Participants in the Kansas Veterans of WW II Oral History Project, sponsored by the Kansas State Legislature, remember their service in the European and Pacific Theaters during the Second World War. This podcast features the reminiscences of Captain William W. Seitz, of Allen, Kansas, a pilot in the Army Air Core who flew missions out of North Africa and Victor A. McAtee, of Lyons, Kansas, who along with some 30,000 US Marines, aided in the capture of Iwo Jima.

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In the spring of 1915, fifteen year old Harry Fine graduated from the Princeton Preparatory School in Princeton, New Jersey. That fall, he headed west to spend a year as a working cowboy in Maple Hill, Kansas. Harry's father, founder and headmaster of the Princeton Preparatory School, thought Harry could use some "real-life" experience before he continued his studies. Before he left home, Harry promised his parents he would write every week with an account of his adventures. His parents saved his letters, dated between October 1915 and June 1916. They give an interesting and colorful picture of cowboy life and growing up in early 20th century Kansas.

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This podcast features two stories recorded by visitors to the Forces of Nature exhibit, currently on display at the Kansas Museum of History through January 9th, 2009. In the first segment, farmer and author Thomas Holmquist describes a 2007 flood on his farm in Saline County near Smolan. The second recording is by Holmquist's wife, Marlysue Esping-Holmquist. She describes the history of their farm and how it was obtained through an allotment system in 1868 by her ancestors, who didn't realize it lay in the flood plain near Dry Creek. These recordings are available on the Historical Society's website for primary sources, Kansas Memory, at www.kansasmemory.org.

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The death penalty has always been controversial in Kansas. Executions were first halted in 1872, after the legislature passed a law requiring the governor to sign off on all execution orders. Capital punishment has continued to stir controversy, not only in the political arena, but in the hearts and minds of Kansans.

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Since long before Euro-American settlement, strong winds have been a constant feature of the central plains region and the area now known as Kansas. The name Kansas was borrowed from the Kanza Indians who called themselves ?the people of the south wind.? This podcast features three stories about Kansas tornadoes recorded by visitors to the Forces of Nature exhibit at the Kansas Museum of History. These stories are also available on the Historical Society?s website for primary sources, Kansas Memory, at http://www.kansasmemory.org.

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Martha Farnsworth was a prolific diary writer, recording her daily experiences from 1882 through 1922 with only minor gaps. This podcast features entries from Martha's diary that describe her second marriage to another postman named Fred Farnsworth. Because of the unhappiness of Martha's first marriage, Martha is anxious about remarrying. She is very candid about her feelings but she seems to have gained contentment in taking care of Fred and his father. A number of entries describe daily life including the annual summer ritual of canning fruits and vegetables.

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Martha Farnsworth was a prolific diary writer, recording her daily experiences from 1882 through 1922 with only minor gaps. This podcast features entries from Martha's diary that describe her courtship and first marriage to John W. Shaw, a post man in Topeka, Kansas. In these entries, Martha is in her early twenties and describes her involvement with several boyfriends, including breaking off an engagement with one of them. She is very candid about her feelings and many of her diary entries are very emotional. At this point in time, it is difficult to determine if these accounts are her actual feelings, the highs and lows of young women, or if she is being flirtatious and melodramatic, which might have been part of the expected standards of courtship and marriage in the late Victorian era.

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Martha Farnsworth was a prolific diary writer, recording her daily experiences from 1882 through 1922 with only minor gaps. Martha , with some assistance from her second husband Fred taught a Sunday School class of boys at the first Christian Church in Topeka. Martha taught the same boys year in and year out and these boys became their family. Martha recorded the impact of World War I on her life and on these young men, a number of whom served in WWI. This podcast will feature entries from Martha's diaries for 1917 and 1918 that record the activities of her "boys" serving in the military "over there", activities on the home front, and Martha's emotions about the this war.

