It was supposed to be for one year. I was living and working in Los Angeles, which I enjoyed, but my fiance was working on his master’s degree in Kansas. It was easier for me to find a new job and move (at least, in those days, it was easier to find a job) than [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Lyon County’
29 Jan
Columbia: A Kansas Ghost Town Story
“Do you think this might be it?” I asked my husband, Jim, as we drove down Road M. We were in search of the remnants of Columbia, a ghost town documented in Daniel C. Fitzgerald’s Ghost Towns of Kansas: 6. Other than the wooded area along the Cottonwood River, which we were about to cross, [...]
27 Oct
Autumn can last less than ten minutes in Kansas; enjoy it while you can
The most consistent thing about Kansas weather is that it’s inconsistent. Two days ago, East Central Kansas was a balmy 84 degrees; yesterday, Western Kansas was dusted with snow. But today–today was exactly right for autumn. Despite the drought, the leaves on the trees are showing their fall colors. If you’re in East Central Kansas, [...]
15 Sep
Lessons from a Kansas graveyard: What a 1903 outbreak of diphtheria can teach us today
In a shady corner of St. Mary’s Cemetery, a curious collection of little headstones, all of the same size and age, surround a large hooded monument. Unassuming and unadorned, the large family headstone does not prepare you for what you will read. This little cemetery just south of Hartford, Kansas is the final resting place [...]
29 Jan
Happy birthday, Kansas!
January 29 marks the beginning of Kansas’ sesquicentennial year, a milestone that will be celebrated all over the state. The State Library of Kansas is maintaining a fantastic blog of Kansas history and facts and other towns are using the occasion to remind Kansans of their state’s sometimes uncertain and sometimes violent beginnings. For me, [...]
