A Kansas Pacific Railway map of Kansas and Colorado
Creator: Kansas Pacific Railway Company
Date: Between 1865 and 1880
This map by the Kansas Pacific Railway Company features their "Golden Belt Route" from Kansas City to the "rich silver discoveries in Colorado." It advertises the "shortest and quickest, therefore the cheapest, route to Colorado." The map includes all of the counties of Kansas and eastern Colorado and most of the cities, towns and communities.

A New Home in an Old Settlement: Come and see the "New Land in an Old Country"
Date: May 1, 1876
This paper advertises for sale land, formerly owned by the Pottawatomie Nation, from 1837 to 1868, and then purchased by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail Road Company. On the reverse side of the paper is a sectional map showing the area and identifying those lands that were still for sale by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Company. The text gives brief descriptions of the cities and towns in the area; the railroads available; fuel and lumber that are native to the area; and, descriptions and prices of the land.

A farm out west. Emigration folder of the great Rock Island route
Date: 1897
This Chicago & Rock Island railroad pamphlet promotes agricultural production and settlement in the southwestern states of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

A geographically correct map of the Kansas Pacific Railway showing the only direct route to Denver and all the popular Rocky Mountain resorts . . .
Creator: Kansas Pacific Railway Company
Date: May 1877
This large brochure contains a full map on one side of Kansas, Colorado, and portions of surrounding states including the Black Hills of South Dakota. The reverse side has a myriad of information encouraging immigration to Kansas with the purchase of Kansas Pacific Railway lands; freighting between the Missouri River and Denver; $45.00 round trip tickets for tourists between Kansas City and Denver; enjoying the Switzerland of America and its many resorts; the railway line with Pullman sleepers, steel tracks and Westinghouse brakes; gold and silver mining in the San Juan and Black Hill regions; health resorts with pure air for weak lungs, sulfur springs, iron springs and hot springs; and a time table for the Kansas Pacific Railway. All of this was meant to promote travel on the Kansas Pacific Railway. NOTE: Because of the design of the brochure, pages 2 and 3 are duplicates but the right side up of the text is in the lower half of each image.

A glimpse of the Southwest; New Mexico, the Santa Fe Route
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: 1884
This brochure advertises the "Fertile Rio Grande Valley" of New Mexico. Rich in gold, silver, copper, lead, iron and coal along with forests, farms, orchards, vineyards, meadows and flocks and herds. The brochure describes the history of territory and the State of New Mexico; describes the land; tells of the natural resources that are being mined; and, of the agricultural crops being raised. The climate, the towns and educational opportunities are described. Two maps show the route of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail Road System in the United States and Mexico; and, the whole State of New Mexico.

Agricultural development, wealth and rural population of the states on the tributory to the Union Pacific Railroad for the years of 1900-1910
Creator: Union Pacific Railway Company
Date: September 17, 1912
Union Pacific Railroad Company Agricultural Bulletin (No. 104). Union Pacific Railroad promotional advertisement showing aggregate statistical wealth values and population figures for areas west of the Mississippi River during a ten year period of time.

A handbook of useful information for immigrants and settlers
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: 1880-1889
Published by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, this pamphlet encouraged agricultural settlement on railroad lands in Kansas by glorifying the state's natural resources including water, soil, mineral deposits and plant life. Printed by the Kansas Farmer in Topeka, Kansas.

All bound for the Kansas valleys!
Date: Between 1870 and 1880
This brochure advertises the sale of five million acres of land by the Kansas Pacific Railroad, along the Kaw, Big Blue, Republican, Smoky Hill, Solomon, Saline, and Victoria Rivers in Kansas. The illustration on the last page may have been drawn by Topeka artist Henry Worrall.

A map of the route and land grant of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway
Creator: Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company
Date: 1871
A large, sectional map of the central United States showing the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway with its land grants plus the connecting railroads. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad runs from Junction City, Kansas, and Sedalia, Missouri, to meet at Parsons, Kansas, and continue on to the Mexican border and Houston, Texas. There is also a small, inset map of the entire United States with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway and its connecting lines shown.

