8,000 students affected, state officials see no trouble adjusting schools to new rule
Creator: Topeka Journal
Date: May 17, 1954
This article discusses how the state of Kansas will work to conform to the ruling made in the Brown v. Board of Education decision on May 17, 1954. The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that the segregation of schools based on race was unconstitutional. Many cities in Kansas, including Topeka, Atchison, Salina, Wichita, and Pittsburg were already working to integrate their schools. Topeka had an estimated 625 African American students who would be affected by the court's ruling, and the article lists the numbers for other cities and towns in the state.

Alexander R. Bell, World War I soldier
Creator: Bell, Alexander R.
Date: 1918-1919
Around 1919, the Kansas State Historical Society and the American Legion solicited biographical information from returning veterans (primarily members of the 35th and 89th infantry divisions) and the families of those who died in service, notably from the Gold Star Mothers. Each veteran or family member was asked to provide letters, photographs, a biography, and military records. This file contains information on Alexander R. Bell, Company A, 110th Engineers, 35th Division.

An appeal for help in behalf of the colored refugees in Kansas
Creator: Rust, Horatio Nelson, 1828-1906
Date: January 22, 1881
This flyer, distributed by the Southern Refugee Relief Association of Chicago, Illinois, describes the dire situation of the African-American refugees relocated in Kansas. The secretary of this association, Horatio N. Rust, had taken this opportunity to pass along information relayed to him by Elizabeth Comstock, an aid worker in Topeka. Comstock was thankful for the donations of food and other goods, but asked for more assistance in feeding, clothing, and sheltering these refugees. The flyer also includes short excerpts of letters by agents of the refugee association who had direct knowledge of the emigrants' situation.

Atlas and plat book of Labette County, Kansas
Creator: Kenyon Company (Des Moines, Iowa)
Date: c1916
This atlas contains an outline map of the county, plats of all townships with owners' names, cities and towns, advertisments for local businesses, and a Kansas state map showing automobile roads.

Bird's eye view of Chetopa, Kansas
Date: 1871
This black and white lithograph is a bird's eye view of the city of Chetopa, Kansas. The lithograph shows the location of churches, banks, mills, and railroad depots. A legend below the image identifies some of the buildings.

Chetopa Merchants' Band, Chetopa, Kansas
Date: Between 1900 and 1919
An informal view of the members of the Chetopa Merchants' Band of Chetopa, Kansas. Also visible, in the background, are a long wooden fence, and people standing before an unidentified building.

Chetopa Merchants' Band, Chetopa, Kansas
Date: Between 1900 and 1919
An informal view of the members of the Chetopa Merchants' Band of Chetopa, Kansas, in front of a restaurant building.

Chetopa Merchants' Band, Chetopa, Kansas
Date: Between 1900 and 1919
View of members of the Chetopa Merchants' Band of Chetopa, Kansas. Also visible in the background are spectators and partially-covered bleachers.

Governor's proclamations
Date: 1869-1977
This collection of proclamations issued by Kansas Governors declares first, second or third-class status for Kansas towns and cities. Proclamations are arranged in alphabetical order by town name. Included are descriptions of city limits, plat maps and censuses.

Irby's hardware store Chetopa, Kansas
Date: Between 1880 and 1900
This photograph shows the interior of Irby's hardware store in Chetopa, Kansas.

J. M. Cavaness to Governor John St. John
Creator: Cavaness, J. M.
Date: September 07, 1880
In this letter, publisher J.M. Cavaness, of the Chetopa Advance, inquires whether Kansas Governor St. John will be available to deliver an amendment lecture on the 17th. He states the county of Labette is solidly for the amendment.

J. M. Cavaness to Governor John St. John
Creator: Cavaness, J.M.
Date: January 14, 1880
Editor Cavaness urges Kansas Governor St. John to deliver a "rattling" temperance speech in Chetopa, Kansas.

J. M. Cavaness to Governor John St. John
Creator: Cavaness, J. M.
Date: July 26, 1880
In this letter to Kansas Governor St. John, publisher Cavanesss of the Chetopa Advance, inquires who is responsible for selecting publishers for the Amendments, and would like his paper "put of the list."

J.M. Cavaness to Governor John St. John
Creator: Cavaness, J.M.
Date: April 16, 1879
J.M. Cavaness, editor of the Chetopa Advance, writes Kansas Governor St. John regarding the problem of intemperance supporters in his community "bulldozing" the town to obtain another license. He is confident the temperance contingent will prevail but urges the governor to deliver a supportive speech to his community.

John Allen Mathews
Date: Between 1851 and 1861
John Allen Mathews a pro-slavery supporter from Labette County, who conducted several raids against Free Staters in southeast Kansas, was killed by the 6th Kansas Cavalry under the command of James G. Blunt near Chetopa, Kansas on September 18, 1861.

