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This reminiscence, published in two parts, details the experiences of Orinda S. Baker and her family, who moved to Centralia, Nemaha County, in 1860. The Bakers, like other Kansas families, suffered from hunger and sickness during the severe drought that struck Kansas that same year. Included at the end of Part I there are two letters regarding the drought and the aid received from the East. Part II begins with a letter from Phil C. Day regarding relief goods sent to Kansas; Baker had written to out-of-state friends about the suffering of Kansans and acted as coordinator of relief supplies. In January 1862 Baker and her family moved to Topeka when her husband, Floyd P. Baker, was elected to the State House of Representatives. The rest of her reminiscence relates her experiences while living in Topeka, with the exception of a selection discussing a particularly fierce snow storm that hit on January 18, 1861.
Creator: Baker, Orinda S.
Date: November 30, 1905 and December 7, 1905
This source could be used to encourage discussion about several challenges that settlers faced, including drought, famine, and severe winter storms. Baker's reminiscence could work in tandem with letters and pamphlets requesting aid during the drought (such as Thaddeus Hyatt's letter to President Buchanan), or it could be grouped with other reminiscences compiled by newspapers (such as that of Martha Valentine).
KS:7th:3.7:Challenges of Settlement (2005)
Item Number: 210951
Call Number: Biographical Scrapbook BA, v. 11
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 210951
Agriculture - Environment - Weather - Blizzards
Agriculture - Environment - Weather - Droughts
Collections - Library
Community Life - Clubs and organizations - Charitable - Relief
Curriculum - 7th Grade Standards - Kansas History Standards - 1860s to 1870s (Benchmark 3) - Challenges of settlement (Indicator 7) - Drought and famine
Curriculum - 7th Grade Standards - Kansas History Standards - 1860s to 1870s (Benchmark 3) - Challenges of settlement (Indicator 7) - Snowstorms and blizzards
Date - 1900s - 1905
Environment - Weather - Droughts
Environment - Weather - Storms - Snow and blizzards
Home and Family - Daily life - Settlement
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Newspaper - clipping
People - Notable Kansans - Pomeroy, S. C. (Samuel Clarke), 1816-1891
People - Women
Places - Cities and towns - Centralia
Places - Counties - Nemaha
Type of Material - Newspapers - Clippings
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/210951