Albert Green, World War I soldier
Date: 1918
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 Albert J. Green. Green died on October 11, 1918 from influenza while at home on furlough.

Alfred M. Landon's Notification Day Parade, Topeka, Kansas
Date: July 23, 1936
View of an Independence, Kansas marching band. The band was performing in Kansas Governor Alfred M. Landon's Notification Day Parade in celebration of the notification of his nomination to run as the Republican party's candidate in the 1936 presidential election. Landon was defeated in November by a landslide vote for incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Alfred M. Landon's Notification Day Parade, Topeka, Kansas
Date: July 23, 1936
View of an Independence, Kansas marching band. The band was performing in Kansas Governor Alfred M. Landon's Notification Day Parade in celebration of the notification of his nomination to run as the Republican party's candidate in the 1936 presidential election. Landon was defeated in November by a landslide vote for incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt.

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.

Art Work on Eastern Kansas
Creator: Western Photogravure Company
Date: 1900
This pictorial book gives a brief overview of eastern Kansas. This is part ten of twelve. Views of the Melan Arch Bridge in Topeka, Plymouth Congregational Church in Lawrence, Independence High School, and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad depot in Parsons are some of the featured photographs.

Art Work on Eastern Kansas
Creator: Western Photogravure Company
Date: 1900
This pictorial book gives a brief overview of eastern Kansas. This is part six of twelve. The Blue River in Manhattan, the Montgomery County courthouse in Independence, and a street scene in Fort Scott are some of the featured photographs.

Art Work on Eastern Kansas
Creator: Western Photogravure Company
Date: 1900
This pictorial book gives a brief overview of eastern Kansas. This is part seven of twelve. The stockyards in Kansas City, Kansas, the Soldier's Home in Leavenworth, and Ft. Scott High School are some of the featured photographs.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company's freight depot, Independence, Kansas
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: May 1931
This photograph shows the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company 's freight depot at Independence, Kansas. The depot was built in 1872.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Independence, Kansas
Date: Between 1910 and 1914
This photograph shows a group of people standing in front of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot in Independence, Kansas. The one-story "prairie style" station features a hipped roof with a semi-hexagonal operator's bay and a matching bay at the waiting room end. The depot no longer stands.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Independence, Kansas
Creator: Killam, H.
Date: September 04, 1965
This photograph shows the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot in Independence, Kansas. The one-story "prairie style" station features a hipped roof with a semi-hexagonal operator's bay and a matching bay at the waiting room end. The depot no longer stands.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Independence, Kansas
Creator: Kelley, F.O.
Date: Between 1910 and 1914
This photograph shows a street view of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot in Independence, Kansas. The track view would show a one-story "prairie style" station with a hipped roof and a semi-hexagonal operator's bay with a matching bay at the waiting room end. The depot no longer stands.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Independence, Kansas
Creator: Killam, H.
Date: June 18, 1955
This photograph shows the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot in Independence, Kansas. The one-story "prairie style" station features a hipped roof with a semi-hexagonal operator's bay and a matching bay at the waiting room end. The depot no longer stands.

Atlas and plat book of Montgomery County, Kansas
Creator: Kenyon Company (Des Moines, Iowa)
Date: c1916
This atlas contains an outline map of the county, plats of all the townships with owners' names, principal towns, Kansas state map showing automobile roads and map of the world, compiled from latest data on record.

Automobile Club of Wichita Year Book
Creator: Automobile Club of Wichita, Kansas
Date: 1909-1910
The Automobile Club of Wichita published this year book for the years 1909-1910. Its content reflects that automobile travel was a recent introduction to the lives of Kansans. It includes advertisements from automobile dealers, garages, and other businesses in Wichita, Hutchinson, Newton, Winfield, El Dorado, Dodge City, Yates Center, Iola, Independence, Topeka, Emporia, Garden City, and Lawrence. It also lists the officers and board of directors of the club, its constitution and bylaws, the Kansas law regulation the use of automobiles, two Wichita ordinances (#2875 and 3002) related to the use of cars, and rules of the road. The bulk of the yearbook provides driving routes to and from various cities and towns in Kansas, as well as Colorado and Oklahoma. An index to the routes and maps is on pages 22-23. These driving routes include specific directions and include references to many small towns and local landmarks, etc. The yearbook also lists Wichita residents that own automobiles, their license numbers and the type of automobile they own. The booklet concludes with a list of members of the automobile club.

Barn near Independence, Kansas
Date: April 1936
This is a photograph showing a barn near Independence, Kansas.