A map showing the location of the farming and grazing lands of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad company in the fertile valley of the Arkansas River in Kansas
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: 1892
This brochure advertises the advantages of settling in south central and western Kansas. Included are a photograph of the Beeson farm near Dodge City, Kansas, and a full width map of the Arkansas Valley in Kansas. Also included are testimonials by numerous settlers and descriptions of Rush, Finney, Ford, Pawnee, Gray and Kearney Counties.

A new home in an old settlement
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: 1878?
A large poster distributed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to encourage land settlement in the Pottawattomie Reserve in eastern Kansas. Included on the poster is a full page map of the Pottawattomie Reserve on one side and four pictures of the land on the other. The poster/brochure was encouraging farming and settlement in this area because of ready access via the railroad to all markets east of Topeka. Included are brief descriptions of Topeka, Wamego, St. Mary's, Alma and other small towns. Prices and ways to purchase the land are detailed.

A new home in an old settlement!
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: May 1, 1880
A large brochure distributed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to encourage land settlement in the Pottawattomie Reserve in eastern Kansas. Included in the brochure are a large map of the Reserve on one side and seven small photographs on the reverse side. There is also a brief description of the cities of Topeka, Alma, Louisville, St. Mary's, Wamego and Kingsville plus details on how the land might be purchased.

An excursion of the Great Western Land Company in Finney County, Kansas
Creator: Steele, F. M. (Francis Marion), 1866-1936
Date: Between 1900 and 1910
A photograph showing people posed in front of automobiles and railroad passenger cars in Finney County, Kansas. They are on a Great Western Land Company excursion.

Arkansas Valley Guide, Southwest Kansas
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: 1878
This circular would be free to any address. Its purpose was to promote the development of the Arkansas River Valley in southwest Kansas. It tells of the agricultural progress of the nine counties in the Valley from 1872 to 1878. These counties are Harvey, McPherson, Sedgwick, Reno, Rice, Barton, Pawnee, Edwards, and Rush. Statistics shown for grain crops are for wheat, corn, rye, oats and barley. For livestock, statistics are for horses, mules, milk cows, other cattle, sheep and swine. Other subjects covered are timber, fruit trees, and hedges; water power; climate, and fruit growing. Examples of purchase prices and terms of sale are presented.

A staff correspondent of the Chicago Inter Ocean, visits Kansas
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: April 06, 1882
One of a weekly series of booklets titled "The Inter Ocean" published by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to promote the settling of Kansas. The topics in this eight page booklet include A Sweet Subject (sugar cane), The Land O'Mutton, Silk Culture in Kansas, Stockman's Paradise and About Ditch Farming. A farm of one thousand acres could be purchased from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad for $6,000 on eleven years time.

Beautiful Oklahoma and Indian Territory
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: 1892
A brochure promoting the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad route through Oklahoma territory for possible settlers. A map of Oklahoma is included.

Beautiful Oklahoma and Indian Territory
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: March, 1892
A brochure advertising the many advantages of settling in beautiful Oklahoma. It includes information about how to acquire land under the Homestead Law. The brochure describes some of the American Indian tribes in Oklahoma. Included is a detailed map of Oklahoma and also a map of the southwest United States with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad marked. A timetable is included along with instructions for making a claim and details of the Homestead Law. Oklahoma City and Guthrie, Oklahoma, are described. The brochure is just two pages front and back. However, the second page has print in two directions so two versions of that page are included.

Beautiful Oklahoma and the Santa Fe Route
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: 1891
A brochure promoting immigration to Oklahoma and the Indian territories using the Santa Fe route. Information about various cities, mineral resources, the Homestead Law, and the raising of cotton are included. Detailed maps of Oklahoma and the southwestern United States are also included.

C.B. Schmidt to Colonel A.S. Johnson
Creator: Schmidt, C. B.
Date: March 23, 1875
This letter is from C.B. Schmidt, foreign agent for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to Colonel A.S. Johnson of the Land Commission. Schmidt writes about stopping in Prussia to get information on the local Mennonites and what their feelings are on immigrating to the United States.