John Wesley Horner
Creator: Stephenson
Date: Between 1860 and 1865
This cabinet card shows John Wesley Horner, (1834-1874). A veteran of the Civil War, he served as colonel of the 18th Michigan Infantry before becoming the fifth President of Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas, (1866-1867). Within a year of his presidency, he left Baker to pursue a career as a newspaper publisher. On January 6, 1869, Horner and A. S. Cory founded the Chetopa Advance, the second newspaper, in Labette County, Kansas. He held the positions of editor and publisher until he sold the business, in 1873, to L. J. Van Landingham. On August 16, 1874, Horner passed away at the age of forty during a stay at the Kansas Insane Asylum. He was later buried on the grounds of the asylum. The photograph was taken in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Kansas Film Commission site photographs, towns Caldwell - Everest
Creator: Kansas Film Commission
Date: 1980s and 1990s
These are panoramic photographs of Kansas towns beginning with Caldwell and ending with Everest. The Kansas Film Commission created the photos to promote Kansas locations to film companies. Many of the photographs show business districts and buildings. The panoramics were created by taking individual photos and taping them together. Towns and cities included in this part of the collection are: Caldwell, Caney, Carbondale, Cassoday, Cedar Bluffs, Cedar Vale, Centropolis, Chanute, Chase, Chautauqua, Chetopa, Circleville, Clay Center, Clayton, Climax, Clinton, Clyde, Codell, Coffeyville, Colby, Coldwater, Collyer, Colony, Columbus, Concordia, Corona, Courtland, Cuba, Damar, Deering (Dearing), Delavan, Delia, Denison, Denmark, Denton, Derby, De Soto, Dorrance, Dover, Dresden, Dunlap, Durham, Dwight, Easton, Edson, Elk City, Elk Falls, Elkhart, Ellinwood, Ellsworth, Elmdale, Emporia, Ensign, Eudora, and Everest. There are interiors of the Brown Grand Theatre in the Concordia folder. The theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Kansas Refugees
Creator: Chicago Inter-Ocean
Date: Between 1880 and 1881
Horatio N. Rust, secretary of the Southern Refuge Relief Association, sent this letter to the editor of the Chicago Inter Ocean to pass along news from Elizabeth Comstock, agent of the Kansas Freedmen's Relief Association based in Topeka. Comstock feared for the health of 500 refugees, and so Rust asked for contributions of money, bedding, or clothing to send off immediately.

Kansas State Temperance Union expense journals
Creator: Kansas State Temperance Union
Date: 1898-1911
This collection consists of 7 volumes of records from the Kansas State Temperance Union. The first volume lists the members and the dues they paid by local organization. The index lists the communities that have members listed and these communities have been included in the categories. Note: other communities are listed elsewhere in the records, particularly the speaker expenses volume. The second volume is the cash book (expense journal) for the years 1901-1904. Volumes three through five are the cash books for 1907-1910, 1909-1910, and 1910-1911. Volume 6 contains speaker expenses and contribution from the communities where they spoke, listed by name of speaker. Several speakers are listed. Volume 7 is an expense journal for 1907-1911. There are also some loose papers inserted into the volumes, mostly correspondence and form letters.

Main street, Chetopa, Kansas
Creator: Benecke, R.
Date: Between 1870 and 1879
A stereograph view of Main Street in Chetopa, Kansas, showing businesses on one side of the street. Chetopa is located on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway line.

Map of Labette County, Kansas
Creator: Everts, L.H. & Co., Philadelphia, PA
Date: 1875
This map illustrates railroads, cities and creeks within the townships of Labette County, Kansas and is scaled at one half inch to the mile.

Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad depot, Chetopa, Kansas
Creator: Killam, H.
Date: March 31, 1956
This black and white photograph shows the Missouri- Kansas- Texas Railroad depot at Chetopa, Kansas. It was located on the Northern Division, Cherokee Subdivision, at mile post 410.2.

Missouri Pacific Railroad depot, Chetopa, Kansas
Creator: Killam, H.
Date: September 04, 1965
This black and white photograph shows the Missouri Pacific Railroad depot at Chetopa, Kansas. It was located on the Eastern Division, Pittsburg Subdivision, at mile post 392.82.

Parade, Chetopa, Kansas
Date: Between 1900 and 1919
View of a parade in Chetopa, Kansas. The parade is lead by what is, probably, the Chetopa Merchants' Band, followed by several people on bicycles. Also visible are spectators, buildings and businesses, and curbside booths along the far side of the street.

Parade, Chetopa, Kansas
Date: Between 1900 and 1919
View of a parade in Chetopa, Kansas. The parade is lead by a couple in a horse-drawn carriage (the gentleman is wearing a top hat and holding a flagpole with a large American flag), followed by what is, probably, the Chetopa Merchants' Band, a dozen women riders and horses, and a line of horse-drawn carriages. Also visible are spectators, buildings and businesses decorated with American flags and bunting, and many curbside booths and concession stands lining the sides of the street.