EXTRA CREDIT: Eisenhower Museum Visit

Being from Salina, the Dwight D. Eisenhower museum in Abilene was within close proximity to me and I decided to pay it a visit over Thanksgiving break. For those that don’t know (and I’m not sure there are any), Dwight D. Eisenhower is one of the most important Kansans ever. He helped defeat the Axis powers as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces and was later elected President of the United States.  Though he was not born in Abilene, he was raised there as a youth and his years spent in the midwest helped shape him into the great leader he would eventually become. He held great admiration for the history of Abilene and was fascinated by the “old days” of cowboys rambling through town. Eisenhower played sports while in school and was a star on his football and baseball teams.

The Eisenhower museum in Abilene provides a wealth of information for anyone that desires to learn more about this great Kansan. While there, I was able to tour Eisenhower’s home, which was an incredible experience. While walking through the house it was hard to imagine that one of the greatest leaders in our country’s history was raised in such a humble and unassuming dwelling. However, after thinking about it more, it seems as though that was the kind of man Eisenhower was. He was not flashy and aloof, and according to accounts of those that spent time around him, his modesty and kindness were infectious.

Eisenhower's childhood home

After visiting his childhood home, I went over to have a look at the museum portion of the complex, which is the only thing that actually cost money, albeit only eight dollars. In there, there were hundreds of items available for viewing with everything from momentos from Ike’s childhood to important military artifacts and documents and items from his time as president. It was a truly fascinating experience, and I especially enjoyed the military exhibits as I am very interested in World War II history.

Finally, I decided to have a look at the place of meditiation, which is a peacful area honoring Eisenhower’s life and his legacy as a great Kansan and American. In the chapel, visitors are able to pay respects to his  tomb, which was very unique and powerful. I think that it speaks volumes that Ike, after accomplishing so many things in his life and going to so many places, wanted to be buried in Abilene. All things considered, the visit to the Eisenhower Presidential Museum in Abilene is a must for anyone interested in Kansas history or Eisenhower and I really enjoyed the trip.

David Johnson

 

On the western plains of Kansas lies an oasis of not only black history but Americans history as well. Nicodemus lies about an hour north of I-70 and is the oldest all black community west of the Mississippi still around today.

The town of Nicodemus was founded in 1877 by W.R. Hill and W.H. Smith, along with five other black men. The town itself was founded as a beacon of hope from reconstruction in the south with many of its original settlers coming from Kentucky.

Early settlers to the town would have found dugout homes and free land as far as the eye could see. In the early days of the town they had hoped for the railroad to come to help the town grow even more, this however did not happen. The loss of the railway led to a decline in the town, this along with the Great Depression in the 1930’s caused the town to suffer population losses.

Present day Nicodemus could be missed if one blinked while driving by. It is a cute little town with a mix of scattered houses, tennis or basketball courts next to the Township hall, a park and five of the original buildings left standing from the town’s glory days.

The last Saturday in July the town has an Emancipation Celebration where many of the town’s former residents and relatives of residents (including former NFL players) come back and enjoy the town with a parade and a b-b-q.  In late July one is hard pressed to find a parking spot, however in present day Nicodemus it is not hard to find a one at all.

It is a great little piece of history and it is unfortunate more people do not know about the great resource we have in Kansas nor visit Nicodemus. The day I was there I was the only visitor and the log book had only one other couple signed in before me. The Park Ranger was very nice and was waiting for my visit to take her lunch break as I had called ahead to let her know I would be coming. I can only imagine what the first settlers though when they arrived after their long adventures from the south and how one truly had to be optimistic and have a great spirit in order to stay in the middle of nowhere and make a go at the land.

In 1976 Nicodemus was listed as a national Historic landmark district and in 1996 after years of lobbying Nicodemus was listed as a national historic site. It is run by the National Park Service and Township Hall is still a working town hall leased to the park service as their offices and museum center.

As long as a drive it is out to western Kansas and to Nicodemus I was hoping to find a great adventure like the first settlers to Nicodemus and I was afraid I would be disappointed. This was not the case though, I found it to be fun and extremely interesting and recommend a visit if one is in the area. Nicodemus has 24 residents now, of which 18 are from the original descendents.  