C.B. Schmidt to Colonel A.S. Johnson
Creator: Schmidt, C. B.
Date: June 09, 1877
This letter is from C.B. Schmidt, foreign agent for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to Colonel A.S. Johnson, Acting Land Commission for the Santa Fe Railroad. Schmidt writes about the prospect of foreign immigration coming to the United States in the near future, mostly focusing on the number of Mennonites and other Russo-Germans expected to immigrate. Page 7 of the letter contains a statement of land sales to "Foreigners from the U.S. and Canada" and "Foreigners from Europe Direct. It covers the time period February 15, 1873, through May 30, 1877. Sales are grouped by Germans, Austrians, Scandinavians, French, Russo-Germans, Dutch, and Swiss. It shows the number of acres and the amount of income by group.

Carl Bernhard Schmidt
Date: Between 1900 and 1910
Two portraits of Carl Bernhard Schmidt who was born September 7, 1843 in Dippildisvalde, Saxony. After attending public school, Queen Anna's College, and Dresden Commercial College, he took a position as a foreign correspondence. In August 1864, he sailed for New York where he spent a week before traveling west to St. Louis, Missouri. During his time in St. Louis, he taught music and worked in a mercantile house. In August, 1866, he married Miss Mattie Fraim and two years later he came to Lawrence, Kansas. While in Lawrence he was an active correspondent for German newspapers, which led to his appointment as commissioner of immigration for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. Schmidt moved to Topeka in January, 1873, and he remained in that position until most of the lands were sold. He is credited with bringing many of the Mennonite families to Kansas. In 1880 he established the London office of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and remained in that office for three years. After leaving the railroad, he was involved in land investments and later worked for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company in Europe.

Carte du chemin de fer Athison, Topeka et Santa Fe, aves ses ramifications
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: Between 1884 and 1894
This advertising circular and map published by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad is written in French. It promotes immigration and land development in the Arkansas River Valley in the State of Kansas. One side of the brochure describes the territory and the advantages of further development of three million acres of land. The reverse side has a map of the central portion of the United States, from New York City on the East coast to Colorado and New Mexico. An itinerary describes how to travel, by railroad, to the Arkansas River Valley, from twenty-seven cities in the East and Midwest. Etchings of the Cow Creek valley in Rice County, Kansas, and the Arkansas River valley at Great Bend, Kansas, accompany the map.

Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad offers land from Atchison to Kirwin and Bull City
Creator: Union Pacific Railroad, Central Branch
Date: January 1880
This brochure encourages the purchase of land twenty miles either side of the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad. The Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad lies primarily from Atchison to Concordia and north. There is a full map of the area on the reverse side of the brochure. Also included are brief descriptions of Marshall, Brown, Jackson, Riley, Pottawatomie and Nemaha counties. There is a drawing of the Blue Rapids Woolen Mills and power plant.

Charles Chadwick to Hiram Hill
Creator: Chadwick, Charles
Date: December 14, 1859
Charles Chadwick wrote from Quindaro, Kansas Territory, to Hiram Hill in Massachusetts. Chadwick reported that the Republicans (anti-slavery supporters) had been successful in recent elections. However, the economy was worse than the year before, according to Chadwick, money was scarce, and the city of Quindaro had not started collecting property taxes because the amounts would exceed the value of the property. A newspaper "The Kansas Tribune" had begun to circulate after a period in which there had been no newspaper, and the Parkville and Grand River Railroad was slated to be constructed through the town.

Charles Robinson to William Hutchinson
Creator: Robinson, Charles, 1818-1894
Date: December 31, 1858
Charles Robinson writes from Washington, D. C., to speculate about the prospects for financing and building a railroad in the Kansas River valley. He contends that government land grants would be necessary for the successful construction and operation of a railroad. Robinson also defends himself against charges that he was not working hard enough to convince the U.S. Congress to support a railroad in the Kansas River valley.