HISTORY & HERITAGE

We take pride in our state's history and heritage. From the native tribes who resided on this land for centuries to the innovative pioneers who lead the way and everything in between.

History & Heritage

Quantrill's Raid Survivor: Kate Doane Earle Riggs

  • 2 minutes

Kate Doane Earle Riggs Bushwhacker Beater Kate Doane Earle was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 29, 1836. As a young woman, she taught school before moving to Lawrence and marrying…

History & Heritage

Notorious: Rebels for a Good Cause

  • 7 minutes

Artwork: Torren Thomas In the late 1800s and early 1900s, criminals often broke the law on the Kansas plains, but some were rebels with a cause – and others were outlaws While struggling to…

History & Heritage

Notorious: The Outlaws

  • 9 minutes

Artwork: Torren Thomas In the late 1800s and early 1900s, criminals often broke the law on the Kansas plains, but some were rebels with a cause – and others were outlaws Manifest destiny, a term…

History & Heritage

High Plains Under the Sea

  • 6 minutes

Photo Credit: Meg Kumin An ancient sea and the life that thrived in it shaped the contour of the land we know Kansas is known for a few things—wheat, beef, sunflowers, sports—not so much water…

History & Heritage

Black History Trail of Geary County

  • 3 minutes

Jim Sands, President of the Black History Trail of Geary County / Photography by Nick Krug A county project to commemorate almost a dozen locations opens interconnected stories across the region In…

History & Heritage

Quindaro: A Great, Nearly Lost City of Free Peoples

  • 7 minutes

Photography by Andrea LaRayne Etzel & Carter Gaskins Quindaro was an abolitionist frontier city founded by Indigenous people and strengthened by those who escaped slavery—now, a new generation works…

From the Archives

From the Archives: Remembering John Steuart Curry

  • 5 minutes

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the winter of 1992 by Don Lambert. It's been lightly edited. A look back to 1992, when the Kansas Legislature took action to recognize one…

From the Archives

From the Archives: Birth of the Helicopter

  • 6 minutes

Editor’s Note This article was originally featured in the winter issue of 1983 by Joan L. Istas. You can still visit America’s first patented helicopter at the High Plains Museum in Goodland. "If…