If ever a state epitomized the frontier, it is Kansas. It was the 19th century conduit for pioneers venturing into the largely undiscovered West as well as the launching pad for several of the country’s first aviators.
Many early trails were carved through Kansas with the Oregon and Santa Fe being the most notable. Over 250,000 people traveled to the Far West on the Oregon Trail through northeastern Kansas from the early 1840s into the 1860s. While it was primarily families that traveled the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail was used mainly by freighters and traders. It crossed the state diagonally from the northeastern to southwestern corners. Opened in 1821, the trail served as an important commerce and cultural exchange path between Santa Fe and the rest of the United States for more than 60 years.
Granted statehood in 1861, Kansas became synonymous with the Wild West as defined by Dodge City. Once called Hell of the Plains and the Wickedest Little City in America, Dodge City was named after Colonel Henry I. Dodge who commanded a fort five miles east. The frontier town was settled in 1872 and quickly acquired its infamous reputation. There was no local law enforcement and the military had no jurisdiction. Buffalo hunters, railroad workers, drifters and soldiers scrapped and fought, leading to shootings where men died with their boots on. That created a need for a local burial place - Boot Hill Cemetery. The cemetery is now a part of downtown Dodge City.
Today, Dodge City is a sorghum, wheat, and livestock marketing center. A popular tourist destination, Dodge City features a replica of Front Street with the Long Branch Saloon, and Boot Hill Cemetery. Dodge City is located in Ford County and lies southwest of Great Bend along U.S. Highway 50, on the banks of the Arkansas River.
From the Wild West to the Wild Blue Yonder, the Jayhawk State played a major role in the history of aviation. Familiar names like Cessna, Lear, and Beech made their mark in Kansas. Clyde Cessna grew up there and, in 1917, built four monoplanes at the Jones Six Plant in Wichita. In 1925 he became the first president of the Travel Air Manufacturing Company. He later formed the Cessna Aircraft Company and became its president and chief engineer in 1927.
Walter Beech’s aviation career began in 1914 when he and friend bought a damaged Curtiss biplane and repaired it. He learned how to pilot and after World War I, Beech left the Army and began flying for the Williams-Hill Airplane Company in Arkansas City. In 1921 he traveled to nearby Wichita and was hired to fly for the Wichita Laird Airplane Company. Beech eventually joined forces with Cessna to form Travel Air.
In the late 1950s, William P. Lear, Sr. envisioned a small private jet airplane for business travelers that would equal the performance of commercial jetliners. He moved from Switzerland to Wichita in 1962 and the following year occupied a new building at the Wichita Municipal Airport where he and a team of engineers built the first prototype. It eventually became the first small jet to reach the market in volume production.
The Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita recognizes the state’s contribution to aviation history. Opened in 1991, it collects, restores and displays aircraft and artifacts from the earliest days to the present as well as housing an extensive research library. The museum is the official site of the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame and the Governor’s Aviation Honors Awards, along with recognition of the Kansas Aviation Educator of the Year. The Kansas Aviation Museum is located at 3350 So. George Washington Boulevard. For further information, call (316) 683-9242.
Wichita, the state's largest city with a population of 330,000, affords visitors several other interesting sites. Among them:
Botanica, the Wichita Gardens, is situated in the Museums area of the River District. There are themed gardens: Butterfly Garden, Shakespeare Garden, Rose and Wildflower Garden and the new Sensory Garden. Summer and fall are the best seasons to visit Botanica’s Butterfly House and stroll among hundreds of free-flight butterflies.
The Mid-America All-Indian Center, located at 650 N. Seneca, showcases the rich heritage of native peoples. The Center is located at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers, on land where the Wichita tribe camped more than 100 years ago. On the grounds is The Keeper of the Plains, a 44-foot-tall Indian sculpture by Native American artist, Blackbear Bosin. In the shadow of this sculpture there is the Indian Artist Walk of Fame, a series of small gardens, each dedicated to a famous Native American artist. The Indian Center is part of the cultural triangle which includes the Wichita Art Museum and Old Cowtown Museum. It is just five minutes from downtown Wichita.
The Great Plains Nature Center is a new nature education facility located in northeast Wichita. It is one half mile south of the K-96 bypass at the northwest corner of the intersection of Woodlawn and 29th Street North.
The Kansas Wildlife Exhibit, located in Central Riverside Park at 700 Nims, contains over 25 different species of native mammals, reptiles and birds. Opened in 1988, it continues a long tradition of zoos at that location. There is no admission fee and it is open year-round.