Carlos Mashek

Sources: Nicodemus pamphlet National Park Service

Historic Nicodemus Walking Tour Map and Guide

World War 1 Memorial in Kansas City: For Extra Credit

The World War I Memorial Museum is the best museum I have ever been to. The historical accuracy and overall realistic effect of the museum is surreal. Room after room is decorated with every stage of the long brutal war. There are areas in the museum that make you feel like you were a British soldier stuck in a trench. The museum even mentions Adolf Hitler’s role in the German army during World War I. Every aspect of the war was well covered. There are three sections of the museum that sticks out in my mind.

One is the interactive table that lets you design wartime propaganda for both sides of the conflict: the axis or the allies. A person can design a poster, change the background color, and then change the message of that poster.

Another area that sticks out is when you enter the main part of the museum you walk across a field of flowers. Each flower represents 1,000 men that died in battle, and there are 9,000 flowers. This part was very chilling considering how many flowers there were, and how many men they represented.

A third section of the museum that sticks out is throughout the museum there are a couple of theaters that tell the history of World War 1. These videos are very informative and are located throughout the appropriate sections of the war.

I would recommend the museum to everyone. This museum is very accurate, and does a great job of showing the entire war from both sides of the conflict. There are rifles, helmets, and tanks from both sides. The number one thing that I learned from the experience was how many countries were involved with the worldwide conflict. In one of the last buildings there is a room that contains all of the flags of the allied countries. The history buff will love this place as well as the common person.

by John Thornton

In Cold Blood

On November 15th 1959 the bodies of Hubert Clutter, his wife Bonnie Mae Fox and the couple’s two children Kenyon and Nancy were found brutally murdered inside their Holcomb, Kansas home. This Sunday November 15th will be the 50th anniversary of the family’s slayings. The murders captivated the nation at the time in part because of the small Kansas town feel to them as well as it took six weeks to finally catch the two who committed the crimes.
Dick Hickock and Perry Smith were eventually caught, tried and convicted of the murders, the motive behind the murders was the thought by the two men that Hubert Clutter kept large amounts of cash on hand at home because he was a wealthily wheat farmer. The two were eventually put to death for their parts in the crime.
Shortly after the murders Truman Capote, a writer leaving on the East Coast came out to Kansas along with Harper Lee to investigate the murders and interview town’s people. In Cold Blood is the title of a book by Truman Copote which was published in 1966 after weeks of research and extensive interviews of both suspects.
Later on the book was turned into a movie and then again a movie on the silver screen in 2005 the movie Capote staring Phillip Seymour Hoffman who won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
For me personally I was amazed when the film came out that I had not heard of it before all the hype with film. It is surprising that a small town in Kansas captivated the nation 50 years ago and even now 50 years later still does in movies and newspaper clippings.

Bob Dole and the Dirty Thirties

Bob Dole was born on July 22, 1923 in Russell, Kansas. At the age of six, the Stock Market crashed and like many others his family suffered. The combination of the economic slump and the drought that plagued mid-west created a perfect recipe for an almost unbearable decade. It was what he learned during these trying times that would help him not only survive the near fatal wounds he received from World War II, but go on to prosper as a successful Senator representing his home state of Kansas.

Although he was young, he remembers the dust storms that plagued western Kansas. In his memoir he states, “If you’ve never experienced a dust storm consider yourself lucky.” In his recollection of these dust storms, he discusses the feeling of helplessness he and his family felt during each storm. When an impeding storm was reported, schools would close, forcing parents to go to the school to retrieve their children. Once at home the family had a list of chores that would be divided up amongst the kids. Since the duration of these dust storms were unknown, the chores consisted of tasks that would help the family wait it out. The family would fill the bathtub with water, and moisten towels to lie around all the window sills as well as at the base of the doors.

The dust was a part of everyone’s life.  He wrote about getting caught up in a dust storm once while delivering the newspaper. He said, “Blind to the road before me, I’d wet a handkerchief and wrap it around my mouth and nose to survive.” The dust covered everything, from the cars on the streets to food inside the house.