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In the mid 1870s, settlers trying to establish homes and farms in Kansas had to deal with grasshopper invasions that would destroy crops. This pod cast will feature excerpts from a reminiscence that provides a word picture of an invasions in 1874 and from a diary that contains numerous references to these insects in May of 1875.

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After the treaty of 1825, the Shawnee Indians were removed from Ohio to the Indian Territory west of Missouri. In response, three Christian missions were built in the vicinity of the Westport Landing on the Missouri River. The records from these missions are some of the earliest manuscripts in the Kansas Historical Society collections.

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Children's lives have changed dramatically in America in the last hundred years. Today we take it for granted that children will attend public school and not work full-time, but in the early 1900's, laws regulating child labor were still evolving. Hear what Kansas parents and business owners had to say about these laws when they first took effect.

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In 1872, Henry Raymond arrived in Dodge City, Kansas, to join his brother Theodore and friends to hunt buffalo to make money. The friends happened to be the Masterson brothers--Bat, Jim, and Ed--who all later became lawmen in the Dodge City area. This podcast is based on Henry Raymond's diary that provides short daily entires about the lives of these young men on the western frontier.

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In January 1886 a fierce blizzard struck south central Kansas. Over 200 people were stranded in Kinsley, Kanasas, population 600+. Snowbound for almost a week, the passengers in cooperation with the two local newspapers, the Kinsley Graphic and the Kinsley Mercury, published a one issue newspaper titled the B-B-Blizzard on January 23, 1886. This podcast contains excerpts from that newspaper including humorous descriptions of the plight of the passengers but also a detailed account of the efforts of the people of Kinsley to enterain their inadvertent guests.

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From 1991 to 1996 the Kansas Historical Society participated in a grant project that funded eighty oral interviews with people involved in or affected by U.S. school desegregation cases that culminated in the U. S. Supreme Court case, Brown versus Board of Education Topeka. This podcast features excerpts from an interview with Christina Jackson, who grew up in Topeka, Kansas and raised her children there. She speaks candidly of her experiences going to a segregated school and her children's adjustment to desegration after the Brown decision.

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From 1991 to 1996 the Kansas Historical Society participated in a grant project that funded eighty oral interviews with people involved in or affected by U.S. school desegregation cases that culminated in Brown versus Board of Education. These interviews give us an invaluable record of the people who were involved, the events leading up to the 1954 decision, the people involved and the long-term impact.

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From 1991 to 1996 the Kansas Historical Society participated in a grant project that funded eighty oral interviews with people involved in or affected by U.S. school desegregation cases that culminated in the U. S. Supreme Court case, Brown versus Board of Education Topeka. This podcast features excerpts from interviews with former Assistant Attorney General and Topeka School Board member, Fred Rausch, and NAACP Executive Board member, Charles Baston.

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By the late 1800's the wild buffalo was nearly extinct. Listen to the stories of Harriet Bidwell, who witnessed a buffalo hunt while traveling on the Santa Fe Trail; and Henry Raymond, who hunted the shaggy beasts when massive herds still roamed the Great Plains.

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No collection of state records can create as varied a snapshot of an era as the correspondence the governor receives. Constituents write about any current topic that they believe needs the governor's attention. These letters become part of the permanent collections at the Kansas Library and State Archives. Years later, the history of Kansas comes alive again through their words.

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Harry Colmery, a Topekan, is credited with writing the initial draft of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the GI Bill of Rights. He was part of a committee formed by the national American Legion to secure benefits for those men and women who served in World War II. This pod cast features Colmery's testimony to Congress about what the United States owed to the men and women who had fought for the freedom and liberty of their country. Many historians credit the GI Bill with the rise of a college-educated middle class and with the increase in home ownership among U.S. citizens.

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Harriet Adams wrote about her memories of the Christmas when she was seven years old. This story conveys her anticipation of this holiday in a delightful way. She outlines the families various traditions through her childhood eyes including the family Christmas tree, the reading of "Twas the night before Christmas," and her concern that Santa could not get down their chimney. This reminiscence is part of the Lilla Day Monroe Collection of Pioneer Stories.