Elsewhere in Kansas, attractions include:
The Constitution Hall State Historic Site gives visitors an opportunity to explore the volatile history of Kansas Territory. From within these walls the Lecompton Constitution fanned the flames that became the Civil War. Supporters of the constitution tried to use it to make Kansas a slave state. Their failure pushed the South toward withdrawing from the Union. Visitors can study wall exhibits with text and images, drawings, paintings, and photographs of pre Civil War history in Kansas. There are also display cases with artifacts such as a ballot box used for territorial elections. Constitution Hall offers guided tours of the exhibits and programming on various historical topics. The Historic Site is located at 319 Elmore Street in Lecompton. Exit I-70 at Lecompton interchange, travel west and turn north on Douglas County Road, then proceed three miles north to Lecompton. The site is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. For additional information, call 785-887-6520.
The First Territorial Capitol was the site where the so-called “bogus legislature” first met. The first Kansas territorial legislature briefly met at a simple warehouse in 1855 before moving to the Shawnee Methodist Mission. The very few antislavery delegates who survived the unfair election process were denied admission to the session, leaving the proslavery party in complete control. Located on three-and-a-half acres, First Territorial Capitol offers a nature trail along the Kansas River. Divided into two seven-eighth-mile loops, the trail follows through the wooded areas along the river offering glimpses of a variety of flora and fauna. The museum features exhibits on the Kansas territorial period and statehood. First Territorial Capitol offers guided tours by appointment of the site and programming on various historical topics. The site is located on Huebner Road north of the Fort Riley military reservation. It is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. For additional information, call 785-784-5535.
Fort Hays State Historic Site is the location of an important fort on the Kansas frontier. Stationed there were such well-known officers as Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, General Nelson Miles, General Philip Sheridan, and Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. Fort Hays also was the home of several well-known Indian wars regiments including black troopers better known as buffalo soldiers. Today, four historic buildings survive: the blockhouse, guardhouse, and two officers’ quarters. A modern visitor’s center, through displays and artifacts from the fort, helps interpret the significance of Fort Hays to the forty thousand visitors that the site draws each year. The fort offers guided tours, special events, and various programming on historic topics. The site is located on U.S. Highway 183 Alternate in Hays, Kansas. It is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday through Monday. The site is closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. For more information, call (785) 625-6812.
The John Brown State Historic Site is located in John Brown Memorial Park in Osawatomie, Kansas. The cabin was disassembled and moved to the John Brown Park in 1912. It stood unprotected until it was enclosed in a stone pavilion sixteen years later. Fire damaged the site in 1995 but it has been repaired. The site is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Special programming is held in conjunction with John Brown State Historic Site and tours of the park are available. For additional information, call (913) 755-4384.
Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site is where a large body of Union cavalry in 1864 attacked Confederate General Sterling Price’s supply train that was returning south after a long raid through Missouri and Kansas. In a short battle that was part of a day-long skirmish, the Confederate troops were thrown into disarray and a portion of the train was destroyed. Visitors can walk the battlefield guided by signage to indicate specific areas of interest. The tour denotes the types of flora and fauna associated with this region of the state. Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site is located two miles south and one mile west on K-52 at 20485 Kansas Hwy. 52 in Pleasanton. Trails may be walked sunrise to sunset. The visitor center is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. For additional information, call (913) 352-8890.
At the Native American Heritage Museum in Highland one can learn about those who lived in the area for a time. Present-day Kansas is home to four Indian reservations: the Iowa, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, and Sac and Fox. Early native nations, such as the Wichita, Kaw (Kansa), Osage, Pawnee, and Plains Apaches, have roots in early Plains culture. Interactive exhibits, children’s activities, and colorful artwork tell the story of family life, traditions that have been shared, and where these people live today. The museum illustrates Native American contributions such as beadwork, basketmaking, and ribbon work. The Native American Heritage Museum is three miles east of Highland at 1727 Elgin Rd. and is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Take K-120 north from U.S.-36, turn east on Mission Road. For additional information, call 785-442-3304.
The Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site consists of three buildings used by Methodist missionaries who operated a manual labor school for Native American children. Later, the government of Kansas Territory used the site as a capitol during the first two years of the territory’s existence. Today Shawnee Indian Mission offers exhibits on the missionaries and the children they taught as well as the residences where the students lived. Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site is located at 3403 West 53 Street in Fairway, near Kansas City, in Johnson County. It is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. For additional information, call 913-262-0867. |
|
