January 29 was Kansas Day! I’ve lived in Kansas all my life and I treasure my home state. Though some would ask, what’s so special about Kansas? There is a lot in Kansas to see and visit. Frontier Days saw some of the first railroads built through Kansas and this drew cattle ranchers in southern states to drive their cattle up to sell and transport on railroads. Towns such as Dodge City, Abilene and Ellsworth became famous “cattle towns.” There were several frontier forts in Kansas such as Fort Scott, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Hays, Fort Larned and Fort Riley. All can be visited today.
Wichita is known for its Old Town that can be toured, and also for their airplane factory history. Today an airplane museum can be visited. Kansas is also famous for its farmland. For many years it was known as the wheat state. There are a lot of popular lakes in the state.
Besides its rich farmland, there are also other historical landscapes that include the rolling prairie grassland known as the Flint Hills. There are the great Monument Rocks near Oakley that are giant limestone rock hills. Cheyenne Bottoms, a wildlife area, is something to see near Great Bend. There is Mount Sunflower in western Kansas, known to be the highest point of the state. There are more than 60 waterfalls in Kansas, and the Big Well near Greensburg can be visited. The Geographic Center of the 48 states is located near Lebanon. The Salt Mines and the Cosmosphere can be visited in and near Hutchinson. There are many oil fields in Kansas.
Coronado Heights Castle draws visitors to the Lindsborg area. Emilia Earhart, the female airplane pilot,was born in Kansas and there is a museum in her honor at Atchinson. There is Pawnee Indian Museum located in Republic County. The largest Ball of Twine is located at Cawker City. The famous writer, Laura Ingalls Wilders, wrote about one of her family’s frontier homes located near Independence. The famous song “Home On The Range” was written in a cabin in Smith County, Kansas. Part of Route 66 came through Kansas and this route can be traveled on today. The Kansas Speedway races are held in Kansas City, and nearby are the stadiums of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. The National WWI Museum is also located in Kansas City. Abilene is home to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and Museum, Dodge City is home to the Boot Hill Museum, and Wamego is home to the Oz Museum.
I’ve not listed everything to visit in Kansas but I’m pretty proud of my home state. It was brought into the United States on January 29, 1861, right at the start of all the Civil War troubles. Happy Birthday, Kansas!
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