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Immigrants flocked to Kansas in the 1870s in response to the opening of vast tracts of land for white settlement. Their excitement was fueled in no small part by brochures the railroads were distributing, claiming the state had the "best and cheapest farming and grazing lands in America"; and touting Kansas as "the garden of the West."; Listen and marvel at the words these promoters used to lure settlers to the midwest!

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Dwight D. Eisenhower--a sailor??? In 1910, Dwight D. Eisenhower requested an appointment to West Point or the naval academy from his U. S. Senator Joseph Bristow of Salina, Kansas. This podcast features the letters he wrote to Senator Bristow and allows the listener to speculate on how the course of history may have been changed if Eisenhower--the future Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force and 34th President of the United States--had served in the U. S. Navy rather than the U. S. Army. The text for this podcast was written by Jerry Veatch, KSHS volunteer.

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In many ways, Elam Bartholomew was a typical Kansas settler as he encountered most of the challenges facing those settling on the Great Plains. He is an extraordinary Kansan because he recorded his life's events for 60 years in his daily diaries. He settled in Kansas in 1874. He returned to Illinois to marry and returned to Rooks County, Kansas, with his new wife Rachel in 1876. This podcast is based on excerpts from the diary for 1877 and 1878. It details his farming activities and those of his neighbors, with whom he traded work. It includes his comments on the birth of his first child, a land dispute among neighbors, organizing literary societies and a church, fighting prairie fires, and reports of an Indian raid. Though not documented in the diary, Bartholomew is also extraordinary because he was nationally known as a naturalist who studied fungi that grew on grain products. He is credited with identifying several hundred new species.

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Before statehood, Kansas was part of the original "Indian Territory" located west of the Mississippi River. This land was intended to be the permanent home for Indian tribes that were removed from the eastern United States to open land for white settlements. Hear accounts of what happened from the correspondence of William Clark, the U. S. Superintendent of Indian Affairs in St. Louis, from 1807 up to his death in 1838.

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As the citizens of Territorial Kansas were writing constitutions that would determine whether or not slavery was allowed in Kansas, they were also debating the issues of voting rights for blacks (in the versions that excluded slavery) and women. This debate was occurring across the nation among abolitionists and supporters of the woman's suffrage movement. This podcast features documents that address the arguments in favor of allowing most adults to vote in elections. The preamble to the constitution of the Moneka Woman's Rights association lists the rights women did not have. A pamphlet by several prominent Kansans during the 1867 suffrage campaing outlines arguments in favor of votes for women and blacks. The final document reports the results of women voting in municipal elections for the first time in 1887.

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After the Civil War, freed slaves in the South faced an uncertain future. Economically destitute, they struggled to establish schools and buy their own land. The establishment of the sharecropping system, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and the entrenchment of segregation made their chances for success remote. In 1877, when Reconstruction ended, and federal troops withdrew,Black families began to leave the South by the thousands, looking for a better future. They were called Exodusters. Excerpts from letters written in 1879 help tell the story of the Exodusters journey to Kansas.

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The Howard Committee was established by the U.S. congress to investigate the widespread claims of voting fraud in Kansas Territory. Over 1300 pages of testimony was recorded concerning fraud and violenct by both pro- and anti-slavery supporters. This podcast includes excerpts from this testimony which highlight some of the violence and intimidation that occurred during the struggle over whether or not slavery would be legal in Kansas. The url for the entire report is http://www.archive.org/details/reportofspecialc00unitrich. The text for this podcast was written by Jerry Veatch, KSHS volunteer.

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When Samuel Reader moved to Kansas Territory in May of 1855, he continued chronicling his life and adventures during the "Border Wars". He was a self-trained artist and included illustrations and watercolor paintings in his journal. Reader joined General James Lane militia and participated in the Battle of Indianola in September, 1856. His journal and story provides a unique look at the violence that erupted along the Missouri and Kansas border preceding the Civil War.

