Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: April 30, 1858
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton reported that the arrival of two new Eastern businessmen had brought business growth to the town, including a sash and blind factory and new three-story brick building. Despite these new constructions, Morton described the atmosphere as "dull". Though it was a bad time to sell land, since money was scarce, with the recent opening of Indian lands to settlement it was an optimum time to buy land at a low price.

Albert C. Morton to Hiram Hill
Creator: Morton, Albert C.
Date: June 28, 1857
Albert Morton wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Morton informed Hill that the package containing money from him had been located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and he expected to receive it soon. Morton also described various aspects of Quindaro's development, including the building of a new store, and confirmed that the railroad would in fact come to Quindaro.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company shop building, Cleburne, Texas
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: March 8, 1928
This photograph looking northeast shows construction on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company's south shop building at Cleburne, Texas.

Bentley Bank
Date: 1909
Photograph of the Bentley Bank under construction, with the construction workers posing for the picture.

Catholic Church, Selden, Kansas
Date: Between 1890 and 1925
This photograph shows the Catholic Church under construction in Selden, Kansas (Sheridan County). The structure was stone and was in the process of being roofed.

Construction of Topeka High School
Creator: Rinner, George
Date: 1930
A silent motion picture showing the construction of Topeka High School located at 800 SW 10th, Topeka, Kansas.

Construction of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Memorial Hall
Date: April 1, 1912
This is a photo of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Memorial Hall under construction at 10th and Jackson in Topeka, Kansas.

Edmund Jones to Hiram Hill
Creator: Jones, Edmund
Date: July 29, 1855
Well before Hiram Hill of Williamsburgh, Massachusetts could have received Edmund Jones' previous letter from Lawrence, Kansas Territory, Jones received a bank draft from Hill. In this letter, Jones thanked him for the draft. He shortly expected two renters, Mrs. Herd and Mrs. Hall, to move into Hill's house in Lawrence. These renters wanted to build a house for their own boarders on the lot behind. A store and an office were going up on either side of Hill's new house. James mentioned controversy over city lots but did not identify the source of this "new movement." He encouraged Hill to visit Lawrence a second time in early fall.

Ephraim Nute to Edward Everett Hale
Creator: Nute, Ephraim
Date: May 10, 1858
Rev. Ephraim Nute, minister of the Lawrence Unitarian Church, wrote from Lawrence, Kansas Territory to Edward Everett Hale, a member of the New England Emigrant Aid Company's Executive Committee. Nute inquired about the possibility of Hale arranging a loan of $2000 at reasonable interest for the completion of the Unitarian Church in Lawrence. He reported on the high rates of interest being charged for loans in Kansas Territory and on the general effects of the panic of 1857 on the territorial economy. Nute also expressed his dissatisfaction with the Buchanan administration's handling of the Lecompton Constitution and his hope that a change in presidential administration in 1860 would result in Kansas' admission as a free state.

Hiram Hill to Edmund Burke Whitman
Creator: Hill, Hiram, 1804-
Date: March 28, 1856
Hiram Hill wrote from Williamsburgh, Massachusetts, to E.B. Whitman, presumably in Lawrence, Kansas Territory. Hill asked him for the news of Lawrence, including the progress of several buildings' construction and the development of Whitman's map. Hill also inquired about Wyandotte and Shawnee Indian lands in the area, and expressed his interest in investing in them, as long as the land was good.

Hotel Kansan, Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Wolcott
Date: May 10, 1923
A photograph showing the Hotel Kansan, 100 E. 9th Street, Topeka, Kansas under construction. Designed by Sheparde & Wiser of Kansas City, it cost more than one million dollars to build. The hotel closed in 1968 and the two bottom floors were converted to offices and a bank and the upper floors to apartments.

Isaac Tichenor Goodnow to Edward Everett Hale
Creator: Goodnow, Isaac Tichener, 1814-1894
Date: February 10, 1859
Isaac T. Goodnow wrote from Manhattan, Kansas Territory to Edward Everett Hale, member of the New England Emigrant Aid Company's Executive Committee. Goodnow informed Hale about plans to establish Bluemont Central College (predecessor to Kansas State University) just west of Manhattan, Kansas Territory. He asserted that the college would only add to Manhattan's other advantages -- being on the "natural route of the Pacific" railroad and on the shortest route to the Pike's Peak gold mines. Goodnow asked Hale for a contribution to the building fund for the college.

