Men tilling a garden in Wichita, Kansas
Creator: United States. Works Progress Administration
Date: Between 1935 and 1943
This is a photograph showing men using hand plows and hoes to till a garden in Wichita, Kansas. The activity was part of the Works Progress Administration's gardening project.

Men tilling a garden in Wichita, Kansas
Creator: United States. Works Progress Administration
Date: Between 1935 and 1943
This is a photograph showing men tilling and spraying a garden in Wichita, Kansas, as part of the Works Progress Administration gardening project. The men are using hand and motorized plows.

Wheat harvest in Gray County, Kansas
Date: 1940
A photograph showing farmers harvesting wheat in Gray County, Kansas.

Scott Kelsey digging potatoes near Topeka, Kansas
Date: August 21, 1912
This photograph shows Scott Kelsey digging potatoes near Topeka, Kansas.

Digging potatoes on Melvin Kelsey's farm in Shawnee County, Kansas
Date: September 1911
These photographs show people digging potatoes on Melvin Kelsey's farm in Shawnee County, Kansas.

Harvesting wheat near Geneseo, Kansas
Date: Between 1910 and 1915
This photograph shows farmers harvesting wheat near Geneseo, Kansas.

Winnie and Larry McClain, Rossville, Kansas
Date: 1960
Winnie and her son, Larry, enjoying watermelon at the Lions watermelon feed in Rossville, Kansas, September 1960. This photograph is provided through a pilot project to host unique cultural heritage materials from local libraries on Kansas Memory and was accomplished by mutual agreement between the Northeast Kansas Library System, the Rossville Community Library, and the Kansas Historical Society.

Joe Campbell, Rossville, Kansas
Date: 1960
Joe Campbell enjoys watermelon at the Lions watermelon feed in Rossville, Kansas, September 1960. This photograph is provided through a pilot project to host unique cultural heritage materials from local libraries on Kansas Memory and was accomplished by mutual agreement between the Northeast Kansas Library System, the Rossville Community Library, and the Kansas Historical Society.

Lions watermelon feed, Rossville, Kansas
Date: 1960
Don Jones, Mr. Sears, and Gene Irwin enjoy watermelon at the Lions watermelon feed in Rossville, Kansas, September 1960. This photograph is provided through a pilot project to host unique cultural heritage materials from local libraries on Kansas Memory and was accomplished by mutual agreement between the Northeast Kansas Library System, the Rossville Community Library, and the Kansas Historical Society.

Frances Martinek shocking oats, Rossville, Kansas
Date: 1920
This picture shows Frances Martinek shocking oats on July 5, 1920. This photograph is provided through a pilot project to host unique cultural heritage materials from local libraries on Kansas Memory and was accomplished by mutual agreement between the Northeast Kansas Library System, the Rossville Community Library, and the Kansas Historical Society.

Wheat harvest, Sedgwick, Kansas
Date: 1931
These two black and white photographs show harvest scenes in Sedgwick, Kansas. In the first image a group of men and women have gathered around a bundle of wheat, while the second photograph shows two woman and a gentleman gathered around a McCormick reaper.

J.W. Lough farm, Scott County, Kansas
Date: Between 1910 and 1919
These six black and white postcards show the irrigation operations of J. W. Lough in Scott County, Kansas.

Watermelon eating, Bourbon County, Kansas
Date: August 13, 1911
This black and white photograph shows a group of people eating watermelon in Bourbon County, Kansas.

Apple tree, Shawnee County, Kansas
Date: 1936
This black and white photograph shows drought damage to an apple tree in Shawnee County, Kansas.

Cornfield, Shawnee County, Kansas
Date: 1936
This black and white photograph shows severe drought damage to a cornfield in Shawnee County, Kansas.

Wheat harvest, Sedgwick, Kansas
Date: Between 19005 and 1931
These two black and white photographs show wheat being harvested in Sedgwick, Kansas. In the first photograph, two men are holding bundles of wheat. The second image shows a group of men bundling wheat as horse-drawn equipment stand nearby.

First shelterbelt in Kansas
Date: 1940
Two photographs showing people attending a celebration of the first shelterbelt planted in Kansas. It was planted on a farm owned by Mamie Axline Fay located northwest of Pratt, Kansas. At the time of the celebration, it had grown for five years.

Wheat market in Offerle, Kansas
Creator: Cox, Jno. E.
Date: October 16, 1916
A photograph showing horse drawn wagons waiting at the wheat market in Offerle, Kansas.

