by Doug Gelbert (Author)
America turns 250.
Let's go find the candles.
Looking for a history lesson that doesn't feel like homework? You've found it. At 250history.com, the Semiquincentennial Series brings each state's distinctive landmarks to center stage to tell their fast and fun story.
We've wandered through big cities, tiny towns, muddy trails, and neon-lit highways-uncovering 5,000 historic gems along the way.
The Semiquincentennial isn't just a mouthful-it's a reminder that history is alive, sometimes weird, and always waiting to be rediscovered.
Whether you're traveling by road, by printed page, or by imagination; whether you are a lifelong native or visiting for a week, we invite you to explore 100 Kansas landmarks that illuminate the one-of-a-kind story of the Sunflower State.
Santa Fe Trail... "wind engines"... the Mother Road... basketball...
"Bleeding Kansas"... POW camps... Prairie Cathedrals... "frozen water
trade"... mimetic architecture... Norman No. 1... the CCC... "World's
Fastest Half-Mile"... grassroots art... the golden age of motoring...
The Big House... salt mines... Kansas-Nebraska Act... post rock...
"Air Capital of the World"... Pony Express... Marsh Rainbow Arches...
soddies... "Samson of the Cimarron"... silkworms... Quantrill's Raid...
one-room schools... round barns... atmospheric theaters... Hancock's
War... Devil's rope... This book will have you telling stories like a native
in no time.
The photos and stories collected here are a fast and fun way to learn
the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that
make Kansas uniquely Kansas. Where were some of the most sensi-
tive weaponry of World War II stored in Kansas? Solved. What Kansan
reached the second highest elective office in the country? A mystery
no more. Where was the first Boot Hill in the West? Identified. What
canine sport was invented in the Sunflower State? Revealed.
It is a story only Kansas can call its own. A story told in 100 landmarks. Almost all the selections within are open to the public, or at least visible from public spaces. So, fire up the GPS and see the story of the Sunflower State standing in plain sight on Kasnas streets!
Number of Pages: 108
Dimensions: 0.22 x 10 x 7 IN
Publication Date: December 12, 2025