A. A. Hamilton to Arthur Capper
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1915-1919: Capper)
Date: March 5, 1915
In this letter, A. A. Hamilton of Pittsburg, Crawford County, argues that Kansas does not need a child labor law. According to Hamilton, there should be limitations on the number of hours that children can work, but he does not see why able-bodied youth should be prevented from getting an after-school job. Attached to the letter is a clipping from the St. Louis Globe Democrat regarding child labor legislation. In 1915 the Industrial Welfare Act declared that minors could not be employed in any industry or occupation that may be detrimental to their welfare.

About labor trusts
Creator: Martin, George W. (George Washington), 1841-1914
Date: June 6, 1900
A letter written by George W. Martin of Kansas, to Representative Chester I. Long in Washington, D.C., on labor trusts and their economic impact on the nation.

Ada L. James to Lucy B. Johnston
Creator: James, Ada L.
Date: November 6, 1912
Ada James, President of the Political Equality League of Wisconsin, sent this telegram to Lucy Johnston, President of the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association in Topeka, Shawnee County. James congratulated Johnston on the successful passage of a full suffrage amendment to the state constitution.

Advance sheet of the 1907 Great Smith car
Creator: Smith Automobile Company
Date: 1907
A small catalog giving the specifications of the Great Smith car. The Smith Automobile Company built cars in Topeka, Kansas, from 1902-1911.

Advertisements for W. W. Gavitt Medical Company, Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1902
These images show advertisements for the W. W. Gavitt Medical Company located at 5th and Madison Streets in Topeka, Kansas. The first image is an advertisement for Gavitt's System Regulator, advertised to cure "all blood, stomach, kidney, and liver troubles." The second image is a group of advertisements for three different businesses owned by W. W. Gavitt: a business of investment bankers and brokers, a medical company, and a mercantile company. The W. W. Gavitt Medical Company manufactured "standard and proprietary remedies."

A few Kansas items
Creator: Coburn, F. D. (Foster Dwight), 1846-1924
Date: February 1912
This pamphlet apparently, was a speech written by F.D. Coburn, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, giving information about Kansas' crops and livestock and their impact on the state's economy. The speech was delivered at the Kansas City Land Show, February, 13, 1912.

A hanging in Kansas
Creator: Topeka State Journal Company
Date: February 18, 1916
This newspaper article published in the Topeka State Journal illustrates the confusion surrounding the history of state death penalty laws in Kansas. The article concerns the possible execution, under federal law, of a convict at the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth. The article claims that should this execution proceed "Kansas will see its first legal hanging in its history as a state." The article concludes by saying "that there never has been a hanging under state law in Kansas." In fact, between 1862-1888 there were nine legal executions in Kansas under state law, three under military law, and two under federal law. The state repealed its capital punishment law in 1907.

A. Hood & Sons Implement Company, Columbus, Kansas
Date: 1914
This is a photograph of the building which housed The A. Hood & Sons Implement Company, 116 West Pine Street, Columbus, Ks. In 2007, Jason & Lisa Hulvey purchased the building and the Evan's Drug Store business from Evan McNemar.

Airplane, Iola, Kansas
Date: Between 1905 and 1911
Postcard image of an airplane flying over Iola. The event is possibly an exhibition held at the fair grounds at the Allen County fair in 1911, where a Strobel aviator entertained crowds in a Curtiss Biplane.

Alfalfa field in Finney County, Kansas
Creator: Steele and Hoke
Date: Between 1900 and 1910
This photograph shows two unidentified men standing in an alfalfa field near Garden City, Kansas.

All the way from Topeka, Kansas, U.S.A. The Smith Automobile Company
Creator: Smith Automobile Company
Date: 1905
The March 1905 brochure of the Smith Automobile Company. The Smith Automobile Company built cars in Topeka, Kansas, from 1902-1911.