Kansas and her resources
Creator: Coburn, F. D. (Foster Dwight), 1846-1924
Date: 1902
This promotional pamphlet published by the Passenger Department of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, contains articles on Kansas agriculture, climate, soil, and the Santa Fe Railway. The pamphlet contains a map showing the combined acreage and yield of winter and spring wheat in Kansas in 1901 in county order.

Embroidered flour sack
Date: between 1915 and 1916
This heavily embroidered textile is made of panels cut from cotton flour sacks and rejoined with bands of handmade lace. The text is embroidered in the colors of the Belgian flag, and indicates Pawnee County, Kansas, contributed 1,000 sacks of flour to "Belgium Sufferers" in 1914-15. The bag apparently was embellished by needle workers at the orphanage in Hoesselt, Belgium. This sack originally contained Kansas flour sent overseas during World War I for relief efforts organized by the Commission for Relief in Belgium. Some of the sacks were embroidered by Belgian women and returned to the United States as an expression of gratitude. The Kansas Belgian Relief Fund received this sack and placed it on display in a downtown Topeka store before donating it to the Kansas Historical Society.

Embroidered flour sack
Creator: Kiowa Roller Mills
Date: between 1915 and 1916
This cotton sack for Kiowa Milling Company flour was embroidered and embellished with fringed braid. The sack's printed designs are over-embroidered in the colors of the Belgian flag. This sack originally contained Kansas flour sent overseas during World War I for relief efforts organized by the Commission for Relief in Belgium. Some of the sacks were embroidered by Belgian women and returned to the United States as an expression of gratitude. The Kansas Belgian Relief Fund received this sack and placed it on display in a downtown Topeka store before donating it to the Kansas Historical Society.

Cotton gin
Creator: Southern Cotton Gin Company
Date: between 1860 and 1865
The Southern Cotton Gin Company of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, manufactured this wood and cast metal cotton gin. Joseph Piazzek, a Polish immigrant living in Valley Falls, Kansas, purchased it for $60. Although not a significant crop in Kansas, cotton was grown more frequently during the Civil War when southern cotton was scarce. Piazzek processed bolls from as far away as Fort Scott in southeastern Kansas, typically accepting one-fifth of the finished product as his fee.

Embroidered flour sack
Creator: Imperial Mills
Date: between 1915 and 1916
This cotton sack for Imboden Milling Company flour was embroidered and embellished with ribbon and lace. Embroidered designs include the U.S. and Belgian flags; a French message whose English translation is "Thank you, America;" sprays of wheat; and the town name Neerpelt (Belgium). This sack originally contained Kansas flour sent overseas during World War I for relief efforts organized by the Commission for Relief in Belgium. Some of the sacks were embroidered by Belgian women and returned to the United States as an expression of gratitude. The Kansas Belgian Relief Fund received this sack and placed it on display in a downtown Topeka store before donating it to the Kansas Historical Society.

Embroidered flour sack
Creator: Veltkamp, Angele
Date: between 1915 and 1916
This cotton sack for Manhattan Milling Company flour was cut open along one side, embroidered, and embellished with braid and ribbon. Embroidered designs include the Belgian government's coat of arms; a French message whose English translation is "The union makes the force;" the years 1914-1915; and the names of the needle worker, Angèle Veltkamp, and the town Hasselt (Belgium). This sack originally contained Kansas flour sent overseas during World War I for relief efforts organized by the Commission for Relief in Belgium. Some of the sacks were embroidered by Belgian women and returned to the United States as an expression of gratitude. The Kansas Belgian Relief Fund received this sack and placed it on display in a downtown Topeka store before donating it to the Kansas Historical Society.

Embroidered flour sack
Creator: Kaw Milling Company
Date: between 1915 and 1916
This cotton sack for Kaw Milling Company flour was embroidered and embellished with braid and silk ribbon. Embroidered designs include the Belgian flag; a French message whose English translation is "The union makes the force;" the year 1915; and the town name Lommel (Belgium). The printed company emblem of a bird and wheat has been over-embroidered. This sack originally contained Kansas flour sent overseas during World War I for relief efforts organized by the Commission for Relief in Belgium. Some of the sacks were embroidered by Belgian women and returned to the United States as an expression of gratitude. The Kansas Belgian Relief Fund received this sack and placed it on display in a downtown Topeka store before donating it to the Kansas Historical Society.