Kansas

Local historian Seth Bate tells the story of the Walnut Valley Festival with reflections from staff, emcees, performers, campers, and characters from throughout its history.

The Festival was launched in 1972 when a guitar maker, a farmer, and a businessman built their own music festival from the ground up. It has made the small town of Winfield into an annual destination for acoustic musicians and music lovers from around the world and it has always been participatory, with the informal campsite pickin’ as much a part of the event as the stage shows and instrumental contests. The Walnut Valley Festival has always been proud of its deep-rooted traditions, but most of all, it is a community celebration.

Kansas has tales as extraordinary as its plains, although the stories behind the legends are sometimes lost to time.

Discover the history of the state’s world-class violinist, homemade airplane and alleged volcano. Iola’s Mad Bomber blew up the town’s saloons after a hangover. The bulletproof and most “extinctest” creature lurked in sinkholes outside Inman. Hunters in Stafford County learned to leave out enormous quantities of food for local hermit Pelican Pete. Join author Roger Ringer as he delves into these and other facts behind the myths of the Sunflower State.

Reno County was founded in 1871, and immediately settlers began arriving to break ground on a new frontier. Life here progressed as in most other Kansas counties until the discovery of salt in 1887. Three railroads competed to establish routes to bring the coal in for the manufacturing process and to ship the salt out. The growth of railroads and the central location of Reno County in Kansas created a hub of activity for the grain industry. Hutchinson became the first town founded in Reno County in 1872 when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad reached the banks of the Arkansas River. Shortly after, Hutchinson became the county seat and from then on has been at the center of the dramatic changes that have come to the county. Throughout the 20th century, fortunes and empires were built on wheat and salt. Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2021, Reno County continues to make a national impact with these two industries.

Ghost stories from Lawrence, Kansas have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! The haunted history of Lawrence comes to life--even when the main players are dead. Wander into Lawrence Cordley Elementary School, but keep your eye out for the ghost of little Tommy. Or stop into the Eldridge Hotel for a glimpse of guests who checked in but never checked out. Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.

Russell County, Kansas, is the heart of the heartland.   

Settled in 1871 by a colony of Volga Germans from Ripon, Wisconsin, the area that would become Russell County attracted homesteaders from as far away as Russia, Poland, and Germany. The county was a hub for farming, livestock, and eventually oil and was served by stagecoaches, the railroad, and the interstate highway system. The city of Russell, with a population that has never surpassed 7,000, was the childhood home of two US senators—Bob Dole and Arlen Specter. The county is best known as the home of Wilson Lake (renowned for the clarity of its water), for its buildings and fences made of native limestone, and for the hearty breed of people who continue to make this their home. 

Author Linda Crowder has worked with the Russell County Historical Society to select images that best tell the story of the county’s first 150 years. The city of Russell is home to half of the county’s population, but the communities of Milberger, Dorrance, Dubuque, Fairport, Paradise, Waldo, Luray, Lucas, Bunker Hill, and Gorham are an important part of the story. The history of Russell County is the history of the American prairie.