A River runs under it -Part 2

The Levee was built as a response to the flood of 51. I was intrigued to see the water marker. It came close to being breeched in 93 but the levee held the water in.





View of South Topeka from bridge,Capital Dome peeking up to the right of the bridge tower.








I love these next two pictures,looking West,you can see the bend of the river and the Omnipresent grain elevators.

View of Downtown and the police impound yard.I always wondered where it was, and knock on wood, glad I have never had a need to know.Again Capital Dome is hiding from this angle.

A River runs under it

A couple of years ago a chunk of Topeka Blvd Bridge fell off. The Bridge was closed down, Congress and money from the Sales Tax was used for construction of a new bridge. It opened today,August 3. A ribbon cutting or something happened at 5. I wanted to go,but as yesterday entry suggested It's too hot. So I went out with a friend later in the evening. Tomorrow it will be opened for car traffic, but tonight belonged to bicycles,dog walking and the curious.
Getting a chance to walk over the bridge solved a problem for me, This is as close as I've ever been to the Kansas River. Topeka was founded by people ferrying wagons ,horses etc on the various trails. The first settlers of Topeka lived near the river. Today it's hard to get close to it. I spent some time driving around a couple of weeks ago thinking there might be a park or something on the North Side that I hadn't known about.

That trip did get just on the other side of the Levee near the Kansas Avenue Bridge, but not on the river itself.Looking on line I was able to find 2 boat ramps in Shawnee County. Now that I think about it,I was foiled looking for the Kansas River in Lecompton as well. There is a log cabin about a mile from the Territorial Capitol that sits on the river, a forest of tree obstructs the view.I know there a river park in Lawrence and further opportunities to get close to the Kansas River exist elsewhere. So Much to see, no independent means to take a year off and see it.

A train went by,which was cool.Note below the engine , that is the old railroad bridge,It didn't survive the 1951 Flood,yet remains in the river.







I like the bridge, you'll see the Limestone towers that support the clocks that are on both side.I know from reading about the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge and Golden Gate,similar opportunities to walk the bridge existed before it was open to traffic.



Nice way to spend a hot Sunday evening and something that doesn't happen that often.

Heat Wave

The Car is air conditioned, The Prairie is not. Travels and fun sites on hiatus.

Signatures

Kim Novak
Bill Holden


Arthur J Connell,Rosalind Russell

Kim Novak was here

To show you how random my travels are, I noticed a few weeks ago "Picnic" was on TCM.I recorded ,one because my mother talked about knowing extra, and William Inge author of the Play is from Independence. He also wrote "Bus Stop" another wonderful play that takes place in Kansas. So last Wednesday I got around to watching "Picnic" and I loved the look at small town Kansas on a hot Labor Day. I wondered where it was filmed, quickly found the answer 5 small towns in Kansas between Hutchinson (Hutch as we call it) and Salina:

Courtesy of Wikipedia:
Halstead's Riverside Park is where all the Labor Day picnic scenes (some of which are semi-documentary) were filmed. The park and many landmarks still existed at the time of the movie's fiftieth anniversary.
Hutchinson, with its huge grain elevators.
Nickerson is the location of the two adjacent houses where Madge (Kim Novak) and her family live (with "old Mrs. Potts" next door), also where Hal (William Holden) "jumps a freight" to go to Tulsa and where Madge boards a bus in the last scene.
Salina, where Hal jumps off a train in the opening scene and meets Allen (Cliff Robertson) at Allen's father's large house, also where Madge kisses Hal by the Salina River and where he escapes from the police by running under a waterfall.
Sterling, where the pre-picnic swim in the lake was filmed.

In my randomness I described to visit one of the film sites and Halstead seemed to be the best choice.

The Museum had a corner reserved for the movie and even has the DVD for sale in the gift shop. Their were two prizes of the collection, one is the swan that Kim Novak was on that sailed down the river when she was awarded Queen of Neewollah and a board that cast and crew members autographed. I'm giving the board it's own entry as the signatures may be hard to see.

Halstead Historical Society

The story on the train depot is it was in use until 1970 when the passenger trains stopped coming through town, It was in disrepair and threatened with being torn until it was discovered it was located 500 yards from a building on the National Historical Register and couldn't be torn down.Towns people got together and re stored the building.It's opened 3 hours a day on weekends and staffed by volunteers.

Yes we have more trains and more Harvey girls, this exhibit comes from a woman living in Halstead who sometimes shows up on Sunday to hang out. In fact I was asked if I wanted to speak with her. I didn't really know what to say and so I didn't ask for the volunteer to call her to see if she'd come by. I should have I suppose.

Halstead was the home of Adolph Rupp the legendary basketball coach of the Kentucky Wildcats,winner of 5 National Championship and really the start of the Kentucky Tradition. Kansas has an interesting Basketball history. The first coach of the University of Kansas was Dr James Naismith, the inventor of the game, he is buried in Lawrence. Another Basketball Powerhouse in University of North Carolina. Carolina had success before Dean Smith of Topeka showed up, but a lot more after he did. Ralph Miller,Gene Keady,and Lon Kruger all Kansans who have coached in College and Pros. Many,many others as well, Kansas has a proud Basketball tradition that it has exported through the country.

A 1910 horse drawn fire hoses. The Museum also features an exhibit on barb wire,artifacts from the local bank ,train stuff and stuff from old churches. I have to say this is one of the best little Museums I've been to. It's not everyday an offer comes along to talk to someone who donated stuff in one of the corners comes along.worth much more than the donation I put in the box. I loved the display of train spikes. Next why I came to Halstead .....

Halstead -The Biggest Little City in Kansas

There is a specific reason I went to Halstead, but you'll have to get to that later. What I didn't expect and this shows I am a city boy is the way grain elevators of these towns tower of the plains as sentinels. Halstead has 3, but the first I saw was in Pauline, I'd seen it before we have a couple.

To a weary traveler the Grain elevators are beacons of the town on the road, whether they be Walton,Newton,Moundridge,McPherson,Bridgeport (I think, from checking the map)Soloman,Abilene,Salina,Hesston and yes here in Halstead.

Halstead is a beautiful little town 1,873, several parks rustic farms houses, you should be able to see 1 of them in the picture to the left raising up over the levee and the road leading into town.

http://www.halsteadkansas.com/

Halstead sits on the bank of the Little Arkansas River (R- Kansas) not (R- Kan-saw) like the rest of the world pronounces it. If you want to grab a bit to eat, there is a local owned pizziria which I am noticing a lot of small towns have, a bar, or subway.Subways seem to be every where. I remember a college friend telling me of a re occurring dream of all that was left after a nuclear war was the golden arches and societies believe they were places of religious services. If he had the dream today I think it would be Subways. After dinner I visited the Halstead Historical Society in the old train depot.