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12 Days of Archives-Day 10
By: Lauren Gray, Head of ReferenceShare the gift of history this holiday season.Day 10: Playing Cards(Part of the 12 Days of Archives DIY Series)You’re never lonely with a deck of playing cards in your...
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12 Days of Archives-Day 11
By: Lauren Gray, Head of ReferenceShare the gift of history this holiday season.Day 11: Decorative Collages (for any space)(Part of the 12 Days of Archives DIY Series)If our Netflix guru Marie Kondo...
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12 Days of Archives-Day 12
By: Lauren Gray, Head of ReferenceShare the gift of history this holiday season.Day 12: Recipe Books(Part of the 12 Days of Archives DIY Series)As we conclude our 12 Days of Archives series, the staff...
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State Capitol Pediments
By: Ethan Anderson, Government Records ArchivistIf you took one of our behind-the scenes tours last year, the following items may look familiar. These four drawings, which we recently digitized, are...
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The Spring of His Discontent: William T. Sherman in Shawnee County
By: Ethan Anderson, Government Records ArchivistRecently, I was asked to weigh in on a question which instantly piqued my interest: did one of the country’s most famous Civil War generals, William...
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Happy Valentine's Day!
By: Lauren Gray, Head of ReferenceValentine’s Day is just around the corner (at least we don’t have to worry about getting restaurant reservations this year)! We put together some of our favorite love...
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Spring Into the Archives
By: Lauren Gray, Head of ReferenceFlowers blossoming, trees budding, grass sprouting in abundance (the persistent sound of lawnmowers, the air rife with pollen) – when spring comes to Kansas, the world...
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Preserving Memories
By: Lauren Gray, Head of ReferenceDid everyone spend 2020 spring cleaning? Our reference desk has received several questions lately about what to do with family heirlooms and documents, so if you’ve...
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Mary White
By: Sarah Parsons - Reference ArchivistBeing a child in a well-known family can be difficult in spite of the benefits it brings. As the daughter of famous Kansas newspaper editor and author William...
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Alice Nichols and The Nichols Journal
By: Katie Keckeisen, Collections Archivist"[Kansas] is so often referred to – or rather used – as a synonym for all that is mediocre in thought and scenery. I know the beauties of both because they...
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Kansas Olympians
By: Ethan Anderson, Government Records ArchivistWith the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in full swing, we decided to take a look at some past Kansans who have left their marks on the Olympic Games. By our...
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Femme Fatales of the Frontier
By: Ethan Anderson, Government Records ArchivistEvery once in a while, an item in the collection piques our interest and we can’t help but investigate further. Such was the case with the below...
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Fort Simple
By: Ethan Anderson, Government Records ArchivistFollowing Quantrill’s bloody raid on Lawrence in August 1863, many Kansans wondered if Border Ruffians would next target Topeka. The capital city was...
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Happy Thanksgiving!
By: Lauren Gray, Head of ReferenceAs we all know, Thanksgiving is a holiday to gather, share, and be thankful. The last year has given us few opportunities to gather, and even fewer to share, so we are...
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Christmas in the 1870s
A reminiscence of Harriet E. Adams, sister of Zu Adams, written June 20, 1928. Harriet Adams is recalling a memorable Christmas from her childhood in Kansas in the 1870s. (The first page of her typed...
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Antiquated and Amusing Advertisements
By: Ethan Anderson, Government Records ArchivistAs the Super Bowl recently reminded us, advertisers nowadays use a number of gimmicks to sell their products to consumers, from talking animals and...
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Some Bunny in Kansas Loves You
By: Lauren Gray-Head of ReferenceIn celebration of spring finally arriving, here is a short history of Rabbits on the range. Bunnies: children love to chase them, hawks love to hunt them, and farmers...
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Kansas: The Sunflower State
By: Lauren Gray, Head of ReferenceAsk anyone what their favorite road trip snack is, and sunflower seeds will likely appear somewhere between corn nuts and Doritos. While the spit-and-flick motion is...
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Kansas Travelogues
By: Lauren Gray, Head of ReferenceA picture may be worth a thousand words, but it often doesn’t tell the full story. In the days before cell phones and cameras, tourists would keep travelogues during...
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Political Campaign Slogans
By: Ethan Anderson, Government Records ArchivistPresident William Henry Harrison did not leave behind many long-lasting legacies when he died suddenly of pneumonia in 1841, except of course, a reminder...
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