Jayhawk Hotel, Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Wolfe, Harold B., 1898-1966
Date: 1926
A photograph showing the construction of the Jayhawk Hotel located at 7th and Jackson in downtown Topeka, Kansas. Steel for the hotel was furnished by The Capital Iron Works. The architect was Thos. W. Williamson & Co., consulting engineers were Dodd & Finney, and the general contractor was J. M. Leeper.

Kansas Avenue bridge, Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1965
Three photographs showing construction on the Kansas Avenue bridge which spans the Kansas River. The previous bridge collapsed on July 2, 1965, killing one man.

L. W. Halbe collection
Creator: Halbe, L. W. (Leslie Winfield), 1893-1981
Date: 1908-1912
The L. W. (Leslie Winfield) Halbe photo collection consists of 1500 glass plate negatives produced by Halbe during his teenage years. Halbe lived in Dorrance, Russell County, Kansas, and began taking photographs of the region with an inexpensive Sears and Roebuck camera when he was fifteen years old.

Menninger Clinic children's division hospital construction in Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1961
An aerial view of the Children's hospital construction. These bildings replaced the original buildings from the l920's, the initial Children's division of the Menninger Clinic. The Southard School was inspired by Ernest Southard, M.D. telling Dr. Karl "Don't forget the children!"

Mills Building, Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1910
A photograph showing the Mills Building under construction at 9th and Kansas Avenue in Topeka, Kansas.

Mills Building, Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1910
A photograph showing the Mills Building, located at 9th and Kansas Avenue, under construction.

Mills Building, Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1910
A photograph showing the Mills Building at 9th and Kansas under construction.

Old timers of the Topeka building industry
Creator: Smith, Steve
Date: Between 1928 and 1930
A silent motion picture featuring several Topeka building contractors and their completed structures was produced for the Topeka Builders Club and photographed by Steve Smith of Hall Stationery company and George Rinner. The builders featured are John Barber, John Nelson, James Cuthbert, F. M. Spencer, and C. G. Carlson, along with shots of several buildings constructed by each. Samples of Barber's buildings include the Crosby residence in Westboro, the drug store on the northwest corner of 10th and Topeka, and the Bertson Brothers building. Nelson built the First Methodist Church, the Chesterfield and Throop hotels, and a mill on east 10th. Cuthbert built the west wing of the State Capitol; the Observatory, Rice Hall, and Library at Washburn University; and Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church. Works shown of F. M. Spencer include the M. A. Lowe residents, the State Printing Plant, the Masonic Library, and the Security Benefit Association Office building. C. G. Carlson built the A. J. Carruth residence, the Security Benefit Association home and hospital, the Church of the Assumption, and Randolph School. Several views show Topeka street cars in motion.

Railroad stock sale
Creator: Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway Company
Date: Between May 31, 1900 and January 31, 1902
This offer to sell shares is to help finance the construction of a railway from Kansas City to Port Stilwell (Topolobampo), Mexico, approximately 1,100 miles. The offer is for shares of stock of the International Construction Company, which is building a portion of the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway in Mexico and Texas. This route is advertised to be the shortest line from Kansas City to the Pacific Ocean. The construction was delayed to find a route over the Sierra Madre Mountains. A route has been found and construction is progressing. The reverse side of the document is a map of the proposed route.

Riddle Concrete Company, Salina, Kansas
Date: April 1963
These two photographs show concrete mixer trucks at the Riddle Concrete Company in Salina, Kansas.

Round Corner Drug Store, Lawrence, Kansas
Date: June 12, 1926-June 15, 1926
These three photographs show exterior views of remodeling work being done on the Round Corner Drug Store on the corner of 8th and Massachusetts streets in Lawrence, Kansas. Construction materials are visible piled up on the sidewalks in the pictures. The second picture also shows a truck on the left side of the picture, and a partial view of a trolley on the right. The third picture also shows some automobiles on the street.

Salt mine in Kanopolis, Kansas
Date: Between 1889 and 1890
This is a photograph of a salt mine under construction in Kanopolis, Kansas. The mine, which was one of the earliest in Kansas, opened in 1890 and closed in 1924. Patron provided information suggests this is the Royal Salt Mine at Kanopolis, and that the sandstone blocks used to build the hoist house and boiler house came from the hospital at Old Fort Harker in Kanopolis.

Spectators gathered at new foundation for the Rutledge Hotel in Sublette, Kansas
Creator: Steele, F. M. (Francis Marion), 1866-1936
Date: 1912
This is a view of people with their automobiles at the newly excavated foundation for the Rutledge Hotel in Sublette, Kansas. Also visible are the Rutledge tent restaurant and hotel for railroad workers on the left, and a freight train in the background.