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John Brown was an ardent anti slavery proponent. Because of his well know acts of violence including his raid on the government arsenal at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, he is often portrayed as a terrorist or madman. He was also a dedicated and compassionate family man. The excerpts used in this podcast show the private side of Brown. However, his personality was extremely complicated and a few letters can only serve to encourage the listener to learn more about this complex man. A letter from Lydia Maria Child indicates that she does not approve of his actions but she supports his cause. The text for this podcast was written by Jerry Veatch, KSHS volunteer.

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Andrew Horatio Reeder was appointed the first Governor of Kansas Territory in 1854. He started out supporting the pro-slavery government, but shifted to the opposition, and eventually had to flee the state in disguise. He remained involved in Kansas politics after he left the territory. He was also involved in land and town speculation as were a number of settlers.

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John James Ingalls came to Kansas Territory as a young man. He was raised in Massachusetts and trained as a lawyer. He first settled in Sumner, Atchison County. The letters home to his father in this podcast describe his growing success as a lawyer. He also becomes involved in territorial politics as part of the free state movement. His letters are articulate and humorous. Ingalls became a prominent Kansan, ultimately serving as one of the state's U.S. Senators. The text for this podcast was written by Jerry Veatch, KSHS volunteer. Eng/Musical clips featured in this podcast are performed by: The Free Staters (http://www.thefreestaters.com), "Lucy of the Tallgrass", Ho! For the Kansas Plains, Swinging Door Music, 1983, Curly Miller and Carole Anne Rose (http://theold78s.com), "Patteroller", "Stumptown Stomp", I Love This Girl, Richardson Tape and Sound, Paul and Win Grace (http://www.GraceFamilyMusic.com), "Red-Haired Boy-Cluck the Old Hen", "Red Wing-Cherokee Shuffle", Fiddle, Folk and Foolishness, Wellspring Music, 2005

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Joseph Trego was one of the earliest settlers in Sugar Mound, Kansas Territory, in Linn County, which was renamed Mound City, Kansas in 1859. Although he was a doctor in Illinois, he helped build and operate a sawmill and a gristmill there starting in 1857. He wrote these letters home to his wife and daughters. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters, (http://www.thefreestaters.com),"Lucy of the Tallgrass," "Sailor's Hornpipe" Ho! For the Kansas Plains, Swinging Door Music, 1983 and "Fifty Miles of Elbow Room" (Traditional with Ellie Grace), and "Ash Grove" with permission from Paul and Win Grace (http://www.GraceFamilyMusic.com), from their CD Fiddle, Folk and Foolishness, Wellspring Music, 2005

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John James Ingalls came to Kansas as a young man and became one its most prominent citizens. His letters home question his fortitude to endure the hardships he is experiencing, describe his efforts as a new lawyer, and contain a very entertaining description of Kansas mud.

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Ellen Goodnow and Maria Felt were early settlers sponsored by antislavery groups who wanted Kansas Territory to be admitted to the Union as a free state. Both of these women sent encouraging reports back east about their journeys to Kansas Territory and the new settlements there. Goodnow's husband Isaac was a co-founder of the town of Boston (later Manhattan), K. T. Goodnow quotes her husband as stating, "advise those young men who brought such doleful reports about Kansas, not to leave the sight of their father & mothers dwelling again." Maria Felt, who traveled to Lawrence, K. T. in 1858 to teach school, writes " it seems or would if it were a little cleaner, very much like New England."

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Samuel and Florella Adair came to Kansas Territory to support the efforts to prohibit slavery in Kansas. Both were natives of Hudson, Ohio, deeply committed abolitionists and graduates of Oberlin Collegiate Institute (now Oberlin College). In 1854, after working several years as a Congregational minister in Ohio and Michigan, the Adairs with their two young children, Charles and Emma, departed for Kansas Territory. The letters used in this podcast describe the family's trials and tribulations in their new home and Rev. Adair's efforts to organize churches. The text for this podcast was written by Jerry Veatch, KSHS volunteer. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.thefreestaters.com) and Paul and Win Grace (gracefamilymusic.com) with their permission.

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Julia Louisa Lovejoy, was the deeply religious wife of a Methodist Episcopal minister, and an ardent abolitionist. Julia's family traveled to Kansas Territory in 1855, under the auspices of the New England Emigrant Aid Company. Excerpts from the diary she kept on the journey give an unrelenting account of the hardships her family endured. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.thefreestaters.com) and Paul and Win Grace (gracefamilymusic.com)

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James Lane was one of the most influential, and controversial, characters in Kansas during the territorial period. Originally a politician in Indiana, he moved to Kansas in 1855 and joined the free state cause. He was involved with the extral legal free state government in Topeka and issued General Order No. 1 to recruit troops that were called Volunteers for the Protection of the Ballot Box. This podcast also features plans to free political prisoners held in Lecompton and a pro slavery newspaper's description of a speeck by Lane along with excerpts from that speech.. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.thefreestaters.com) and Curly Miller and Carole Anne Rose (http://theold78s.com/).

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Dr. Charles Robinson and his wife, Sarah, were both prominent figures in the battle to make Kansas a free state. But that doesn't mean they always saw eye-to-eye. Hear, in their own words, what it was like to be a "power couple" in the antislavery movement in Territorial Kansas. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.thefreestaters.com) and Curly Miller and Carole Anne Rose (http://theold78s.com/).

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Diaries provide glimpses of the routine and the unusual. Chestina Bowker Allen was 46 years old when she came to Kansas with her husband and 5 children to aid the free state cause. Her diary describes daily life and various events in Bleeding Kansas. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.thefreestaters.com) and Curly Miller and Carole Anne Rose (http://theold78s.com/).

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Pro slavery supporters gained control of the territorial government in Kansas but free state supporters claimed election fraud and set up their own legislature with their own officials. Lawrence, Kansas was viewed as the center of the illegal free state activities, though the legislature met in Topeka. On May 21st, 1856, Sheriff Samuel Jones, a proslavery supporter, entered the town of Lawrence to serve "writs" issued by the U. S. District Court at Lecompton. Jones had been directed to destroy the newspaper offices and the Eldridge House. However, widespread desctruction occurred, leaving the residents destitute. This podcast features a letter from G. W. Brown, who wrote to his mother anticipating an attack and his possible death, a description of the Sack of Lawrence by Oscar Learnard, an appeal for help from free state supporters in the East, and a letter E. S. Whitney to her uncle proclaiming her determination to support the free state cause. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.thefreestaters.com) and Curly Miller and Carole Anne Rose (http://theold78s.com/).

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Life in Kansas Territory was difficult and sometimes dangerous. However, settlers also held dances and started cultural institutions similar to those they left behind. Listen to invitations to social events and an excerpt from a publication by a literary society. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.thefreestaters.com); Dwight Lamb; J.P., Annadeene, and Danielle Fraley; and the Highwoods String Band.

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Some abolitionists in Kansas were committed to freeing slaves. Wanted posters were printed for escaped slave while others printed messages that urged homeowners to resist those searching for runaway slaves. The Underground Railroad was active in Kansas to help slaves gain their freedom. Listen to documents that illustrate these activities. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.freestaters.com) and Sweet Honey In The Rock (www.sweethoney.com).

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Slavery in Kansas Territory was a reality. Listen to the penalties imposed for encouraging slaves to escape or rebel and to a "bill of sale" for an African American woman. Hear Marcus Freeman's reminiscence of his life as a slave with his owner who was only three months older and with whom he grew up. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.thefreestaters.com) and Sweet Honey In The Rock (www.sweethoney.com).

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Kansas Territory was a dangerous place to live. Listen to the letters of Cyrus K. and Mary Holliday, John Brown, and Sene Campbell as they describe the real threats experienced by those involved in the events of Bleeding Kansas. Musical selections performed by The Free Staters (www.thefreestaters.com)

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