Aaron Louis Piepenburg, World War I soldier
Date: 1918
Around 1919, the Kansas State Historical Society and the American Legion solicited biographical information from returning veterans (primarily members of the 35th and 89th infantry divisions) and the families of those who died in service, notably from the Gold Star Mothers. Each veteran or family member was asked to provide letters, photographs, a biography, and military records. This file contains information on Aaron Louis Piepenburg, 139th Field Hospital, 110th Sanitary Train, 35th Division.

Abstract of census returns
Creator: Undersigned Citizens of Kansas Territory, John Stroup (first signature),
Date: 1859
This 1859 abstract of census returns shows information at the township level for most Kansas counties. Some counties are listed without data. The census lists the number of voters in three different ways--the number of votes cast June 7, 1859; number of voters on June 7, 1859 who were under 6 month provision; and number of voters under 3 month provision. It also lists the number of inhabitants. The election on June 7, 1859, was to elect delegates to the Wyandotte constitutional convention.

Agricultural fair at Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas
Date: 1879
This is a sketch of the Agricultural Fair at the Farmer's Campground in Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas. It shows three people in a horse and buggy riding past corn stalks, pumpkins and corn cobs. This was during President Hayes' visit. The sketch was by Worrall from Leslie's October 18, 1879.

Agricultural fair with President Hayes, Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas
Date: 1879
This is a sketch of the Agricultural Fair at Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas. It shows a large group of people gathered to hear President Hayes who was on a tour of western states. The sketch was copied from Leslie's, October 18, 1879.

A. G. Shears to Governor John St. John
Creator: Shears, A. G.
Date: May 31, 1880
This letter to Governor John St. John is from A. G. Shears. He is anxious to help the prohibition amendment cause and requests liquor statistics and supportive newspapers from Kansas Governor St. John to be used by county temperance unions. Shears is from Yates Center, Kansas.

Allen County, Kansas, floods--1951
Date: July 1951
These numerous photographs show flooding and flood damage from the Neosho River in Allen County, Kansas. High water marks can be seen on many buildings, as well as debris and destruction left by the water. Many homes, businesses, and public buildings were affected. These photographs were part of a preliminary survey by the Flood Control Committee of the Iola Chamber of Commerce on August 10, 1951. Many of the photos have additional information on their backs.

Allen Easum video interview on experiences in World War II (transcript)
Creator: Easum, Allen C., Jr.
Date: September 26, 2007
Allen C. Easum was inducted into the Army (Infantry) in 1945 and served until 1946 in the 40th Infantry Division, 160th Infantry. He was drafted in 1944 and went to bacis train at Fort Robinson, Arkansas. He was sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey, but the war in Europe ended. He was sent to the Philippines and later Korea. Interviewed by Nancy Porter on Sep 26, 2007, Easum talked about military experiences in the Second World War. He was born in Yates Center, Kansas on October 20, 1926. He attended school in Quincy, Kansas, but graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in Lawrence, 1944. After his service, he returned to Lawrence. He worked as a mechanic for Pickens and a Ford dealership before opening his own business A. C. E. Steering and Brakes. He operated that from 1963 through 1993. The 2005 Kansas Legislature passed a bill funding the WWII Veterans Oral History grant program. This transcript is from one of the community institutions receiving grants. The transcript of the interview is presented here; the original video copy of the interview is available through the Watkins Community Museum of History (Lawrence) and through the Kansas State Historical Society.

American Legion Auxiliary, Woodson County
Date: 1921
An account of the formation of the Woodson Post of the American Legion Auxiliary, Unit #13. Also listed are officers elected, meeting happenings, and members.

Automobile Club of Wichita Year Book
Creator: Automobile Club of Wichita, Kansas
Date: 1909-1910
The Automobile Club of Wichita published this year book for the years 1909-1910. Its content reflects that automobile travel was a recent introduction to the lives of Kansans. It includes advertisements from automobile dealers, garages, and other businesses in Wichita, Hutchinson, Newton, Winfield, El Dorado, Dodge City, Yates Center, Iola, Independence, Topeka, Emporia, Garden City, and Lawrence. It also lists the officers and board of directors of the club, its constitution and bylaws, the Kansas law regulation the use of automobiles, two Wichita ordinances (#2875 and 3002) related to the use of cars, and rules of the road. The bulk of the yearbook provides driving routes to and from various cities and towns in Kansas, as well as Colorado and Oklahoma. An index to the routes and maps is on pages 22-23. These driving routes include specific directions and include references to many small towns and local landmarks, etc. The yearbook also lists Wichita residents that own automobiles, their license numbers and the type of automobile they own. The booklet concludes with a list of members of the automobile club.

Baby show on Turkey Creek, Woodson County, Kansas
Date: November 18, 1913
This is a photograph of a group of men, women and children, gathered in front of a barn on Turkey Creek, possibly in Woodson County, Kansas. Women are seated in front, posing with their children and the picture is labeled "Baby Show on Turkey Creek."

Bert's Tavern, Yates Center, Woodson County, Kansas
Date: March 2002
These two color snapshots show Bert's Tavern, in Yates Center, Woodson County, Kansas, whose tongue-in-cheek motto was, "We only look expensive."

Bird's eye view of Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas
Creator: Glover, E. S. (Eli Sheldon), 1844-1920
Date: 1871
This colored lithograph is a bird's eye view of Neosho Falls, Kansas. The county court house, churches, a school, a railroad depot and land office for the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad, and several hotels have been identified in the bottom reference area. The Neosho River runs through the community. The Crescent Lake is in the lower left corner. The image was drawn by E. S. Glover and published by the Merchants Litho Company, Chicago, Illinois.

