101 Ranch Cowboy Band, Wichita, Kansas
Date: Between 1900 and 1909
A photograph of a parade taken at the intersection of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Wichita, Kansas. Visible is the float for the 101 Ranch Cowboy Band of Bliss, Oklahoma, as well as the Manhattan Cigar Company store and several other buildings and businesses along the city streets.

Abelard Guthrie to Hiram Hill
Creator: Guthrie, Abelard
Date: January 18, 1859
Abelard Guthrie wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Guthrie reported that there had been "considerable progress" in Quindaro lately: a railroad was being constructed, telegraph wires were hung, and a factory and foundry had been established. Guthrie told Hill that if Hill would forget the Kansas Avenue grading disagreement and repay him his debt, Guthrie would travel to Washington to obtain a railroad grant.

Abernathy desk chair
Creator: Abernathy Furniture Company
Date: between 1918 and 1925
Oak desk chair with a blond finish, made by the Abernathy Furniture Company of Leavenworth, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri. LaVern Clair Noyes of Osborne acquired the chair from the Larosh Family of Osborne County, possibly in trade for services. Noyes was a custom harvester who also sold insurance and real estate.

Aerial view of Garden City, Finney County, Kansas
Date: 1935
An aerial view of Garden City, Kansas. The photograph also shows the only sugar factory located in Kansas.

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.

Album of Topeka, Kansas
Creator: Ward Brothers, Columbus, Ohio
Date: 1888
This printed album contains engravings of public buildings and homes in Topeka, Kansas.

Alma Electric and Ice Plant, Alma, Kansas
Date: Between 1910 and 1915
Photograph of the Alma Electric and Ice Plant in Alma, Kansas. The plant was located between 3rd and 4th Streets west of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe depot, between the Santa Fe and the Rock Island tracks.

Altoona Ice Company, Wilson County, Kansas
Date: 1890-1920
This photograph shows a horse and wagon and a horse and buggy at the loading dock of the Altoona Ice Company in Wilson County, Kansas. The man in the wagon is loading a block of ice.

A proposed temperance law
Creator: Buchan, William Johnston
Date: 1883
A proposed temperance law suggested by W. J. Buchan; which would later on in 1883 become Senate Bill number 74. This proposal would prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors except for medical, scientific, and mechanical purposes, and to punish those were caught being intoxicated.

Archer Daniels Midland Company, Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas
Date: 1928-1966
These two photographs show the exterior doorway of the Archer Daniels Midland Company, Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas, and the machinery inside the plant. The Archer Daniels Midland Company was incorporated in Kansas in 1928 to produce vegetable oils and related products.

Arkansas City, Kansas
Creator: Bridge, Esther Y.
Date: October 1870
This painting was drawn by Esther Y. Bridge showing early Arkansas City from a distance. Sleeth's Mill and Speer's Mill are featured in the two inserts below the larger painting.

Atlas of Kansas City, Kansas, formerly Wyandotte, Kansas City, Kansas and Armourdale, including Argentine, and Rosedale
Creator: Rascher Insurance Map Publishing Co.
Date: 1893
This fire insurance atlas shows blocks, lots, buildings and property ownership for Kansas City, Kansas (formerly Wyandotte, Kansas City, and Armourdale), Argentine and Rosedale. An index to specials (businesses and public services) and a street index precede the plat maps at the beginning of the volume. The color assigned to a structure indicates its building material. A key to colors and other symbols is available on the title page. Summaries of the operations and facilities of major industries and businesses are included with some plats. Businesses showcased include packing houses, stockyards, grain elevators, and metal smelters and refiners.

A trip with the camera man
Date: 1940
This silent film by an unknown photographer features various businesses and industries in Lawrence, Kansas. The film begins with children playing on a playground followed by an airplane landing at an airport. The photographer visits an airplane factory, the Wister Chevrolet Co. car dealer and repair shop, a roller skating rink, the L. T. Harris Co. Oil-O-Matic appliance dealer, a shooting range, a machine shop, an ice plant, the Hall Brothers truck lines, the Cadwell chick hatchery, and a restaurant. The film ends with a plane taking off from the airport.

Baldwin-Ward Manufacturing Company of Ottawa Kansas
Date: Between 1930 and 1950
View of the exterior of the Baldwin-Ward Manufacturing Company of Ottawa, Kansas.

Barclay's Business Directory of Leavenworth for 1859
Creator: Pierse, Allen
Date: 1859
In addition to a listing of businesses and advertisements, the directory included the elected officials for the city of Leavenworth for 1858-59 and the newspapers published in Leavenworth. A few women are listed as owners of businesses. The information for the directory was compiled by Allen Pierse.