Baseball team, Independence, Kansas
Date: 1896
This cabinet card photograph is of the 1896 Independence, Kansas, baseball team. Independence joined the Kansas State League when it was established in late June 1896. Other members of the league included Parsons, Emporia and Junction City. By mid-July, however, the league had expanded and reorganized into northern and southern divisions. The Northern Kansas League included Junction City, Topeka, Emporia and Minneapolis. Members of the Southern Kansas League were Independence, Parsons, Chanute and Coffeyville. Independence finished first in the Southern Kansas League. This photograph was taken fairly late in the 1896 season since it includes two players who joined the team in mid-August. The players pictured include: top row (l to r) -- Harry Colburn (p), Doc Goodell (p), Billy Oswald (ss), Jimmy Underwood (lf); middle row (l to r) -- Walter Frantz (3b); Tom Drummy (p), Claude Jones (c), Hulbert (cf); bottom row (l to r) -- William Conlin (1b), E. Jones (rf), and Wiley Hill (2b). The photographer was Brown of Independence.

Business street in Independence, Kansas
Date: Between 1870 and 1872
Exterior view of Kincaid & Root, dry goods and groceries, and neighboring gun shop and meat market located on a business street in Independence, Kansas.

Charles E. Hughes Invited to Kansas Banker's Assoc. Meeting
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1915-1919: Capper)
Date: 1915
This file includes an invitation by Governor Arthur Capper to Honor Charles E. Hughes, Associate Justice in Washington, D. C. Governor Capper is extending a personal invitation along with the Kansas Bankers Association to attend the annual meeting in Independence, Kansas. This is part of a bigger collection of Governor Arthur Capper correspondence.

Chester Stevens to Andrew Schoeppel
Creator: Stevens, Chester
Date: August 02, 1943
In this letter to Governor Schoeppel, Chester Stevens of Independence, Kansas, argues that the proposed cut in the value gasoline "A" coupons to the Midwest is unfair due to the great distances between many towns and cities in that area of the country.

Commemorative spoon
Date: between 1890 and 1920
Sterling commemorative spoon. Scene of the "City Hospital. Independence, Kan." engraved in bowl.

Earl Thomas Reynolds to Governor Fred Hall
Creator: Reynolds, Earl Thomas
Date: February 11, 1955
This letter was written by Earl Thomas Reynolds, a lawyer in Coffeyville, Kansas, to Governor Fred Hall. Reynolds was concerned that black people in Kansas were not receiving adequate patronage and political party representation in or by the Republican Party, particularly in the third district. Mr Reynolds inquired why should blacks continue to support the Republican Party, at all levels of government, if their support is not rewarded by the party.

Eye Hoe from Montgomery County
Date: Unknown
This eye hoe was found near Independence, in Montgomery County, on land that may have been owned at one time by Osage Indians. It was donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 1891. According to the donor record the hoe was "found several feet down." The eye hoe gets its name from the collar or "eye" at the top of the blade, which is used as a handle attachment. Eye hoes are also called peasant hoes, ox eye hoes or scovil hoes. They are common throughout the world and represent one of the oldest styles of hoe.

First house built in Independence, Kansas
Date: Between 1890 and 1895
Men posing with the first house built in Independence, Kansas. The house was built in 1869.

First space monkey, Independence, Kansas
Date: Between 1959 and 1960
This photograph shows a woman and child reading a sign stating, "Birthplace of Miss Able: First Space Monkey." Miss Able, a rhesus monkey, was born December 1957, on Monkey Island at the Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence, Kansas. On May 28, 1959, Miss Able traveled aboard the Jupiter Missile Rocket. She survived the voyage but died on June 01, 1959 due to complications from surgery to remove the electrodes from her body. Miss Able's body is preserved at the Smithsonian Institute of National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Former minor leaguers who played in Independence, Kansas
Creator: Studio 1
Date: 1996
This photograph of former minor league baseball players was taken in 1996 at a Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri (KOM) League reunion organized by league historian John Hall. It includes reunion attendees who played for KOM League teams in Independence, Kansas. The caption printed on the photograph reads "Independence Yankees, 1946-1951." However, the Independence Yankees, an affiliate of the New York Yankees, played in the KOM League between 1947 and 1950; the Independence Browns played in the league in 1952. Individuals seated in the front row are (l to r): Charlie Weber, Keith Speck, Bob Newbill, Bob Signaigo, John Hall (league historian and reunion organizer), Jack Hasten, Kenny Bennett, and Paul Nichols. In the second row are (l to r): Bob Hamric, Al Billingsley, Lilburn Smith, Tom Gott, Ray Haley, and Harland Coffman. In the third row are (l to r): Al Long, Bill Bagwell, Jim Snyders, Stokes Dodson, Bob Loddeke, and Goldie Howard. In the back row are (l to r): Bob Wiesler, Charlie Popovich, Bunny Mick, Denis Jent, and Bob Mallon. Jim Snyders was the only former player photographed who played for the Independence Browns; all of the other former players were members of Independence Yankee teams. The photograph was taken at Jaycee Park in Pittsburg, Kansas during the reunion held between May 31 and June 2, 1996. Digital reproduction of the photograph was accomplished through a joint project sponsored by the Kansas Historical Society and the Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame.