Kansas Historical Society

08/30/2026

Don't forget the Pony Express Festival starts today! Join us for the celebration of the Pony Express riders and the historical trail. There will be food and activities for all ages! For more information, go to https://bit.ly/4gDvurY

08/29/2026

Fifty years ago, this prairie schooner made the journey to Philadelphia as a part of the 1976 Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage. Maned by Floyd Rumford, Bronc Rumford, Tom Rumford, and Roe Groom, the Kansas wagon was pulled by two black Percherons and two sorrel Belgians across 1,552 miles to Valley Forge to mark Independence Day. When the schooner's job had ended, it was presented to the Kansas State Historical Society where it was displayed at Hollenberg Pony Express Station State Historic Site. Now, the Bicentennial Wagon has been restored to the way it appeared in 1976 by Werner Wagon Works of Horton, and it is on display for Hollenberg's 30th annual Pony Express Festival

08/29/2026

Members of the National Soldier's Home fife and drum corps of Leavenworth are seen in this August 1914 photo taken in Salina. They were members of Grand Army of the Republic, Custer Post No. 6 in Leavenworth. The National Soldier's Home at Leavenworth was established in 1885 on the west bank of the Missouri River in Leavenworth County. Get a closer look at this photo at www.kansasmemory.gov/item/100505

08/28/2026

Did you know that Kansan Ray McIntire invented something we use in packaging? The Gardner native went to work for Dow Chemical Company after graduating from the University of Kansas in 1940. Due to rubber being in short supply during World War II, McIntire worked on developing a rubber-like substance that could be used as a flexible insulator. He accidentally invented foam polystyrene, more commonly known as Styrofoam. McIntire patented his invention in 1944. He is pictured here in 1988 with a Styrofoam Santa.

08/27/2026

The Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage was one of the most ambitious national projects to celebrate 200 years since the American Revolution. Originally built by Huntingburg Wagon Works in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the Kansas prairie schooner was one of 37 others, along with 18 Conestogas, that made the journey to Philadelphia . The schooners were made with locally sourced white oak and hickory and weighed 1,500 pounds. The Kansas Prairie Schooner was restored by Werner Wagon Works of Horton and will be on display at the Pony Express Festival at Hollenberg Pony Express Station State Historic Site on August 30th.

08/27/2026

This August 1913 photo shows the Melan Bridge over the Kansas River connecting north and south Topeka. Construction on the bridge began in 1896 and was completed in 1898. It was the largest Melan arch bridge in the world at the time. Although the bridge withstood two major floods, erosion over time caused the bridge to collapse on July 2, 1965. A new bridge, the Kansas Avenue Memorial Bridge, was completed in 1967. This photo was taken from www.kansasmemory.gov/item/212005

08/27/2026

The Old Greeley County Courthouse in Tribune will receive $94,982, and the Pospishil Building in Luray will receive $100,000.

MORE: https://www.ksn.com/news/state-regional/thousands-of-dollars-awarded-to-preserve-two-historic-kansas-buildings/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KSN_TV

08/26/2026

The 1976 Kansas Bicentennial Wagon that left from Holly, Colorado enroute to Philadelphia has been restored with the help of Friends of Hollenberg and the Kansas Historic Preservation Fund. Once this prairie schooner's journey had ended, it was displayed as a key part of the walking trail at Hollenberg Pony Express Station where it weathered over the years. As a part of the state's semiquincentennial projects, the wagon has been restored with the help of Werner Wagon Works of Horton. Come see the newly updated schooner at Hollenberg's 30th annual Pony Express Festival this Sunday!

08/26/2026

08/26/2026

Stories from the new gallery: Olive Beech, seen in this circa 1955 photo, became known as the "First Lady of Aviation." She co-founded Beech Aircraft Company with her husband Walter in 1932. After Walter passed away, Olive Beech took over the company. Under her leadership, sales tripled and the she received numerous awards and honors, including National Aeronautic Association's Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, the first for a woman. Find out more about this enterprising business woman in the Kansas Museum of History's new gallery. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday -Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed state holidays). View this photo at www.kansasmemory.gov/item/712