The Sequoyah Hotel at Syracuse ~ The Douglas County Courthouse ~ The Flint Hills ~ St. Mary's Church at Topeka ~ The Intercity Viaduct at Kansas City ~ The German Cathedral at Topeka ~ The Sisters of Bethany College at Topeka EVERY INDUSTRIAL OPPORTUNITY EVERY AGRICULTURAL OPPORTUNITY EVERY SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY ROOM FOR A MILLION!" The early part of this twentieth century, when most of these pictures were made, was a time of unlimited opportunity, of pride and optimism, of secure knowledge in the place of Kansas in setting the course and leading the way for our nation -- right at the front! Following the violent days of "Bleeding Kansas," the first decades of Kansas' statehood had been filled with success, energy, and innovation. William G. Cutler called it "The Era of Peace"; though there were setbacks in terms of financial crisis and natural disasters, Kansas kept moving purposefully and confidently onward. The pictures above hint at the foundations of Kansas: education, church, government, social activities, the state's extraordinary natural beauty, agriculture, business and transportation -- and, most of all, her people. To Kansans everywhere, we wish you all the best, and to Kansas herself we say, with rousing cheer and bright hope for the many good years to come, "Happy birthday!" (to the stars through difficulty) |
