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.

A local history of Jerome Township, Gove County, Kansas
Creator: Baker, Fred
Date: 1918
This is a local history of Jerome Township, Gove County, Kansas, as recollected by Fred Baker, Gove City, Kansas. Baker wrote this sketch and submitted it in March 1918 to the Golden Belt Educational Association at Hays, Kansas, and was awarded a prize. Also included is a letter from Judge J.C. Ruppenthal, Russell, Kansas, to William Connelly, Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas, who received the sketch from Baker and wished for it to be donated into the Society's holdings.

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.

Black Friday meets its master
Creator: Garden City Daily Telegram
Date: April 10, 1935
Several articles about life in the Dust Bowl can be found on the front page of this newspaper from Garden City. Articles of particular interest include two articles on "raging dusters," one on the winter wheat crop, and a brief article discussing the postponement of community meetings to distribute aid under the soil erosion program. The newspaper also includes articles about other newsworthy events occurring in Garden City and around the state of Kansas.

Drought report to Governor Landon
Creator: Kansas. State Board of Agriculture. Division of Water Resources
Date: August 28, 1936
This report by Ogden Jones, a geologist for the State Board of Agriculture, includes detailed information about the effects of the drought that struck Kansas during the 1930s and spawned the Dust Bowl. Jones cites precise figures about water levels in major rivers and wells, in addition to information about crops such as winter wheat, sorghum, oats, hay, rye, and fruits (apples, grapes, etc…). The report also contains maps.

Eighth biennial report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, 1891-1892
Creator: Kansas State Board of Agriculture
Date: 1893
This biennial report from the Kansas State Board of Agriculture contains two parts and the page numbering starts over at the beginning of Part II. The volume contains a section on each county, providing summary information about the history of the county, a description of the landscape, crops, livestock, schools, and churches. A large number of tables with statistics about Kansas residents and crop yields, broken down by county, are also included. Other chapters are devoted to interesting subjects such as apiculture, artificial forests, loco weeds, and chinch bugs.

Handbook of Pottawatomie and Riley Counties, Kansas
Date: Between 1880 and 1889
This handbook was published by the Modern Argo, Kansas City, for potential immigrants to Pottawatomie and Riley counties in Kansas. A short description of Davis County is also included. This pamphlet encouraged agricultural settlement by extolling the virtues of this 'beautiful Kansas (river) valley'. Crops grown in the area included corn, wheat, oats, and rye. A number of stock farms, such as Juniatta Stock Farm and Woodside Stock Farm, are described in the booklet. The booklet contains information about dairying operations and orchards. There are descriptions of the towns of Manhattan (including the State Agricultural College), Wamego, Louisville, Westmoreland, Milford, and Belvue. Some illustrations of farms and businesses are also included.

History of Kansas and emigrant's guide
Creator: Chapman, J. Butler
Date: 1855
The title page of the printed volume indicated that it contained "a description geographical and topographical--also climate, soil, productions and comparative value with other states and territories, including its political history, officers-candidates-emigrant colonies-election, abolition, squatter and pro-slavery contentions and inquisitions; with the prospects of the territory for freedom or slavery." Mr. Chapman was a resident of the territory and the information in the booklet was compiled by traveling through Kansas Territory in 1854. The description covers most of the territory and includes information about Native American tribes and lands.

John William Gardiner diary
Creator: Gardiner, John William, 1851-1917
Date: Between May 6, 1875 and June 25, 1875
John William Gardiner was born in or near Platte City, Missouri, in 1851. In March 1855, Gardiner and his family moved to the future site of Winchester, Jefferson County, in the newly opened Kansas Territory. During 1875, he taught school and simultaneously took classes in Leavenworth to obtain his teaching certificate. Many of the diary entries describe his teaching, weather, the grasshopper plague, and extracurricular activities such as singing and visiting friends.

John William Gardiner diary
Creator: Gardiner, John William, 1851-1917
Date: January 1 - December 23, 1875
John William Gardiner was born in or near Platte City, Missouri, in 1851. In March 1855, Gardiner and his family moved to the future site of Winchester, Jefferson County, in the newly opened Kansas Territory. During 1875, he taught school and simultaneously took classes in Leavenworth to obtain his teaching certificate. Many of the diary entries describe his teaching, weather, the grasshopper plague, and extracurricular activities such as singing and visiting friends. A transcription prepared by the diary donor, Allen Gardiner, follows the diary images and includes a one page introduction. An uncorrected, searchable OCR file is available as "Text Version" below.

