P. T. Barnum’s Railroad Circus Comes to Lawrence

P. T. Barnum’s Railroad Circus Comes to Lawrence

Lawrence, KS—Friday, August 16, 1872—It was a magical day like no other. An endless stream of horses, carriages and farm wagons rolled into town. The railroad depot was overwhelmed with specially ...
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On a recent visit to Charleston, SC, I visited my second plantation, Boone Hall. My first plantation visit was Mount Vernon. Both historic sites have tours emphasizing the role that slaves played ...
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What is this texture?

Wilson State Lake is an Army Corps of Engineers Lake located along K-32, the Post Rock Scenic Byway, about 5 miles north of I-70. The approach to the lake is peppered with giant wind turbines....
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As a kid I would accompany my older brother on fossil collecting trips. Most any hill in Kansas with a road cut-out would have exposed limestone. Limestone is made from accumulated sea creatures an...
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My favorite artifact in our local Watkins Museum is a wall hanging made from autographed worn out soles from the former Burgert’s Shoe Service. I know from personal experience that each sole desc...
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When veterans of the Civil War returned to Kansas they brought with them a passion for baseball. Love for the game spread to just about every town in the state. Businesses, churches, schools a...
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If you fly over central Kansas at low altitude, you will notice numerous hills with flat tops. They are not naturally occurring. Early pioneers scraped the topsoil off ...
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 In Jimmy Buffet's song, Margaritaville, the lyrics conjure up a sandy beach, but with a problem: “I blew out my flip flop and stepped on a pop top.” The beer and soda can pull tab, colloquial...
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One of our favorite fall events is watching our ginkgo tree drops its leaves.  The ginkgo tree is a "living fossil" with its origins dating back 270 million years. It is a gymnosperm. There are ...