Like others who endured the dust bowl, the Dole family struggled financially. His family was so poor that his family had to move into their basement so they could rent out the house in order to make ends meet. Everyone worked and contributed their earnings to the family. Bob and his brothers and sisters delivered newspapers, mowed lawns, raked leaves, and shoveled snow.

One of the only forms of entertainment of the family could afford was the radio. The family would gather around and listen to President Roosevelt’s fireside chats. The family had a vested interest in the New Deal that the President implementing throughout the nation. Roosevelt’s belief in the strength of the American people to overcome this economic and environmental catastrophe compelled his family to not only vote Democrat, but become registered Democrats themselves. His parents would remain Democrats until he entered politics himself.

The lessons that Mr. Dole learned from the “Dirty Thirties” were very similar to others who have documented their stories. Bob Doles wrote, “I learned the importance of faith in God, but also about truth, honesty, right and wrong, loyalty to friends, doing one’s duty, trusting and believing in good in the face of overcoming odds.” With everything they endured, it is no wonder that his generation is often referred to as, the Greatest Generation.

 

Dole, Bob, A Memoir: One Soldier’s Story. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2005

Black Sunday

As we all know, dust storms plagued the people of southwestern Kansas during the drought of the 1930s. These storms made life difficult even after the winds died down. Dust was everywhere: it got into cars and farm equipment coroding the gears, layers of dust covered every inch of the buildings making housework impossible to finish, and it even got into food and sometimes caused people to get sick. The worst of these storms, however, did not occur until 1935.

By 1934 an estimated 100 million acres had lost all topsoil to the wind. This made 1935 a particularly dusty year. After weeks of endless dust storms, the morning of April 14, 1935 was sunny and clear. As people began to venture out of their homes, however, a dark cloud appeared on the horizon. The winds, clocked at 60mph, swept the massive dust cloud across the plains completely blocking out the sun. Witnesses described the storm as a “black blizzard.” Cars were stranding on the roads and people caught outside in the storm became disoriented because they could not see in front of them. One man described being out in the blowing dust as feeling like “a shovelful of fine sand flung in the face.”

The day after Black Sunday an Associated Press reporter wrote and article about the storm and used the term “Dust Bowl” for the first time. He wrote, “Three little words achingly familiar on the Western farmer’s tongue, rule life in the dust bowl of the continent – if it rains.” The term stuck and became the common way to describe not only the area of the Great Plains, but also the time period of the Dirty Thirties.

These storms were not just felt in the Great Plains, though. In the same month as Black Sunday a dust storm blew all the way from the Great Plains into Washington D.C. blocking out the sun and leaving a layer of grime all the way out to the Atlantic Coast. Interestingly enough, Congress passed the Soil Conservation Act that April as well.

Source: “The Dust Bowl of the 1930s” Living History Farm. http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_02.html
Images: http://www.milliesliterarycorner.com/water0201%20BLACK%20SUNDAY.jpg

Mildred “Mickey” Axton

Kansas State Historical Society has a great website that tries to cover many of the important people and events that are significant to the history and cultural heartbeat of Kansas and the United States. Searching for a name of a person who’s accomplishment or lack thereof sticks out and is relevant to what we are being taught in our Kansas History class is quite an accomplishment.

Mildred “Mickey” Axton stood out. Prior to 1944 Mickey had joined the Women’s Air force Service Pilots (WASP). This organization was considered a supportive non-military branch of the United States Air Force (USAF). It wasn’t until 1979 that those who had served in this group received the status as military veterans of World War II. Axton decided to travel to Wichita, Kansas to become a test pilot after reading a letter from her brother (who was a fighter pilot overseas). In the letter her brother conveyed that pilots were dying due to faulty and outdated airplanes. Mildred Axton decided that she wanted to help the war effort and her brother become safer while in combat. Axton at the age of 23 became the first woman to test fly a B-29 Bomber Airplane.

According to militaryaircraft.org “The Boeing B-29 Super Fortress high-altitude heavy bomber was designed as a replacement for the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and became operational in June 1944” This model was the same as the “Enola Gay” and “Bockscar” airplanes that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The nature of being a test pilot is a difficult and extremely dangerous profession. Axton personally witnessed many female test pilots killed in the line of duty including her best friend. The program was terminated shortly before 1945. Her bravery must have been superb.