Scenes of Sherman County, Kansas
Date: 1890-1930
Multiple scenes of Sherman County, Kansas.

Second biennial report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, 1879-80
Creator: Kansas State Board of Agriculture
Date: 1881
This biennial report from the Kansas State Board of Agriculture includes information on livestock and other agricultural topics. Also covered are county statistics for population, acreages, assessed valuation of property, and a listing of churches for each county. Maps of each county show railroads, waterways, post offices, and school houses.

Seventh biennial report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, 1889-1890
Creator: Kansas State Board of Agriculture
Date: 1891
This biennial report from the Kansas State Board of Agriculture contains two parts and the page numbering starts over at the beginning of Part II. The volume contains a section on each county, providing summary information about the history of the county, a description of the landscape, crops, livestock, schools, and churches. A large number of tables with statistics about Kansas residents and crop yields, broken down by county, are also included. Other chapters are devoted to interesting subjects such as apiculture, artificial forests, loco weeds, and chinch bugs. Proceedings and other activities of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture are in Part II.

Summary forward, in The future of the Great Plains: Report of the Great Plains Committee
Creator: Great Plains Committee
Date: December 1936
This report was created by the Great Plains Committee, which had been called by the President to investigate the effects of drought and wind erosion in the southwestern United States. For the purposes of the committee, the Great Plains was defined as the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. The forward to the report, included here, states the purpose of the report and the steps that must be taken to solve this problem, both on the federal level and the state level. These steps include the development of water resources, government purchase of range lands, control of erosion, community organization, and legislation regarding tenancy, leasing, and delinquency.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, pleasure resorts of Southern Colorado
Creator: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Date: Between 1870 and 1900
This map of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway system shows the company's lines from northeast Kansas to eastern Colorado, including Kansas City, Atchison and Leavenworth, Kansas, to Pueblo and Denver, Colorado. This document promotes travel to the resort communities in Southern Colorado and the gold and silver mine districts in the San Juan Valley of Colorado. The reverse side of the map tells of the agricultural development of seven counties in Kansas including Harvey, McPherson, Sedgwick, Reno, Rick, Barton and Pawnee.

Thirtieth Biennial Report, Statistics by county showing population, acreage, production, and livestock, 1935-1936
Creator: Kansas State Board of Agriculture
Date: 1937
This published report contains statistics compiled by the State Board of Agriculture pertaining to crop conditions, livestock, and other farm products for all Kansas counties. It was copied from the Thirtieth Biennial Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, to the Legislature of the State for the Years 1935 and 1936. The most useful sections for seeing the impact of the Dust Bowl on agriculture are the sections for the counties of Finney, Ford, Grant, Haskell, Hodgeman, Morton, Seward, and Stevens in western Kansas.

Thirty-first Biennial Report, Statistics by county showing population, acreage, production, and livestock, 1937-1938
Creator: Kansas State Board of Agriculture
Date: 1939
This published report contains statistics compiled by the State Board of Agriculture pertaining to population, crop conditions, livestock, and other farm products in western Kansas during the Dust Bowl years of 1937 and 1938; copied from the Thirty-first Biennial Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, to the Legislature of the State for the Years 1937 and 1938. The most useful sections for seeing the impact of the Dust Bowl on agriculture are the sections for the counties of Finney, Ford, Grant, Haskell, Hodgeman, Morton, Seward, and Stevens in western Kansas.

Twenty-ninth Biennial Report, Statistics by county showing population, acreage, production, and livestock, 1933-1934
Creator: Kansas State Board of Agriculture
Date: 1935
This section of "Statistics by Counties, Showing Population, Acreage, Production, and Livestock" is from the Twenty-ninth Biennial Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, to the Legislature of the State for the Years 1933 and 1934. It contains statistics compiled by the State Board of Agriculture pertaining to crop conditions, livestock, and other farm products. The most useful sections for seeing the impact of the Dust Bowl on agriculture are the sections for the counties of Finney, Ford, Grant, Haskell, Hodgeman, Morton, Seward, and Stevens in western Kansas.