105 Kansas County Quilt
Creator: Stitching Traditions Quilt Shop
Date: between 2010 and 2013
Commemorative quilt made by the Woman's Kansas Day Club, with a separate block for every one of Kansas's 105 counties. Each block was made by a representative from that county. The quilt was then constructed, bordered, and bound by staff at Topeka's Stitching Traditions Quilt Shop and custom machine quilted by Topeka's A Touch of Class Quilting.

1880 census of Farmer Township, Wabaunsee County, Kansas
Creator: United States. Census Office. 10th census, 1880
Date: June 1, 1880 through June 2, 1880
This excerpt of a census schedule provides details--including the name, age, race, and occupation--of settlers in Farmer Township in Wabaunsee County, Kansas. The county included a black population (B=Black) who had settled there in 1879 with the help of the Freedmen's Relief Association.

1880 census of Nicodemus Township, Graham County, Kansas
Creator: United States. Census Office. 10th census, 1880
Date: June 8, 1880 through June 23, 1880
This census schedule provides details--including the name, age, race, and occupation--of both white and black settlers in Nicodemus Township in Graham County, Kansas. This township had been settled by African Americans in 1877 along the south fork of the Solomon River.

1880 census of Rock Creek Township, Wabaunsee County, Kansas
Creator: United States. Census Office. 10th census, 1880
Date: June 11, 1880
This excerpt of a census schedule provides details--including the name, age, race, and occupation--of settlers in Rock Creek Township in Wabaunsee County, Kansas. The county included a black population (B=Black) who had settled there in 1879 with the help of the Freedmen's Relief Association.

1906 Liberty Head Penny from 14BN353
Date: 1906
This penny was recovered from a Brown County farmstead by Kansas Historical Society archeologists. The obverse side has Liberty with a headdress in profile and the date of 1906. The reverse side has an oak wreath, shield, and the words "ONE CENT."

1968 Excavations at Fort Hays, 14EL301
Date: 1968
These photographs were taken by Kansas Historical Society archeological staff during excavation at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County in 1968. The excavations took place in the area of the officer's quarters (Officer's Row). Shown are two views of the House 4 cellar excavation, the archeological excavations of the foundations for Houses 2 through 6 in progress, and a toy dish discovered in the House 5 excavations. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.

34-star American flag playing cards
Date: between 1861 and 1863
This deck of thirty-five glossed paper cards depicts two 34 star American flags on the back. The reverse contains the suits with no numbers in the corners. Kansas is the 34th State admitted to the Union (in 1861), which dates these to the early Civil War between 1861 and 1863. Prior to 1880 playing cards typically did not have numbers in the corners.

Aaron Lane Lanning's household expense ledgers
Date: May 01, 1926-December 31, 1933
Here are two household expense ledgers belonging to Aaron Lane Lanning, Melvern, Kansas. Early in his life, Aaron's parents moved the family to Jerseyville, Illinois where in April 1862, he joined the 122nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to sergeant in 1864 and discharged in June 1865. After the war, Aaron, his parents and siblings settled in Mound City, Kansas. He married Sarah Emma Preston on November 3, 1867, and they eventually moved near Melvern, Kansas where he farmed. Aaron and Emma had five children.

Abbie Bright
Date: 1870
Abbie Bright at age 22 photographed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Abbie Bright diary
Creator: Bright, Abbie, 1848-1926
Date: 1868-1921
Born in Pennsylvania in 1848, Abbie Bright traveled to Kansas in 1870 as a young woman and her diary is primarily an account of this trip. It gives excellent accounts of daily life and settlement activities. The "diary" is actually composed of two different manuscripts and both are presented here. The first is an eighty-six page loose-leaf diary with consistent entries from September 2, 1870 - December 20, 1871. The second is a bound composition book with 129 written pages. This book begins with a childhood reminiscence written in Iowa in 1914 (p1-23), followed by a reminiscence of her Kansas trip written in Iowa in 1921 (p24-36) that covers Aug 23, 1870 - Jan 30, 1871. The book then includes some recipes dated 1868-1871 and a receipt dated 1884 (p37-41), and finally consistent diary entries from February 2, 1871 - December 21, 1871 (p41-129). A complete, revised transcription of both manuscripts is available by clicking on "Text Version" below. A previous, annotated transcription that combines the 1870-1871 entries from both manuscripts was published in the Kansas Historical Quarterly in 1971 and is available through a link below.

Abelard Guthrie
Abelard Guthrie was a member of the Wyandot tribe through his marriage to his wife Quindaro Nancy. He was elected as the Wyandot delegate to Congress in 1852. He was involved in the development of the town of Quindaro and had business dealing with numerous early territorial settlers.

Abelard Guthrie to Hiram Hill
Creator: Guthrie, Abelard
Date: November 11, 1858
Abelard Guthrie, a member of the Quindaro Town Company, wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, rebutting Hill's accusations that he had acted in bad faith regarding certain enterprises of the Town Company. Guthrie stated that he had intended to begin the grading work on Kansas Avenue and other roads, but had found that the Company's funds were depleted; he suspected a swindling. He defended himself in light of other land purchases and business transactions and expressed extreme frustration at his bleak financial situation.

