“I’m
from Kansas. It’s about as American as it gets.” Thus, in the movie Man of Steel, Superman tells an American
military man to back off so he can save the day. Clark Kent wears a University of Kansas
sweatshirt in the film. Such distinction may appear hokey, but Kansas does have
many Super features going for it. 
Throughout
Kansas, acres of awe-inspiring wind turbines stand testament to the wisdom of
the People of the South Wind, the Kansa Indians. Even though these giant blades appear to
rotate in slow motion, they in fact turn powerful turbines which create vast
amounts of electricity and help reduce the dependence of Kansans and their
neighbors on nonrenewable resources.
Not
only is Kansas squarely situated in the center of America’s wind tunnel (which
stretches from the Dakotas to Texas), but also the center of the contiguous United
States exists in Kansas—in the cozy small north central Kansas town of Lebanon.
The
culture and resources of the Kansa Indians made them natural resource
preservers. They lived in settled villages of cozy round earth lodges, the
original earth-sheltered homes, made from wooden frames covered with packed
earth. Only for hunting trips to the grasslands did the people use buffalo-hide
tipis as
temporary shelters.
To
the unaware flyover crowd on the East and West Coasts, Kansas may appear to be
a vast, flat prairie. In truth, the east side of the sate consists of forested rolling
hills intersected by rivers and streams. The largest urban centers grew and
remain here.
The
central Flint Hills support farmers, ranchers, and the towns which cater to
them. The Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve (http://www.nps.gov/tapr/index.htm) provides
visitors an awesome view of a piece of the natural grasslands and its flora and
fauna, a natural habitat which once covered 170 million acres of North America.
One can hike through waist high grass, visit historic houses and schools, eat
gourmet food in Cottonwood Falls and Strong City, or attend the Symphony in the
Flint Hills (http://www.symphonyintheflinthills.org/ ) in June when
the Kansas City Symphony orchestra totes its concert shell way out onto ranch
land in the middle of the Flint Hills and performs against a background of full
sky and stark beauty. 
Western
Kansas gradually transforms to semi-arid plains, utilized by modern ranchers. The state’s
cattle, corn, and wheat feed the nation and the world, and miles of hiking paths serve to let people realize what the
pioneers saw and felt on the many wagon trails towards the West. Swales made by
wagon wheels on the Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and Chisholm Trail, and
others can still be seen in some preserved areas.
Kansas towns and their rough
and ready old West residents have become the source of American legend, movie
themes, and television shows—Wyatt Earp, "Wild Bill" Hickok, Annie
Oakley, Bat Masterson, Carrie Nation, Dodge City and its Boot Hill, Fort Riley.
Now, however, industry and culture have replaced the Gunsmoke aura.
Urban centers such as Kansas City and its suburbs, Wichita, and Topeka enjoy
“everything up to date.”
Education in Kansas is top notch. Museums and artistic
endeavors abound. And although this state may appear on political maps as a
bright red patch, progressive firsts are associated with Kansans. A few of
them: The first woman mayor in the United States was Susan Madora Salter, elected
to office in a Kansas town in 1887. The graham cracker was named after the
Reverend Sylvester Graham (1794-1851) who strongly believed in eating whole
wheat flour products. Amelia Earhart, from Atchison, was the first woman
granted a pilot's license by the National Aeronautics Association and first
woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Kansas was admitted to the Union
in 1861, just before the Civil War, as a strong free state.
The world famous
fast-food chain of Pizza Hut restaurants opened its first store in Wichita.
Joyce Ann Brown writes
essays for local publications in the Kansas City area, and her about-to-be
launched first novels, two books of a cozy mystery series, are set in Kansas
City, Missouri and its Kansas suburbs. Her protagonist earns a living as a landlady
of rental properties, and when special tenants become involved with murder and
mayhem, Beth must react. The klutzy, reluctant sleuth pushes headlong into
dangerous clue-seeking situations, because like Superman, she cares
passionately about the people and places involved. Her unpredictable cat friend
(appropriately nicknamed Psycho Cat) figures prominently in the alternately
scary and amusing plots.
Visit Joyce Ann’s Extremely Interesting Writing Blog: http://retirementchoicescozymystery.wordpress.com
(all photos provided by author)
An extremely interesting blog! My husband went to college in Kansas and graduated KU at Lawrence. He loved the college and the people.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness! What a lot of history and culture you packed into the description of your state. Wonderful. My maternal grandfather was from Kansas City, but by the time I knew him, Kansas was little spoken of because they had traveled so much. I've often wondered what it would be like to actually see where his roots began. My son has traced much of our family trees and we had discussed going to Kansas. This is such wonderful information here.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I've driven or ridden across Kansas twice and enjoyed taking picture of the wind turbines and enjoying the countryside. On our second trip, the sky turned a funny color and there was a tornado only a few miles from us. GULP! I guess you could say I got a good dose of Kansas. lol Best of luck with the writing!
ReplyDeleteHi, Joyce Ann,
ReplyDeleteWhat a thoroughly interesting tour of Kansas! I must admit I've never been there, but I love the way you've written about it, and your pride in your state is obvious. The pictures are beautiful, too. Thank you.
Thank you all for your comments. If you drive across Kansas, be sure to make some stops along the way--it's a long way. The state capital building in Topeka has been renovated and is quite beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThere may be lots to see, but is there camping? That's my main criteria for adding a state to my list of places we must go to, if we ever get to retire!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, you did a wonderful job of touting the virtues of your state.
I was there once as a child. I'd love to go back, particularly for the Civil War history of the state.
ReplyDeleteI hope you all visit the state. Fiona, there are lots of camping spots in Kansas, public and private. My husband and I found a modern, nice RV park in Oakley, KS which rivaled any across the country.
ReplyDelete