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Title | Creator | Date Made Visible | None

Kansas State Seal

Cultural Heritage and Arts Center

The State Seal of Kansas. The Seal of Kansas and the state motto, Ad astra per aspera (to the stars through difficulties), were adopted through a joint resolution during the first Kansas legislative session on May 25, 1861.

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Kansas territorial census, 1855. District 17

Johnson, Alex S.

This census was taken in order to determine eligible voters for elections to be held as proclaimed by Governor Andrew Reeder on November 10, 1854. The categories for information in the census were name, occupation, age, male, female, emigrated from, native of United States, naturalized citizen, declarant (intention to become a citizen), Negro, slave, and voter. Only white males over 21 were eligible to vote. The districts used for the census were the same as the election districts. A statistical summary of the census follows the enumeration pages. For District 17, the place of election was the house of B. F. Robinson. The boundaries of each district were described in Governor Reeder's proclamation and it is difficult to determine what counties were in each district. The 17th Dist was organized by a supplemental proclamation of the governor, Nov. 25, 1854. He declared that it seemed expedient that the first district should be divided to form the 17th district, which was located in the east part of the present Johnson county, quoted as to bounds as follows, (from the ex minutes, 1854, p. 24.) "beginning at the mouth of the Kansas river; thence up said river to the mouth of Cedar creek; thence up said creek to the Santa Fe Road; thence by said road and the Missouri State Line to the place of beginning."

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Jesse Chisholm

A photograph of Jesse Chisholm, an Indian trader, guide and interpreter. He is best known for being the namesake to the Chisholm Trail, which Texas ranchers used to drive their cattle into Kansas and then ship by rail to eastern markets.

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James R. Mead to his father

Mead, James R. (James Richard), b. 1836

In this letter, James Mead writes from Tecumseh, Kansas Territory, to his father about his efforts to secure a claim. He includes information about the people of the territory, the beautiful vegetation, and the flourishing towns. Mead also writes of the immense amount of traffic along the Santa Fe Trail and of the roads to Lecompton and Topeka, which he declares are "the best roads I ever saw anywhere." In addition, he describes the buildings of Burlingame, Kansas Territory, and the make up of the community. At the end of the letter, he mentions the new constitution, which "is all Free State." These typed copies of the James R. Mead's letters were donated to the Kansas State Historical Society by Mr. Mead's family in 1940 when the originals were still owned by the family. The originals are now held by Wichita State University.

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Fort Lyon and Fort Union

Riddle, J. R.

These are views of soldiers and buildings at Fort Lyon, Colorado, and Fort Union, New Mexico. Fort Lyon was active from 1868 through 1888. It was laid out as a typical 19th-century western military fort possessing a central parade ground surrounded by officers' row in the north, company quarters on the east and west, and the headquarters building to the south. Fort Union was established in 1851 as the guardian of the Santa Fe Trail. During it's forty-year history, three different forts were constructed close together. The third Fort Union was the largest in the American Southwest and functioned as a military garrison, territorial arsenal, and military supply depot for the southwest.

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Crossing the Plains, the journal of Harriett Bidwell Shaw

Shaw, Harriet Bidwell

Harriett Bidwell Shaw started a journal in September 18,1851, when she and her husband, Reverend James Milton Shaw traveled in a wagon train via the Santa Fe Trail to New Mexico. Harriett was the only woman to accompany the wagon train. She documented their daily activities, the weather conditions, hardships on the trail, encounters with Indians, and buffalo hunting. When the Shaws passed through Kansas they stayed at Shawnee Baptist Mission, Council Grove, and Pawnee Rock and stopped near Fort Mackey on the Arkansas river. They reached Santa Fe on November 14, 1851, where the journal ends. The Shaws eventually went to Albuquerque and then Socorro to establish Baptist missions among the Spanish people. In sum, Shaws journal presents a remarkable picture of the difficulties and rewards of travel to the American West prior to the American Civil War.

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Abstract of journals from the 1845 Kearny Expedition

This excerpt from the congressional report of the Secretary of War includes the abstracts of two journals, one by Lieutenant William B. Franklin, a topographical engineer, and another by Lieutenant H.S. Turner of the 1st dragoons stationed at Fort Leavenworth. Under the command of Stephen Kearny, the 1st dragoons and their accompanying engineers left Fort Leavenworth on a military march, heading northwest on what would become the Oregon Trail, down along the Rocky Mountains to Mexican territory, and back up via the Santa Fe Trail. This march was intended as a display of the United States? military power to both native tribes and the British government (which at this time was exerting its authority over Oregon Territory). For the most part this abstract details their route, but it does include a transcription of a conversation between Kearny and a Sioux chief named Bull Tail.

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Pony Express

Photograph of a drawing showing a Pony Express station and riders.

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Pony Express

Photo of a painting of an Overland Pony Express rider passing men installing poles in the ground, unidentified location. The poles may support telegraph wires. Photographed by Savage of Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, from a painting by George M. Ottinger.

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A local history of Jerome Township, Gove County, Kansas

Baker, Fred

This is a local history of Jerome Township, Gove County, Kansas, as recollected by Fred Baker, Gove City, Kansas. Baker wrote this sketch and submitted it in March 1918 to the Golden Belt Educational Association at Hays, Kansas, and was awarded a prize. Also included is a letter from Judge J.C. Ruppenthal, Russell, Kansas, to William Connelly, Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas, who received the sketch from Baker and wished for it to be donated into the Society's holdings.

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