About Nicodemus, The Daily Journal
Creator: Lawrence Daily Journal
Date: April 30, 1879
This article from the Lawrence Daily Journal discusses a newspaper article from the Chicago Tribune written during the Exoduster Movement in 1879 providing a brief history of the black community of freed people at Nicodemus, Kansas settled in 1877. Nicodemus is now a historic site administered by the National Parks Service.

Absalom White territorial loss claim
Creator: Strickler, Hiram Jackson
Date: 1859
Report of H.L. Strickler, Commissioner to Audit Claims of Citizens of the Territory of Kansas, contained in the U.S. Congressional Serial Set of congressional and executive documents. Absalom White filed claim #246 for the loss of an arm as a result of being struck by a bullet at a battle with southerners near the H. T. Titus [probably Henry C.] home in Douglas County. The arm was subsequently amputated. The claim was not allowed on the grounds that White was "engaged in rebellion and making unwarranted attack on the person and property of a private citizen." Each claimant had to submit an itemized list and have two witnesses attest to the losses claimed. Even though many of these claims were approved for payment, no funds were ever appropriated or distributed.

Account of provisions and supplies issued to destitute Shawnees
Creator: Abbott, James Burnett, 1818-1897
Date: 1861
This account book belonging to an Indian agent named James Burnett Abbott lists the names of Shawnee Indian heads of household, the number of family members within their household, and the amount of pork, corn, and meal provided by the government to each Shawnee. The Shawnee had emigrated to Kansas after the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Only an excerpt is included here.

Action of Other Cities on the 'Exodus' Question
Creator: Wyandotte Gazette
Date: April 25, 1879
This article includes information about Exoduster relief efforts in both Topeka and Lawrence. In Topeka, the Kansas Freedmen's Aid Association had appealed to other counties, asking them to form local aid societies to assist refugees in their respective areas. Lawrence citizens held a meeting in Fraser Hall to discuss the Exodus; the attendees recognized the legitimacy of the Exodus and were willing to provide aid and support for the emigrants.

A Cup and a Bowl from the Baker House, 14MO701
Date: 1862
This reconstructed cup and bowl was found in pieces during excavations in 1972 by the Kansas State Teacher's College (now Emporia State University) field school. The bowl has a red, black and green floral design, though difficult to see. The handless cup has a red, white and blue linear pattern. Both dishes were reconstructed by students at the field school. They were donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 1993. The Baker store and nearby house were situated along the Santa Fe trail. The owner, A. I. Baker, was murdered in 1862 by "Bloody Bill" Anderson and his cohorts, who also burned the store and house.

Ada and Burt McColl gathering buffalo chips
Creator: McColl, Ada
Date: 1893
Ada and her brother Burt McColl (in a dress) are gathering buffalo chips to use for heating and cooking fuel. An abridged version of this photograph without Burt is very common. For more information on this photograph, see the link to Reflections (Summer 2008) below. A family member confirmed that Burt (or Bert) was a boy.

Ada McColl gathering buffalo chips near Lakin, Kansas
Creator: McColl, Polly
Date: 1893
In this photograph, pioneer Ada McColl of Kearny County collects buffalo chips. In areas of western Kansas where trees were scarce, these chips were a convenient (and plentiful) source of fuel. This is an abridged version of an original photograph including Ada's brother Burt. The photograph was taken by Polly McColl, Ada's mother. For more information on this photograph, see the link to Reflections (Summer 2008) below.

A. D. Birch listening to a radio in Topeka, Kansas
Creator: King, Ernest V., 1874-1964
Date: Between 1925 and 1929
This photograph shows the A. D. Birch family and friends listening to a radio. Birch lived at 1109 Van Buren in Topeka, Kansas.

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.

Address to the American People on the Affairs of Kansas, pamphlet
Date: 1857
This address recounted the history and purpose of the formation of the Kansas State Government of Topeka, in peaceful opposition to that of the Territory. The free state message accused the systems of the Territorial Government of encouraging influence from abroad in their election process, and indicated that they had nothing inherently against Missouri's citizens as a whole, but implored that they not attempt to violate the rights of Kansas settlers. The address stated that the Territory was "organized for defence" by a pledge from Governor Walker, and appealed that outsiders remain in their homes for the benefit of all.

A dog in a dress, John Fenton Pratt home, Studley, Sheridan County, Kansas
Date: Between 1890 and 1900
This is a novelty photograph of one of the Pratt family's dogs in a dress, posing on a chair in front of the John Fenton Pratt home, Studley, Sheridan County, Kansas. Cottonwood Ranch was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Adolph Duever farm near Bremen, Kansas
Creator: Hawkins, Omar F. (Omar Finlay), 1890-1967
Date: March 27, 1929
This is a view of people and dairy cattle on the Adolph Duever farm near Bremen, Kansas. A man and woman are each posed with cows, and a second woman is in the center of the photograph with a dog. Also visible are a milking machine, part of the barn, and dairy cows in a fenced corral to the right of the barn.

Adolph Roenigk
Date: Between 1932 and 1938
Photograph of Adolph Roenigk (1847-1938) of Lincoln County, Kansas. He wrote the book, Pioneer History of Kansas, in 1933.