The State of Kansas celebrated its sesquicentennial (that's a fancy word for "150th birthday") on January 29, 2011. Below is a collection of stories, photos and documents about Kansas history from the Lawrence Journal-World and the Wichita Eagle.
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Photo Gallery
Kansas Lottery paintings for the state's 150th birthday
Photo Gallery
Kansas history: 1891 - 1921
Photo Gallery
Kansas history: 1921 - 1941
Photo Gallery
Kansas history: 1941 - 1971
Map: Prelude to War
Special coverage
Battle of Black Jack
Stories and resources compiled for the 150th anniversary of the historic battle near Baldwin City where many say the Civil War began.
- Experts: In its next 150 years, Kansas to see monumental shifts
- December 2, 2011
- Kansas in the next 150 years will rely less on agriculture as the backbone fueling its economy and more on the ingenuity and resilience of its urban residents to thrive.
- Pony Express riders carry letters from Lecompton to Topeka in commemorative event
- October 10, 2011
- At this age, it’s OK to celebrate your milestones together.
- Little-known facts about Quantrill’s Raid
- August 19, 2011
- Local author Tom Mach unearths many details about Quantrill’s raid while doing research for his historical novels.
- Kansans produce, export wide variety of goods
- August 8, 2011
- For the 150 years Kansas has been a state, Kansans — with their own hands and know-how — have carved names for themselves.
- Auctioneers’ calls beckon Kansas bidders
- August 1, 2011
- On hot summer days, the cries of auctioneers can be heard in almost any corner of Kansas. In the midst of bawling cattle, clucking chickens, oinking pigs, estate and land sales, the chants and sing-songs go on.
- Exhibit detailing life of Lincoln on display at Lecompton’s Territorial Capital Museum
- July 6, 2011
- A traveling exhibit chronicling the life and times of Abraham Lincoln is on display in Lecompton, the site of a pivotal decision that helped clear the way for his election as president.
- Kansas was the cradle of cowboy culture
- July 4, 2011
- Sure, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado all have their mountains. Texas has its big cities and big-name ranches. But Kansas gave the Old West everything iconic that westerners hold dear.
- Buffalo helped shape culture of Kansas
- June 27, 2011
- Buffalo dot the prairie like a scene from Frederic Remington’s Old West. The 2,000-pound giants walk across ridges and clearings, noses to the ground, biting blades of grass, bellowing primordial sounds, deep and guttural. Dust rises with each step. Could this be what the first Kansans saw and heard?
- Kansas has been a stronghold of faith since its early days
- June 12, 2011
- Since its beginnings, Kansas has often been the center for fiery, passionate strongholds of religious faith and freedom. In Kansas’ 150 years as a state, the waves of its religious tides have rippled throughout the nation — from abolitionists and prohibitionists to anti-abortion demonstrators, each making headlines along the way.
- Legislators plan visit Friday to Lecompton to underscore community’s contribution to Kansas’ history
- 04:44 p.m., May 17, 2011 Updated 06:25 p.m.
- Lecompton will be the center of state government on Friday.
- More than $25,000 raised to help restore Kansas cabin
- May 16, 2011
- An effort to save the rural Kansas cabin where “Home on the Range” was written in 1872 is attracting attention and money.
- ‘Home on the Range’ cabin in need of repairs
- April 25, 2011
- The cabin in north-central Kansas where “Home on the Range” was written is badly in need of repairs, and Kansans are stepping up to try to save it.
- Kansas Historical Society looking for pre-statehood buildings
- April 18, 2011
- The Kansas Historical Society is looking for help from the public as the agency seeks to identify Kansas buildings constructed in 1861 and earlier.
- Civil War 150th anniversary inspires host of activities in Lawrence
- April 11, 2011
- When news broke of shots fired on Fort Sumter and the proclamation of war that followed, the residents of Lawrence greeted it with excitement — and as a call to action.
- Watkins Museum to feature discussion on Kansas during the Great Depression
- April 11, 2011
- The Watkins Community Museum of History will present a discussion by Lorraine Madway, “Struggle and Resilience: Kansas During the Great Depression,” at 2 p.m. April 23 in the Community Room at the museum.
- Exhibit showcases unique side of Kansas history
- April 11, 2011
- Kansas has been highlighting its 150th anniversary with plenty of exhibits detailing the long march from shallow Permian sea to agri-industrial state.
- Drive to save cabin on the range
- March 28, 2011
- Orin Friesen has launched a campaign to raise money for Brewster Higley’s cabin in Smith County where the frontier doctor wrote in 1872 what eventually became the Kansas state song.
- Santa Fe Trail leaves a lasting impression in Kansas
- March 20, 2011
- Steve Schmidt searched for years before finding that piece of land in Marion County with a ribbon of historic highway stretching across it. More than anything, he wanted to own a piece of history along the Santa Fe Trail.
- Cattle drive to mark Kansas’ 150th birthday
- March 18, 2011
- A long-abandoned cattle trail through central Kansas will be bustling once again late this summer.
- Art in Kansas has a long and varied history
- March 13, 2011
- Describing Kansas art in generalities is difficult, even for the most esteemed art historians in the state. It shares geography — and some would say a general spirit.
- Wild horses again find a home on the range
- March 13, 2011
- A thousand horses come pounding, thundering across the prairie, nostrils flared and snorting, manes and tails flying in the wind.
- Kansas’ 150th birthday concert won’t be televised
- 09:46 a.m., March 1, 2011 Updated 10:57 a.m.
- A concert to celebrate Kansas’ 150th birthday will go on, but Kansans won’t be able to see it on television.
- Sacred Places
- February 20, 2011
- There are various sacred places and worship sites scattered across the state.
- Goal: Bring treaties back to Kansas
- February 20, 2011
- Pickup trucks and cars daily whoosh past the intersection of 61st North and Seneca near the northern edge of Wichita.
- Native Americans: the first Kansans
- February 20, 2011
- Go anywhere in Kansas and the influence of the Native American tribes who lived on this land is there.
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