To order images and/or obtain permission to use them commercially, please contact the KSHS Reference Desk at KSHS.reference@ks.gov or 785-272-8681, ext. 117.
For more information see the Copyright and Permission FAQ.
In this letter to his cousin, A. W. Johnson relates news from his homestead near Osage Mission, Neosho County. Johnson describes the grasshopper plague in vivid terms, and also mentions how the recent hard times in Kansas should not discourage emigration into the state. In fact, he goes so far as to state that now is the time to come, since land is cheap and the spring weather is "deliteful[sic]." Johnson also states, however, that the price of corn is high, and that high prices on goods make it difficult for him to support his family.
Creator: Johnson, A. W.
Date: March 24, 1875
This source can be used with a number of sources because it mentions more than one difficulty that settlers faced: grasshoppers, drought, and destitution. Also, the style is very enthusiastic and interesting, so students will enjoy reading it.
KS:7th:3.7:Challenges of Settlement (2005)
Item Number: 210872
Call Number: Miscellaneous Wickizer, Asa M.
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 210872
Agriculture - Crops - Fruits - Peaches
Agriculture - Crops - Hay
Agriculture - Crops - Vegetables - Corn
Agriculture - Crops - Wheat
Agriculture - Environment - Pests - Grasshoppers
Collections - Manuscript - Miscellaneous
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) - Grasshoppers
Date - 1870s - 1875
Environment - Landscape
Environment - Weather
Home and Family - Daily life - Settlement
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Letter
Places - Counties - Neosho
Thematic Time Period - Immigration and Settlement, 1854 - 1890
Type of Material - Unpublished documents - Letters
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/210872