Little House on the Prairie April 2011

Just South of Independence,Kansas one finds a sign inviting travels to turn for Little House on the Prairie.If you pass it,another sign tells you so and suggests to turn around. We traveled South of 75 through Burlington,Yates Center. The last time we traveled this direction, it was instinctly foggy, so we didnt see the Nuclear Power Plant, I was pleased to note we could see it this time. We considered stopping or at least seeing the lake , but didnt.

On to Little House on the Prairie,what you find is a collection of old post offices, One room school houses and the cabin. Laura Ingals Wilder wrote several books detailing the Prairie life of the 1870's and 1880's. The books and the TV series are iconic. Personally I would rather have the book as what Kansas is, or was than the Wizard of Oz, which I am over and most Kansans have either a love or hate relationship with. As the Summer of 2011 wore on, The Wizard of Oz was shown at the Capital Building as part of Movies on the Lawn series, I told a co worker, I'd have to be paid a lot of money to willingly see it. Little House on the Prairie, William Inge ,Buster Keaton yes, Wizard No !


Anyway, my question was how do we known the Cabin was there. Census work, The Ingals family is listed in the 1870 census in Montgomery County, the book talks about a hand dug well and this spot was the only one that fit the bill. So the log cabin is recreated as it was in the book.

The brounche warns you not to trust GPS and that is correct. The GPS will take you about a half mile down the road.


Traveling through Kansas, you run into a lot of Log Cabins and one room school houses,they all tend to be the same. This one has the rules of conduct that teachers had to live by. This Cabin because of the connection to this great book just feels different.

Kansas at 150

Kansas Statehood was 150 years ago yesterday. Due to budget problems the celebration officially was restrained. No Parades and fireworks that came with Kansas 100 in 1961. The Kansas State Historical Society Musuem charged $1.50 for entry and had bands,food and crafts. Upon entering we could see Dorothy,The Good Witch,scarecrow and the Lion mixing about with men in Civil War uniforms and couples in period pieces. I know similar events went on through out the State, at Fort Scott for example and else where.

The history of Kansas going like this . Coronando came here and found plain Indians,Lewis and Clark spent several days here. The Great Trails of Westward Expansion go through here, Kansas became a territory in 1854 and became known as Bleeding Kansas. Statehood occured and 3 and half months later the civil war began.Kansas had the highest death rate per capita of any state in that great conflict.

Until recently It had become a leader in Progressive politics. As I will talk about woman had the right to vote long before the Suffragettes ,in fact the first Female Mayor of any town was elected in Argonia,Kansas in 1887, 33 years before the Constitution got around to the issue.

Pictures of my two favorite items at the Musuem, the first is items discarded on the trails. It's not the chair and clock that interest me as much as it what they represent. They are dreams of those who crossed the country, as some point they had to dump them on the side of the road in order to continue, the destination itself was certainly a dream as well. I can only imagine the conversation about what item to discard. The State motto of "Ad astra per aspera" is on full display here.

The other is the exhibit about Susanna Salter who in 1887 was elected Mayor of Argonia,Kansas. The first woman to be the Mayor of a city.Kansas Progress thought more than 30 before Women got the right to vote.

As always for as much of Kansas is found in Topeka, you have to go outisde of Topeka to find Kansas. The town of Burlingame is about 20 miles South of Topeka and hosted a 2 day Kansas Day event with a Ham and Bean lunch at the old High School,now a Musuem. We found girls dressed in Pioneer clothes,Butter Makers,we missed the Cow Milking Contest, arts and crafts on display. We came to listen to a Harvey Girl lecture from a professor at K-State. It was really an enjoyable time.

Ending the day at Williamsburg, a town that maybe has 10 people on a good day, the old railroad station has been converted to the town library. Main street has about 2 buildings on each side of the street and a wonderful little BBQ Tavern Resturant called Guy and Mae's. It is one of the 8 wonders of Kansas-Cusine and offers some good BBQ.