Kansas Day Celebrations

Celebrate Kansas Day at Kansas Museum of History -

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesday, January 29. Explore the connection between Kansas and the President of the United States with the special exhibit Hail to the Chief and see Bill Nicks portray President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Dennis Rogers will demonstrate the American Indian flute and the traditional hoop dance. Hands-on standards based activities will be available, and demonstrations of historic crafts and skills will be presented. Admission is free. Kansas Museum of History is located at 6425 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka. Volunteers are needed to make the day a success.

High school students are welcome. Contact Lois Herr at 785-272-8681, ext. 431, or [email protected].

Kansas Day at Grinter Place -

History comes to life in Citizens of Our Cemetery: Women of the Mission, presented at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 26. Written by Fairway resident Don Carlton, the play examines the lives and responsibilities of women at Shawnee Indian Mission in 1850. Admission is free. Grinter Place State Historic Site is located at 1420 S 78th Street, Kansas City.

Kansas Day Celebration at Shawnee Indian Mission -

History comes to life in Citizens of Our Cemetery: Women of the Mission, presented at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 26. Written by Fairway resident and volunteer Don Carlton, the play examines the lives and responsibilities of women at Shawnee Indian Mission in 1850. A reception will be held after the performance. Admission is free. Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site is located at 3403 W 53rd Street, Fairway. 

Kansas Day Commemoration at Kaw Mission: The Civil War in Morris County -

Join us 2 p.m. Saturday, January 26 for a viewing of the Sunflower Journeys program Civil War in Kansas and hear local historian Kenneth McClintock speak about the war in Morris County. Highlights include the 8th Kansas Infantry, the 9th Kansas Cavalry, the Morris County Rangers, and Dick Yeager, who led a group of Quantrill's Raiders into the county. Kaw Mission State Historic Site is located at 500 N. Mission Street, Council Grove.   

Bleeding Kansas Series at Constitution Hall -

This popular series returns in January with a different featured speaker each week. Reenactors perform dramatic interpretations of the violent conflict over the slavery issue in Kansas Territory 1854 through 1861. The program will be presented 2 p.m. Sundays, January 27 and February 3, 10, 17, and 24. Constitution Hall State Historic Site is located at 319 Elmore, Lecompton.

Kansas Day Celebration at Red Rocks - 

Join us 2 - 4 p.m. Sunday, January 27 for Kansas Day bingo and a

scavenger hunt. Decorate cookies and help make a quilt. Refreshments provided. Activities are free. The house will be open for tours at the regular admission fee. This event is co-sponsored by the Kansas Historical Society and Emporia State University. Red Rocks State Historic Site is located at 927 Exchange Street, Emporia.

Kansas Day: Indian Homes of Kansas at Pawnee Indian Museum - Learn about the variety of homes the Indians built in Kansas 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday, January 29. Admission is free. Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site is located at 480 Pawnee Trail, near Republic.

A Piece of History: The Lincoln Conspirator Gallows -Discover how science led to proof that a crossbeam of the gallows on which the conspirators were executed in 1865 is the only confirmed piece of the gallows in existence. The crossbeam is in the collection of the Kansas Museum of History. Barry Cauchon, author of the upcoming book Inside the Walls: The Final Days of the Lincoln Conspirators, will present his research and findings related to this rare piece of U.S. history 7 p.m. Saturday, February 2 and 2 p.m. Sunday, February 3 at the Kansas Museum of History, 6425 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka.

Just for teachers - On Monday morning, February 4, Mr. Cauchon will share how he conducted his CSI-style research on the crossbeam with middle and high school students through a live stream set up by the Kansas State Department of Education. Watch for a special email on how your class can participate in this program. The information will also be posted on the KSDE and KSHS websites as soon as it is available.

Find Your County on Kansas Memory - 

With more than 290,000 images, Kansas Memory

is the largest online collection of primary sources documenting Kansas history. For material about counties, click on the name of the county on the

Kansas Memory home page. All the available items that have a connection to that county will appear, such as photographs, maps, government records, and letters or diaries of people who lived there.

Traveling Resource Trunks Bring Kansas Social Studies Topics to You! Created for teachers, youth group leaders, museums, libraries, and other Kansans, trunks provide a unique and educational way to share the rich heritage of Kansas with others. Four new trunks have recently been added.

Cowboys and Cattle Trails - seventh grade. Learn about life on a cattle drive and the young men who survived hours in a saddle and months on the dusty trail. Cowboy gear, folk songs, historic photographs, maps, and recipes walk students through the life of a 19th century cowboy.

Trading on the Santa Fe Trail - fourth grade. Explore the Santa Fe Trail through reproduction samples of the goods that traveled between the United States and Mexico in the 1800s. Furs, wool fleeces, woven goods, and metal items are included.

The Life of a Civil War Soldier - seventh and eighth grades. Students learn about the Civil War as they read primary sources and interpret history using high quality reproductions of a uniform and a soldier's personal belongings. Historic photos and recipes are included.

Uses of the Buffalo - second and seventh grades. Learn how the lives of the Plains Indians revolved around the buffalo and how their reliance on the animal extended beyond that of food. Examine items such as a buffalo bladder, parfleche, scapula, and sinew and learn how the Indians utilized each item.

Follow us on Facebook! The Kansas Historical Society hosts a Facebook page for the general interests in history, but we also feature pages for other programs within the agency. "Like" us on the following Facebook pages: Kansas Historical Society, Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains, Kansas Museum of History, Kansas Historical Society for Teachers, and the state historic sites Constitution Hall, First Territorial Capitol, Fort Hays, Goodnow House, Grinter Place, Hollenberg Pony Express Station, John Brown Museum, Kaw Mission, Mine Creek Battlefield, Pawnee Indian Museum, Shawnee Indian Mission, and Red Rocks.

Join the Kansas Historical Foundation

Strengthen your connection to Kansas history by becoming a member of the Kansas Historical Foundation, the non-profit organization that supports the programs of the Kansas Historical Society. Membership benefits include free admission to the Kansas Museum of History and our 16 state historic sites, discounts in the Museum Store, and subscriptions to two quarterly publications. Individual memberships start at just $40 per year. Join today!