In our Kansas History class we are focused in on the World War I era and leading up to the Great Depression also known as the “Great Panic.” The story of Mildred Axton is relevant to what we are currently being taught in the class. This article demonstrates the change of women becoming integrated in all areas of the United States. Women were taking an active role in the economy and in the military. Women were a major factor with helping the United States win World War II.

by John Thornton
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http://www.kshs.org/people/index.htm

http://www.minnpost.com/douggrow/2008/05/07/1768/on_v-e_day_long-overdue_honors_will_go_to_state_women_who_served_in_wwii

http://www.military-aircraft.org.uk/bombers/boeing-b-29-superfortress.htm

The History and Impact of Baseball in Kansas

In the middle and late 1860’s, Kansas was booming with successful activity. Not only were the aspects of transportation, and agriculture becoming more industrially specialized, but the growth of educational opportunities and women’s rights were developing as well. Complimenting these aspects of positive change within the lives of Kansans was the development of recreational baseball. While some may believe that baseball is but only a game, it is much more and truly unified Kansas communities together.

Baseball was brought to Kansas by veterans of the Civil War, who, when they were away from home, played the game to pass time at camp. In Leavenworth, the Frontier Baseball Club was organized, and as teams started quickly developing across the state, a baseball tournament was held at the Kansas State Fair in Lawrence in 1867. Local clubs fielded teams and loosely organized competition against rival towns, however in the years to come, baseball in the state of Kansas would become increasingly organized and collegiate competition would begin.

The University of Kansas fielded its first team in the year 1880 when rival Washburn came to Lawrence. Washburn was victorious 29-22. Fortunately however, the University of Kansas traveled to Washburn only four weeks later to seek vengeance, earning it with a victory 22-10. After 1888, “Emporia Normal, Ottawa, Kansas State, St. Mary’s, Bethany and the College of Emporia were playing the game.” With the development of collegiate baseball, professional teams formed as well, and provided businesses a new way to market themselves to the public

Kansas’ “Western League” featured professional baseball teams from six cities: Topeka, Leavenworth, Denver, Leadville, St. Joseph, and Lincoln. The most lustrous team came from Topeka, and some of the wealthier local businessmen decided to finance the “Goldsby Golden Giants.” They hoped to not only bringing prestigious attention and business to their growing city, but contribute a fiercely competitive club to the baseball scene as well.

“The Golden Giants of Manager Goldsby breezed in to win the pennant about twenty games ahead of Lincoln, the nearest contender. The team finished with a percentage of nearly .800. Six Giants boasted batting averages above the .400 mark. The great ‘Bugs’ Holliday delighted the fans at Kenwood Park with his home runs, seventeen for the season. These abnormal batting averages may be partially explained by the then prevailing rule crediting the batter with a hit and a time at bat for each base on balls. Under the present rules a base on balls does not count as a time at bat.

Presently, we can see the effects of baseball on a national scale; truly, it is “America’s pastime.” While citizens of towns or cities show their support of both local professional and little league teams, their patronage in turn results with not only the support of both local businesses and national corporations, but also the overall camaraderie that towns and cities feel when they join together to “root root root for the home team.”

http://www.kshs.org/cool/baseball.htm

http://www.kshs.org/publicat/khq/1940/40_2_evans.htm

 

Jackrabbit Drives

Kansas has a rich history of its residents braving the elements, whatever they happened to be. One of the most prolific incidents which Kansans had to endure was, of all things, an overabundance of jackrabbits. While this would not seem like a big problem to most, these rabbits devoured nearly everything in their path, leaving Kansans (especially farmers) scrambling in an effort to bring population numbers under control. Since residents were already enduring scorching temperatures, an unprecedented drought, the worst economy in United States history and massive dust storms, I have no doubt that many thought that the end of the world was near when swarms of rabbits began to arrive. If I was in that situation, I would probably move, but Kansans once again proved their resiliency and determination by orchestrating “jackrabbit drives” in which people would gather in large groups to trap and kill the pests that were ravaging the land.

