$190,235,814 For Dairy Products
Date: 1917
This promotional brochure was designed as a talk to encourage the construction of good roads in the state of Kansas. It described comparable rural roads in Wisconsin that promote crop and dairy production.

Abelard Guthrie to Hiram Hill
Creator: Guthrie, Abelard
Date: November 11, 1858
Abelard Guthrie, a member of the Quindaro Town Company, wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts, rebutting Hill's accusations that he had acted in bad faith regarding certain enterprises of the Town Company. Guthrie stated that he had intended to begin the grading work on Kansas Avenue and other roads, but had found that the Company's funds were depleted; he suspected a swindling. He defended himself in light of other land purchases and business transactions and expressed extreme frustration at his bleak financial situation.

After the great war is over
Date: 1917
This promotional brochure argues that the construction of good roads in the United States will enhance agricultural productivity and economic development in the aftermath of World War I.

Annals of Kansas, January - February, 1855
Creator: Wilder, Daniel Webster, 1832-1911
Date: January, 1855 through February, 1855
D. W. Wilder's "Annals of Kansas," published in 1886, provides a day-by-day chronicle of significant events in Kansas. These are digital images of Annals of Kansas entries for the territorial period of 1854-1861.

Annual report : Kansas Good Roads Association
Creator: Kansas Good Roads Association
Date: 1918
Kansas Good Roads promotional publication claiming that it has achieved 480 miles of 365-day roads financed in the first year and now has 1,000 miles in sight for 1918.

Bridge and dam under construction, Lawrence, Kansas
Date: 1870
Stereograph view of the Kansas River bridge and waterworks dam under construction, Lawrence, Kansas.

Bridge at Pomona
Date: January 04, 1909
Postcard view of the bridge over the Marais des Cygnes River, Pomona, Kansas. Postcard donated by Agnes Romary Sours.

Bridge construction, Logan County, Kansas
Date: Between 1920 and 1940
This photograph shows a bridge in Logan County, Kansas under construction.

Building a bridge across Antelope Creek in Wabaunsee County, Kansas
Date: 1904
Photograph of four men building a bridge across Antelope Creek in Wabaunsee County, Kansas. The men are identified as A. E. Forinash, Clyde Forinash, Frank Weber, and Charlie Funk. They built more than 70 bridges and culverts in Wabaunsee County.

Building a road in Thomas County, Kansas
Date: Between 1915 and 1930
A team of mules pulls a grader being used to build a dirt road in Thomas County, Kansas.

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

Charles Chadwick to Hiram Hill
Creator: Chadwick, Charles
Date: September 19, 1857
Charles Chadwick wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Chadwick told him of Samuel Simpson's return, and the business dealings that resulted from it. It appeared that all investors would get their land as promised. He expressed excitement about the construction of a new bridge, which would "secure [Quindaro's] Supremacy over Wyandotte and Kansas City" for easing trade in the area. Chadwick also mentioned an upcoming election, and asked Hill if he expected many from Massachusetts to emigrate to K.T. this season.

Comparative Cost of Travel
Date: 1919
Promotional brochure exhorting the virtues of automobiles and trucks over team drive carriages in the hauling of agricultural products over good roads.

Construction,Topeka, Kansas
Date: 1990
These four images taken near the Menninger Camps in western Topeka, Kansas show the Wanamaker and 6th Street intersection. Image one is looking southwest, two is looking west, three is looking south or southeast, and four is looking west again.

Construction of the Tuttle Creek Dam
Date: 1952
A collection of six photographs detailing the beginning of the Tuttle Creek Dam project on the Kansas River in Riley County, Kansas. The contract for this initial construction was awarded to the George Bennet Construction Company of Kansas City, in the amount of $2,238,888. The photographs show the initial moving of excavated earth and limestone, the preparatory work for the construction of a temporary bridge, and various views of ongoing excavation. Tuttle Creek Dam was constructed by the U. S. Army Engineer District, Kansas City, Corps of Engineers.

Construction on the Amelia Earhart Memorial bridge at Atchison, Kansas
Creator: Jacobson, John Robert, 1937-2012
Date: Between 2011 and 2012
Here are photographs showing workers building the Amelia Earhart Memorial bridge over the Missouri River at Atchison, Kansas. The bridge opened in December 2012.

Edward Hoogland to Thomas Nesbit Stinson
Creator: Hoogland, Edward
Date: November 16, 1859
Edward Hoogland, writing from Tecumseh, Kansas Territory to Thomas N. Stinson, expressed his views on the prospects of completing a bridge over the Kansas River at Tecumseh. Hoogland and Stinson had been involved in an unsuccessful venture to finance and build a bridge at Tecumseh since 1857. Hoogland also proposed to Stinson a settlement of a debt that he owed to him for the acquisition of land.

Franklin County bridges
Date: Between 1950 and 1960
This photograph shows twin span bridges over railroad tracks and the Marais des Cygnes river near Ottawa on Interstate 35.

Franklin Loomis Crane
Creator: Phillips, Wendell, 1811-1884
Date: Between 1861 and 1884
Franklin Crane, 1808-1884, was a prominent citizen in Topeka, Kansas Territory. He was a member of the Topeka Association and he helped to build the first bridge across the Kansas River from Topeka. He also established the Topeka Cemetery and served as director of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad beginning in 1860. This picture was most likely taken after Kansas was admitted to the Union in 1861.

Good Roads Constitutional Amendment
Date: 1919
This small pamphlet was published by the Kansas Good Roads Association urging Kansas voters to pass Amendment no.3 to improve roads of all kinds.

Good Roads Day, Beloit, Kansas
Date: 1914
This is a photograph showing men building roads on a Good Roads Day in Beloit, Kansas.

Good Roads Help Farmers
Date: 1919
Promotional brochure designed as a talk to encourage road construction to enhance agricultural productivity and rural community development.

Governor Clyde M. Reed correspondence, waterways
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1929-1931 : Reed)
Date: 1929-1931
This file includes subject correspondence relating to waterways. Topics in the correspondence cover but is not limited to toll bridges and finances. File is incomplete, because the responses by Governor Clyde have been removed prior to arriving at the Kansas Historical Society. This file is part of a bigger collection of Governor Clyde M. Reed correspondence.

Grading a road on Hackberry Creek, Logan County, Kansas
Date: Between 1915 and 1925
This photograph shows a work crew grading a road on Hackberry Creek in Logan County, Kansas using horse-drawn implements.

Grading a street using horses
Date: Between 1930 and 1939
A photograph showing Cook & Stucker Paving Company's workers using horse drawn equipment to grade and level a road in an unidentified town. Cook & Stucker Paving Company had their office in Ottawa, Kasnas.