During the mid-and late nineteenth century, the
Kansas Territory became open to immigrants from the eastern United
States and from around the world. A combination of land policies,
politics, and economic and environmental conditions led to the
immigration. Given its geographic location, the Kansas Territory
attracted African-Americans, Swedes, Bohemians, Germans, Scots,
Russians, the English, the French, and people from at least ten
other European countries. Kansas received settlers from regions
that continue to feature definitive cultural characteristics.
Because of the effect of this immigration on the personality of
the place, the people’s collective patterns of behavior,
and values extending from the original settlements, Kansas offers
a unique cultural mix and tone.
Aimed at preserving the heritage of
central and western Kansas, the Kansas Heritage Project is an
on-going partnership between Forsyth Library, Fort Hays State
University, and local historical societies and libraries. Altogether,
the project encompasses sixty-three counties, from Cheyenne County
through Republic County in the north, to Morton County through
Sumner County in the south. The Kansas Heritage Project includes
not only ethnically- and linguistically-unique settlements, but
the other settlements in the counties. Many of the settlements
were not founded by an ethnic group, but rather were laid out
in anticipation of the railroad, so there are many stories about
how the coming of the railroad played a huge part in the development
of western Kansas. Besides highlighting specific settlement locations,
the project plans are to detail the development of the settlements
through written, photographic, and audio memories as well as GIS
mapping. The project showcases Kansas’ rich cultural and
ethnic history.
To begin using this web site, click
here. Once you are on the map page, run
the cursor over the counties. If the cursor changes to a hand,
that county has information about it. You can use the map link
under quick links or at the top of the page to go back to the
map once you are finished looking at the county page.
November 2005 - Information on Hodgeman,
Harper, Reno and Rice Counties has been added to the project.
Contact Us:
Patty Nicholas, Special Collections
Archivist, (785) 628-5901, e-mail:
pnichola@fhsu.edu
Credits
