Samuel Reader lanternslide
Creator: Reader, Samuel J.
Date: between 1866 and 1913
Hand painted lanternslide with handmade wood frame. This slide is part of a collection made by Samuel Reader between 1866 and 1913. Reader was a Kansas farmer who was active in the early Topeka community. He built two homes, served in the Civil War, and wrote in a diary nearly every day for 64 years. The slide depicts a steam engine traveling through the countryside. The Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division (later the Kansas Pacific) was making its way through Topeka in 1865. Reader documented his negative feelings toward the new railroad in his diary. He began painting slides in 1866 and continued throughout much of his life, holding magic lantern shows for the local community in his house and at church.

Castle rock in Gove County, Kansas
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A photograph showing Castle Rock in Gove County, Kansas.

Missouri Pacific Railroad Company depot, St. Louis, Missouri
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company depot building in St. Louis, Missouri. Also visible are a freight depot, a horse-drawn wagon, a street light, and men seated or standing on the sidewalks near the depot. Note the two shadow figures, on the right side of the photograph, caused by incomplete images made of people (or, perhaps, of just the man leaning against the streetlight pole) who moved before the photograph was completed. This image was taken from Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

Elevator. St. Louis, MO
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing an elevator in the background and a river and boat dock in foreground, St. Louis. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

State Line Hotel Kansas. 284 miles west St. Louis, Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the State Line Hotel in State Line, Kansas. Also visibile are a railroad car and station equipment. From Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

Office U. Pacific Railway Co. E. D. Wyandotte, Kansas. 286 Miles West St. Louis, Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the office of the Union Pacific Eastern Division in Wyandotte, Kansas. Also visible are a man standing on the building's platform, a flatbed railcar, train tracks, and five shovels. From Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division." This may be the building where the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention was held.

Great Bend, Missouri River, at Wyandotte, Kansas
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the great bend of the Missouri River at Wyandotte, Kansas. From Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division. 286 miles west of St. Louis, Missouri."

Farm house, near State Line Kansas. 286 miles west St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing a farm house near State Line, Kansas. From Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

Hotel De Dutton, near State Line, Kansas, 284 miles west of St. Louis, Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the Hotel De Dutton near State Line, Kansas. A group of people are seated near the hotel and a wood burning stove and a large format camera are visible in the photograph. From Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

Wyandotte, Kansas. 286 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing Wyandotte, Kansas with the town in the background and either the Kansas or Missouri River in the foreground. The Union Pacific Railway Eastern Division building and railroad cars are visible in the photograph. From Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

Railroad Shops Wyandotte, Kansas. 286 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the railroad shops at Wyandotte, Kansas, approximately 286 miles west of St. Louis, Missouri. The image was taken from Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

Railroad yard at Wyandotte, Kansas. 286 miles west of St. Louis, Missouri
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the railroad shops at Wyandotte, Kansas. A locomotive and railroad tracks and cars are visible in the photograph. From Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

Office U. Pacific Railway Co. E. D. Wyandotte, Kansas. 286 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the Union Pacific Company Eastern Division office at Wyandotte, Kansas, 286 miles west of St. Louis, Missouri. From Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

Building bridge across the Kaw at Wyandotte, Kansas
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing bridge construction across the Kansas River (known as the "Kaw") at Wyandotte, Kansas, 286 miles west of St. Louis Missouri. From Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

View on Kansas River, near Wyandotte, Kansas
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the Kansas River near Wyandotte, Kansas, 286 miles west of St. Louis Missouri. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

J. M. Webster & family, Wyandotte, Kansas. 286 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing J. M. Webster with two children that are seated on a horse near Wyandotte, Kan. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Steamer Mary Mac Donald at Wyandotte, Missouri River, Kansas. 286 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the steamboat Mary MacDonald on the Missouri River at Wyandotte, Kan. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Turnpike bridge across the Kanas River, near Wyandotte, Kansas. 287 miles west of St. Louis, MO.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the turnpike bridge across the Kansas River at Wyandotte, Kan. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

View on Kansas River at turnpike bridge near Wyandotte, Kansas. 287 miles west of St. Louis, Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the turnpike bridge across the Kansas River at Wyandotte, Kan. A man in a rowboat is in the foreground. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

View at Stranger, Kansas. 311 miles west of St. Louis, Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing railroad tracks at Stranger, Leavenworth County, Kan. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Indian farm in Delaware Reservation, Kansas. 311 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph taken by Alexander Gardner in 1867. It depicts an Indian farm located on the Delaware Indian Reservation in Kansas (approximately 311 miles west of St. Louis, Missouri). The Alexander Gardner Collection contains 170 photographs taken along the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division. It covers a geographic area stretching from Wyandotte (in present-day Kansas City) to west of Hays, Kansas. The image was taken from Alexander Gardner's series, "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division."

View on Kansas River in Delaware Reservation, Kansas. 311 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing railroad tracks along the Kansas River on the Delaware Reservation, Kan. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Depot, Lawrence, Kansas, 323 miles west of St. Louis, Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the depot in Lawrence, Kan., with people standing on a platform and a train in the background. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Crandall House, at depot Lawrence, Kansas. 323 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing people standing on a platform in front of the Crandall House. The Kaw Valley Saloon is visible in the photograph. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.

Turnpike bridge across Kansas River at Lawrence Kansas. 323 miles west of St. Louis Mo.
Creator: Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
Date: 1867
A stereograph showing the turnpike bridge across the Kansas River at Lawrence, Kan. There are people and the photographer's dark tent visible in the foreground. From Alexander Gardner's series, Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division.