Men and women at work in Dixons' Laundry in Junction City, Kansas.

Dodge City, Kansas
Date: Between 1870 and 1880
View of Front Street in Dodge City, Kansas.

Edward S. ("Ned") Beck diaries
Date: 1880-1886
The Edward S. ("Ned") Beck diaries describe the daily life of a boy in Holton, Kansas, in the late nineteenth century. Ned was born in Indiana and moved to Kansas with his family as a boy. He was eleven years old in 1880 and seventeen years old in 1886. The first volume covers May 9 to August 28, 1880. The second volume covers August 29 to December 31, 1880. The third volume covers January 1 to April 3, 1886.

Eudora School, Eudora, Kansas
Creator: Riddle, J. R.
Date: 1879
Adults and a large crowd of children standing in front and to the side of a large, two story, stone schoolhouse in Eudora, Kansas. Note that the school was integrated, and that the boys and girls were grouped separately for the photograph.

Exaggerated photograph
Date: 1908
This an exaggerated photograph showing a man seated on a huge ear of corn pulled by mules.

Fred Harvey
Date: 1901
Portrait of Fred Harvey founder of the Harvey House restaurants.

Geneseo Town Company stock certificate
Creator: Crihfield, Samuel Arthur, 1849-1919
Date: 1889
This Geneseo Town Company stock certificate issued to Samuel Arthur Crihfield by himself as he served as secretary of company. The town was located on the Missouri Pacific and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad lines.

H. F. Davis Meat Market, Colby, Kansas
Date: Between 1890 and 1899
This is a view of the H. F. Davis meat market in Colby, Kansas. "Harry F. Davis, in white apron, mans the meat counter in this photo taken near the turn of the century. Meat is displayed on hooks at the rear of the shop and on the marble counter. Harry became sole owner of the meat market in 1890 and the business lasted over a half a century, closing its doors in the early 1940s." - from the Prairie Winds newsletter March 1992 published by the Thomas County Historical Society, Colby, KS.

John Goodwine Grape Vineyard in Ford County, Kansas
Date: 1890
View of a man, women, and children standing in the John Goodwine Vineyard located southwest of Dodge City in Ford County, Kansas.

Johntz Bros. & Rice's Elevator, Abilene, Kansas
Date: Between 1880 and 1889
View of men and horse-drawn wagons at the Johntz Bros. & Rice's Elevator in Abilene, Kansas.

Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston R. R. bridge across Kansas River, Lawrence, Kansas. 323 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
This stereograph shows a Leavenworth, Lawrence, & Galveston Railroad locomotive and a railroad bridge over the Kansas River at Lawrence, Kansas. It is from Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Main Street in Fort Scott, Kansas
Date: 1886
View of crowds of people and many types of horse-drawn vehicles on busy Main Street in Fort Scott, Kansas. The Union Block is on the extreme left side of the photograph.

R. K. Perry watering his round-up herd on the Cimarron River, Kansas
Creator: Steele, F. M. (Francis Marion), 1866-1936
Date: 1895
R. K. Perry of Meade, Kansas, seated on a hill overlooking his round-up herd of cattle watering at the Cimarron River, directly south of Englewood, Kansas. Also visible in the photograph are cowboys and the herd's 200 head of cattle.

Section men at Salina, Kansas. (The extreme distance is five miles off,) 470 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
This stereograph shows a railroad section crew traveling on a handcar, Salina, Kansas. It is from Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Street scene, Ellsworth, Kansas
Date: 1872
Street scene showing Drovers Store and J. Muellers Shop, Ellsworth, Kansas. The third man standing from left is Walter Straeter, the fourth man from left is John Mueller, the young boy holding paper is Oscar Traveller, and the boy and girl seated on the curb are Henry Straeter and Emelia Mueller.