Beer Bottle from Fort Scott, 14BO302
Date: 1880-1910
This beer bottle was recovered from the Fort Scott National Historic Site during excavations conducted there between 1968 through 1972 by Kansas Historical Society archeologists. When Fort Scott was built it was on the western military frontier, but is now located within the city limits of Fort Scott. The aqua bottle has an applied crown neck finish and was made on a two-piece mold. The letters "AB" appear on the base in addition to the mold number. This indicates the bottle was manufactured by Adolphus Busch, who founded two glass companies, the Adolphus Busch Glass Company at St. Louis, Missouri, and the American Glass Company at Streator, Illinois.

Benjamin Talbot Babbitt to Governor Thomas Carney
Creator: Benjamin Talbot Babbitt
Date: December 30, 1863
In this letter, prominent New York soap manufacturer B.T. Babbitt writes to Kansas governor Thomas Carney to offer 100 packages of his soap to the victims of Quantrill's raid on Lawrence.

Berry Garment Manufacturer's Inc., Columbus, Kansas
Date: May 01, 1947
A photograph showing the employees of Berry Garment Manufacturer's Inc., in Columbus, Kansas. The business was located at 422 N. Kansas Avenue.

Bidwell Wagon Shop, Topeka, Kansas
Date: Between 1890 and 1899
A photograph showing five men working in the Bidwell Wagon Shop located on E. 6th Street, Topeka, Kansas. People in the photograph are Mr. Boten, with beard, and Ona Boten (son) with derby hat.

Bird's eye view of Gunnison, Colorado
Creator: Stoner, J. J.
Date: 1882
This lithograph is a bird's eye view of Gunnison, Colorado. The population was 5,500 in 1882. The legend identifies the following: Court House, Jail, schools, 2 railroad depots, 2 banks, The Gunnison Valley Planing Mill, the Post Office, Water works, Gas works, newspapers, hotels, and churches. Several mountain peaks in the background are identified. The insets on the lower left show a railroad round house and the Lewis House. The insets on the lower right show Buck's addition and the Georgia Avenue School. The street names are shown. The publisher of the lithograph was J. J. Stoner of Madison, Wisconsin, and the printer wa Beck & Paul Lithograph, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Bird's eye view of Lawrence, Kansas
Creator: Morse, D. D
Date: 1880
This colored lithograph presents a bird's eye view of Lawrence, Kansas. The Kansas River runs through the fore ground of the image. Street names are easily visible. The lithograph has two legends. The one on the left is titled "The New" and the one on the right is "The Old." The "new" legend identifies churches, businesses, manufacturing,railroad depots, schools, and "Kansas State University," which is actually the University of Kansas. The "old" legend includes the first house in Lawrence and homes of early settlers, structures related to the New England Emigrant Aid Society, newspapers, hotels, churches, and other early structures. An inset in the lower right corner depicts Lawrence in 1855. Bismarck Grove, a park and fair ground, is in the lower left insert on the image. The bird's eye view was drawn by D. D. Morse and published by Wm. Zeuch & Co., Chicago, Illinois.

Bird's eye view of Ottawa, Kansas
Creator: Glover, E. S. (Eli Sheldon), 1844-1920
Date: 1872
This colored lithograph is a bird's eye view of Ottawa, Franklin County, Kansas. It shows an extensive community and the references (legends) identify schools, churches, manufacturing plants, and railroads. The population of Ottawa at this time was 4000. The lithograph shows an extensive railroad machine shops for the Lawrence, Leavenworth, and Galveston Railroad. Insets across the bottom from left to right show: Union School, Ludington House, Hamblin's block including the 1st National Bank, and Ottawa University. The title section of the illustration identifies George W. Hamblin as land agent. Forest Park is shown. The Marais des Cygnes River flows the Ottawa north of the business district. The lithograph was drawn by E. S. Glover and published by the Strobridge & Co. Lith., Cincinnati, Ohio.

Birds-eye view of the glass and brick plants near West Mound, Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas
Date: 1908-1918
These two photographs are a black and white birds-eye view of the glass and brick plants taken in 1908, and a hand-colored postcard from 1918. The plants are located near near West Mound in Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas.

Blower
Date: between 1955 and 2000
Burner for bending glass tubes in the production of neon signs. Two crossfiring cannon burners attached to a small square base. Belonged to Emil Kutka of Topeka, former owner of the Neon Advertising Company. City directories indicate that Kutka first came to Topeka in 1954 or 1955, when he began work as a glassblower at Neon Advertising. At that time, the company was affiliated with the Landeene Adverstising Company. By 1970 Kutka was listed as the company's Vice President.

Blower
Date: between 1955 and 2000
Hand torch for bending glass tubes in the production of neon signs. Belonged to Emil Kutka of Topeka, former owner of the Neon Advertising Company. City directories indicate that Kutka first came to Topeka in 1954 or 1955, when he began work as a glassblower at Neon Advertising. At that time, the company was affiliated with the Landeene Adverstising Company. By 1970 Kutka was listed as the company's Vice President.