Bridge, Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas
Date: 1908
This is a photograph of a bridge over the Neosho River in Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas.

Catholic Church in Piqua, Woodson County, Kansas
Date: Between 1920 and 1959
This is a photogragh of the altar of St. Martin(s) Catholic Church at Piqua, Woodson County, Kansas adorned with Christmas decorations.

Cattle in Woodson County, Kansas
Date: Between 1940 and 1960
This is a photograph of cattle at a feed trough at Laidlaw Ranch, near Yates Center, Woodson County, Kansas. There is an unidentified man observing the cattle.

Chas H. Raymond and John Bell, prisoners 8584 and 8860
Creator: Kansas State Penitentiary
Date: February 4, 1901
This photograph shows inmates Chas H. Raymond, prisoner #8584 and John Bell, prisoner #8860. Chas H. Raymond was received at the Kansas State Penitentiary on June 13, 1898 from Wyandotte County, Kansas for larceny. Inmate John Bell was received at the penitentiary on March 14, 1899 from Woodson County, Kansas for murder.

Christian Church in Yates Center, Woodson County, Kansas
Date: 1910
This is a picture postcard showing the Christian Church in Yates Center, Woodson County, Kansas.

County Affairs, Woodson County
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1885-1889 : Martin)
Date: 1885-1889
These letters, spanning March 15 to 23, 1887, are from the residents and offices of Woodson County, Kansas regarding the county coroner to Kansas Governor John Martin. C. R. Jonus, county coroner, wrote his resignation and recommended D. H. Burt as his successor. W. H. Slavens, from the law office of Slavens & Warner, endorsed A. N. Mauer for the position. Woodson County was one of the original 33 counties organized by the Territorial Legislature in 1855, organized on May 22, 1858, and named for Daniel Woodson, acting governor of Kansas Territory.

Cyclone Cave, Woodson County, Kansas
Date: 1900
This is a photograph of the cyclone cave located in Woodson County, Kansas. It was built around 1900 by James Davidson on his farm, at a cost of $4,000. The photograph appeared in the Kings and Queens of the Range magazine, February 15, 1900, p. 1.

Dart Point from 14WO310
Date: 1000 BCE-500 CE
This slightly expanding stemmed dart point was recovered from an archeological site in Woodson County. It is made of Smoky Hill silicified chalk, a good quality knapping material that is exposed in linear beds in northwestern Kansas and western Nebraska.

Drawing by Myron A. Waterman
Creator: Waterman, Myron A.
Date: between 1880 and 1989
Pencil sketch by Myron A. Waterman of street scene. Flag on a tall, free-standing flagpole in right foreground. Drawn on the reverse of preprinted stationery for Charlie Fellows, a Toronto, Kansas based line repairer for the St. Louis, Fort Scott & Wichita Railroad. By Myron A. Waterman (1855-1937). Waterman first gained recognition as a political cartoonist and illustrator in the early 1890s while working as the editor of the Fort Scott Lantern. He held a number of other occupations throughout his life including working in the drug store business and serving as a deputy state bank commissioner of Kansas from 1894 to 1901. Waterman was a staunch prohibitionist and a member of the First Congregational Church in Topeka, Kansas, moving there from Fort Scott in 1893. In 1901 or 1902 he relocated to Kansas City, Kansas.

Drought reports, Kansas Territory
Date: 1860
These accounts describe conditions in Kansas Territory in terms of the 1860 drought. Among the topics mentioned are the price of land (both in the past and currently), the number of settlers (often diminished from past numbers), the nature of crops, and available produce. The report includes accounts from Mosley (a buffalo hunter) from Greenwood County; an African-American named Buckner from Otoe County; Thomas A. Hill of Greenwood County; Rev. Henry Moys of Madison County; John L. Pratt of Butler County; H. I. Hunter, B. F. Vanhorn, Judge Graham, and Myrock Huntley of Madison County; Peter Welsh of Osage County; William Thurman; Osage Indians; John Jones of Ottawa Creek; S. N. Howe of Coffey County; E. Condit of Woodson County; and J. C. Lambdin of Butler County. One of the letters copied in this report is addressed to W. F. M. Arny, and was written by J.C. Lambdin. Although difficult for most people, the drought was particularly hard for the Native Americans in the Kansas Territory due to the fact that the dry conditions added to the decimation of the buffalo herds of the American West.

D. W. Finney to Governor John St. John
Creator: Finney, D. W.
Date: July 27, 1880
This letter from implement dealer D.W. Finney of Neosho Falls, Kansas, guaranteed Kansas Governor St. John "an immense crowd" at the county fairground, if St. John will deliver a temperance speech there on August 20th, 1880. According to the letterhead, Finney was a dealer in Hardware, Agricultural Implements, Tinware, Stoves, Iron, Wagon Woodwork, Pumps, Etc.

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.

Eleventh biennial report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, 1897-98
Creator: Kansas State Board of Agriculture
Date: 1899
This biennial report from the Kansas State Board of Agriculture includes information on beef and pork production, farm poultry, Kansas mineral products, livestock, and other agricultural topics. Also covered are county statistics for population, acreages, productions, livestock, assessed valuation of property, and a listing of churches for each county. Proceedings and other activities of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture are included.