Travel Oracles 50 States: Kansas
As part of my summer series - Travel Oracles 50 States - I am revisiting each os the fifty American states as an overview on travel culture and history. Today: Kansas
Joined: On January 29, 1861, Kansas was admitted to the Union as the 34th state. Kansas committed regiments and soldiers to the Union cause during the civil war.
Original Indigenous Peoples: Kansas is home to Indigenous peoples of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Jiwere, Kaw/Kansa, Kickapoo, Kiowa, Ochethi Sakowin, Ogaxpa, Osage, Pawnee, Peoria, Sauk and Meskwwaki, and Wichita tribes,
First Settlers: The first European to arrive in Kansas was Spanish explorer Francisco de Coronado in 1541. Many years later, in 1682, Frenchman Robert Cavelier de Las Salle arrived and claimed control of the land for France. But by the end of the 1800s, German-speaking people formed the largest group of new immigrants to Kansas
History moment: Its path to statehood was long and bloody: After the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 opened the two territories to settlement and allowed the new settlers to determine whether the states would be admitted to the union as “free” or ”slave,” North and South competed to send the most settlers into the region. This quickly led to violence, and the territory became known as “Bleeding Kansas.” In 1954, it became a battleground of the civil rights movement when the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case was decided in the Supreme Court, ending the doctrine of “separate but equal” in public schools.
Known for: Dorthy’s home in the Wizard of Oz, Tornadoes, Its vast prairies, rolling hills, and natural beauty. The state has one of the most miles of river than any other state in the Great Plains and is home to the world's largest contiguous tallgrass prairie. Its part of America’s agricultural heartland and is home to the major U.S. military installation Fort Leavenworth
Places: Wichita, Topeka
Movie setting: Wizard of Oz, Superman, In cold Blood
Musicians from: Charle Parker, Kansas, Melissa Etheridge, Martine Mcbride, Janelle Monae
Surprising facts: Kansas has so many tornadoes, it has the nickname 'Tornado Alley'
If you are a traveler who appreciates the simplicity of wide-open spaces, Native American history, or Wild West heritage, you will find much to enjoy in Kansas. The state was home to legendary lawmen like Wyatt Earp and James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, who, along with others, policed once-rowdy railroad and cattle towns like Abilene, Dodge City, and Ellsworth. More infamous Wild West residents include the Dalton Gang, who fatally sought to rob two banks simultaneously in their hometown of Coffeyville. Perhaps Kansas's greatest claim to fame, however, is serving as home to Dorothy, Toto, and the great twister in the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Dorothy and Toto. Let’s travel to Kansas
My Experience: I have not seen much, as I drove though part of it and will likely get another opportunity in the near future.
Wichita: As Kansas’s largest city (although small enough to be manageable, with a population just under 400,000), Wichita holds the title as the state’s cultural epicenter. It is home to an orchestra, botanical gardens, a science and discovery center, living-history museum, and the Wichita Art Museum. The Old Town area is flush with restaurants, hotels, and shops tucked into former warehouses.
Nature: There are currently five National Park Service Site in Kansas and five associated sites. This included Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Fort Scott National Historic Site, LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL, Nicodemus National Historic Site., Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Ranking in US: Per the annual US News report, Indiana is currently ranked #26 out of 50 in 2021, down from #22 in 2019.