These drives usually took place during the weekends and were organized through the distribution of flyers and advertisements in local newspapers. The average rabbit drive would consist of a large amount of people (with some reaching up to 15,000 participants such as a drive that took place near Kalvesta) that would line up and scour the land for rabbits, driving them onward by beating on whatever they could find and scaring them by blaring the horns of their cars. Eventually, the idea was to corral as many rabbits as possible into large fenced in areas that varied in size (with some as large as 40 acres) where the rabbits would be clubbed to death. In order to do this, the participants would have to make sure all potential routes of escape were blocked by lining up shoulder to shoulder behind to the crowd of rabbits. As a result, the rabbits would be forced into the pen and subsequently beaten to death.

Though it sounds brutal by today’s standards, and it was criticized by some at the time, rabbit drives were simply the result of Kansans trying to survive. If a person’s livelihood was being devoured by hordes of rabbits admist the many other difficult conditions Kansans had to put up with, the natural inclination was to do whatever it took to stay alive, even if it meant killing many (seemingly) harmless jackrabbits. It is estimated that these efforts saved over 200,000 cattle by preventing destruction to feeding areas. Additionally, most of the rabbits killed were fed to farm animals and people sold their pelts for money that was crucial and very scarce during the Great Depression. Despite being one of the strangest parts of Kansas history, jackrabbit drives provided Kansans with a way to vent their anger and unite as a community to help each other during incredibly frustrating and difficult times.

Source (for blog and picture):  http://www.kshs.org/portraits/jackrabbit_drives.htm

David Johnson

Indian Rock – Salina, KS

I have grown up in the town of Salina, Kansas my entire life. One of the biggest landmarks in my area is a large hill in the center of town known as “Indian Rock.” As a kid, I used to always climb the hill and go sledding there. Eventually, however, I learned that the site was a stage for a battle between indian tribes in 1857. In the early 1800s, the area now known as Salina was home to several large indian tribes such as the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kansa and Osage. However, as time went on, the expansion of whtie settlements forced tribes such as the Pattawatomie, Kaw and Delaware to move west, encroaching on the hunting grounds shared by the tribes already located in present day Salina. It was only a matter of time before fighting would occur.

By the mid-1800s, there was nearly constant fighting between the Cheyenne and Pattawatomie tribes, leading white settlers in the area to abandon their trading posts and frontier homes. It was not long before the tribes from the east formed an alliance to take on those from the west that had done the same. In 1857, fighting was so fierce that the eastern tribes were forced to retreat, taking shelter on the side of a large hill to regroup. That hill was what is now known as Indian Rock. After being able to shield themselves from the fighting and reorganize themselves, the eastern tribes decided to make their final stand on top of Indian Rock. Thanks to being able to fight upon the hill and shield themselves from warring attackers, the momentum of the fighting switched to the eastern tribes as those from the west began to suffer heavy losses.

Thanks to reinforcements from the Kaw, the eastern alliance was armed with rifles while their enemies only had bows and arrows. While the western alliance of tribes had to charge the hill time and again, the eastern fighters stood on top and fired down at the enemy. This positioning eventually allowed them to kill the Cheyenne’s leader, Big Chief. This was a devastating blow to the western bands of Indians who retreated shortly afterward. As a result, the Pattawatomie, Kaw and Delaware tribes were able to enjoy the land amongst themselves and the western tribes never attacked them again.

Few residents of Salina know the significance of Indian Rock and the importance the battle that took place there had on their town. The founder of Salina, Colonel William A. Phillips, was aware of the heated conflict amongst the different tribes in the area and was keen to avoid any threat to his future settlement. As a result, he originally wanted to found Salina in the area of Manhattan. However, after hearing about the results of the Battle of Indian Rock, he decided to venture further west to survey the land there. The friendly eastern tribes of Indians assured him that there would be no futher trouble with other tribes and as a result, Colonel Phillips decided to found his settlement, which he called Salina, right next to Indian Rock.

David Johnson

http://www.salina-ks.gov/content/126/193/1634/1471/2266.aspx