Abbie Bright
Date: 1870
Abbie Bright at age 22 photographed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Abbie Bright diary
Creator: Bright, Abbie, 1848-1926
Date: 1868-1921
Born in Pennsylvania in 1848, Abbie Bright traveled to Kansas in 1870 as a young woman and her diary is primarily an account of this trip. It gives excellent accounts of daily life and settlement activities. The "diary" is actually composed of two different manuscripts and both are presented here. The first is an eighty-six page loose-leaf diary with consistent entries from September 2, 1870 - December 20, 1871. The second is a bound composition book with 129 written pages. This book begins with a childhood reminiscence written in Iowa in 1914 (p1-23), followed by a reminiscence of her Kansas trip written in Iowa in 1921 (p24-36) that covers Aug 23, 1870 - Jan 30, 1871. The book then includes some recipes dated 1868-1871 and a receipt dated 1884 (p37-41), and finally consistent diary entries from February 2, 1871 - December 21, 1871 (p41-129). A complete, revised transcription of both manuscripts is available by clicking on "Text Version" below. A previous, annotated transcription that combines the 1870-1871 entries from both manuscripts was published in the Kansas Historical Quarterly in 1971 and is available through a link below.

Aetna Insurance Company
Creator: Aetna Insurance Company
Date: 1864 - 1870
Copies of Aetna Insurance Company fire policy records for insured properties in Lawrence and Baldwin, Douglas County and Osage County, Kansas. The records include amount insured; descriptions of the buildings including the date built, construction materials, fuel, lights, and size; businesses occupying the structures; present cash values; locations; specification of renewal; copy of endorsements; and assignments or transfers. Many of the buildings were located on Massachusetts Street in Lawrence.

Alfred and Elizabeth Springett Mercer
Date: 1870
This is a photograph of Alfred and Elizabeth Springett Mercer who came to the United States from England with their seven children. The family settled in Cottonwood, Chase County, which later became Strong City, Kansas.

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.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Dodge City, Kansas
Date: Between 1870 and 1879
This stereograph shows a group of men gathered in front of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot in Dodge City, Kansas. The box car may have been the first depot in the town.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Wichita, Kansas
Date: Between 1874 and 1876
This photograph shows the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot and rail yard in Wichita, Kansas. Also visible are people on the depot platform, freight cars, a coal company, and the buildings, residences, and businesses of Wichita.

Attorney General's Office
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1869 - 1872

Auditor of State's Office
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1869 - 1870

Blind, Asylum for the
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1870 - 1871

Blind Asylum, superintendent of
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1869 - 1870

Bonds, State
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1869 - 1871

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

Bridge, Fort Hays, Kansas
Date: 1870
This photograph represents a bridge in Fort Hays, Kansas that passes over a stream surrounded by trees. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Buffalo hunter's home, Sheridan, Kansas
Creator: Benecke, R.
Date: 1870
This is a photograph of a buffalo hunter's home on the Kansas Pacific Railway, Sheridan, Kansas. It is part of Benecke's series "On The Kansas Pacific Railway."

Businesses in Humboldt, Allen County, Kansas
Date: 1870
A view of businesses in Humboldt, Kansas, including E.N. Wert Manas' and Humboldt's Livery Stable.

Captain James Monroe Williams and family
Date: 1870
A photograph showing Captain James Monroe Williams and family posed in front of their living quarters. The photograph was probably taken at Fort Selden, New Mexico. People in the photograph are (left to right) soldier holding horse unidentified, Captain James Monroe Williams, Mrs. James Monroe Williams, and an unidentified nurse holding John Absalom Williams.

Carrie Rood
Date: 1870
This postmortem photograph of Carrie Rood (1869-1870), infant daughter of George H. and Helen Mars (Thomas) Rood, was taken after her death from consumption in Lapeer, Michigan. The Rood family later moved to rural Marion County, Kansas, where they built a farm, livestock, and feed business in partnership with their sole surviving child, Ashley.

Claims, Price Raid
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1869 - 1872

Cloud County organization records
Creator: Kansas. Secretary of State
Date: 1870
In order for an unorganized county to be recognized by the state of Kansas, a certain number of householders/legal electors had to petition the governor. The governor would appoint a census taker. Initially, unorganized counties were required to document that they had at least 600 inhabitants in order to be recognized as a county by the state legislature. Over time the number of residents needed to organize a county changed to 1500 and later to 2500 residents. The census was submitted to the governor who then issued a proclamation indicating that the requirements had been met, appointing county commissioners and a county clerk, and naming a county seat. Not all of these documents are available for each county. Included in this file is the report of votes cast for the county seat, with Concordia being declared the town with the most votes. A complete transcription is available by clicking "Text Version" below.

Commissioner of deeds : California
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1869 - 1872

Commissioner of deeds : England
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1870

Commissioner of deeds : Florida
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1869 - 1872

Commissioner of deeds : Illinois
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1869 - 1872

Commissioner of deeds : Louisiana
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1869-1873 : Harvey)
Date: 1869 - 1872