An act to amend section 8, article 2, of chapter 31 of the general statues of 1901
Creator: Kansas Legislature.
Date: 1907
The Kansas Legislature passed House Bill 66 by January 18 and Governor Edward W. Hoch signed the bill into law on January 30, 1907. The law abolished capital punishment in Kansas by prescribing life imprisonment, instead of the death penalty, as punishment for persons convicted of first degree murder. While executions by state authority were legal in Kansas from 1861-1907, the legislature imposed tighter regulations in 1872 that required the time of execution to be ordered by the governor. Kansas governors between 1872-1907 refused to issue execution orders, as required by law, effectively banning state authorized executions during that period. Governor Hoch was a strong opponent of capital punishment.

Anna Hittle essay
Date: May 16, 1901
This essay "True Greatness" was written by sixteen year-old Anna Hittle before she graduated from high school.

Anna Hittle souvenirs
Date: 1900-1903
This series of high school souvenirs are from Jackson County, Kansas. Included with the souvenirs is a program and a merit certificate.

Anna Howard Shaw to Lucy B. Johnston
Creator: Shaw, Anna Howard, 1847-1919
Date: November 6, 1912
Anna Shaw, president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, sent this telegram to Lucy Johnston, president of the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association, announcing that women in Kansas had gained the vote.

Annual souvenir Kansas City, Kansas, Police Relief Association
Creator: Kansas City (Kan.) Police Dept
Date: 1914
This annual souvenir created by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, introduces its members and provides a brief history of the department. The department created the annual as a fundraising effort for its Relief Association. The primary relief activity was the distribution of Chirstmas baskets. This is the first annual issued by the department. The annual also includes photos of city officials, prominent citizens, patrons, and buildings and street scenes. The annual includes advertisements from several hundred local businesses and can serve as a business directory for Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri.

Anthony & Northern railroad bridge, Arkansas River
Date: June 16, 1916
This photograph represents the Anthony & Northern railroad bridge over the Arkansas River in Kinsley, Kansas.

Arthur Capper
Date: February 23, 1917
An informal portrait of Kansas Governor Arthur Capper, 1865-1951, signing the "Bone Dry Law" passed by the Kansas Legislature. The law prohibited possession of liquor within the state and ended direct shipments of liquor to Kansas from out-of-state vendors. Capper, a native of Garnett, Kansas, served Kansas as Governor from 1915 to 1919, and as a U. S. Senator from 1919 to 1949.

A study of the present trades union system
Creator: Britton, Wiley
Date: 1909; copyright 1909
A booklet written by Wiley Britton that focuses on the trades union system. The author asks for equal rights, justice and moderation in the dealings of men with each other, and that special privileges should be given to no one.

A sunflower of Kansas
Creator: Allsley
Date: Between 1900 and 1919
This colored postcard shows a sunflower with a woman's face illustrated in the center of the flower.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company's freight depot, Syracuse, Kansas
Date: Between 1905 and 1909
This photograph shows the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company's freight depot in Syracuse, Kansas with several men standing by the structure.

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Shawnee, Oklahoma
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: around 1905
In this photograph a crowd waits for the train at the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company depot in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Built in 1905, today the depot building serves as the Pottawatomie County Museum, operated by the Pottawatomie County Historical Society.

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company's Fred Harvey House, Dodge City, Kansas
Date: Between 1905 and 1908
This photograph shows a view of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company's Fred Harvey House in Dodge City, Kansas.

August Bondi to children
Creator: Bondi, August M. (August Mendel), 1833-1907
Date: July 24, 1906
This letter written in 1906, is from August Bondi (1833-1907), Salina attorney-at-law, to his children. In the letter, Bondi opens with discussion about John Brown, who he fought with in the Border War, also known as Bleeding Kansas, and the American Civil War. He continues to write about the 1906 election for the Democratic Party. Bondi then transitions from political discussions to the price of fruit, specifically watermelon, peaches, plums, and apples; and the vegetable garden rotation. Bondi signs the letter "Pa" to his children.

Banks and banking newspaper articles
Creator: Kansas State Historical Society. Library
Date: September 25, 1909-October 22, 1914
Newspaper articles on banks, banking, Joseph N. Dolley, and the blue sky law.