February/March 2001
(Volume 4, Number 4)

Remember the last time you took a vacation? Before you left, you and your family may have spent many hours planning where you were going, what you would see, where you would stay, preparing clothes for the journey, and packing treats to eat on the way.

In the 1800s, many people had dreams of moving west. The land available for settlement was in the Pacific Northwest. John C. Fremont, a soldier, explorer and politician helped map this area and wrote glowing reports about food, cheap farm land and many opportunities for a better life.

Have you ever thought what it would be like to travel on the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon? If you have, you are not alone. This historical adventure is one many people today want to experience. The Kansa Rut Nuts, a chapter of the Oregon-California Trail Association (OCTA), is filled with just those type of people.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a city rich in history. Before it became a city in the United States, Santa Fe was one of the northernmost cities in the colony of Mexico held by Spain. Just like America's 13 colonies that broke away from England, Mexico gained independence by winning a war against Spain.

On April 3, 1860, a young man on horseback left from a Pony Express stable in St. Joseph, Missouri. The leather saddlebags he carried with mail, called mochillas, were destined for Sacramento, California, more than 2,000 miles away. His mission was to travel about 75 miles as fast as he could ride then give the mailbag to the next rider.

In Kansas, wagon ruts were being replaced by iron rails by the 1860s. The Kansas Pacific Railway was the first to cross the state. Its route closely followed the Smoky Hill Trail used by emigrants. When this railroad reached Denver in 1870, it connected the city of Denver with Kansas City and St. Louis and, as far as Denver's population was concerned, with the world.

Lecompton was the only official capital of territorial Kansas. Six other towns claimed this title because governmental activities were held there.

Today, driving across the country is relatively easy and convenient. We have President Dwight Eisenhower, from Abilene to thank for the Interstate Highway System.

In This Issue:

Quiz Kaleidoscope

Where in Kansas Are You?

For Parents and Teachers

For Further Reading

Letters to the Editor

Visit History: The National Frontier Trail Center

A Kansan You Should Know: Black Kettle

Answers to Puzzles

Kaleidoscope Challenge

Be a Winner!

Coded Communications

You've Got Mail

Santa Fe Trail Word Search