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Native Americans

How Kansas Got Its Shape

February 24, 2021 by hsotr

How Kansas Got Its Shape

Few stop to ask how the boundaries evolved, when in fact some surprising stories surround this topic.

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: History, Native Americans, Nature, Water

Broad-Leaf Wood-Oats

August 31, 2020 by hsotr

Broad-Leaf Wood-Oats

Broad-leaf wood-oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is a very unique plant that goes by many names: Spangle grass. Indian wood-oats. Wild oats. River oats. Northern sea oats. Inland sea oats. The spikelets are the most distinctive feature, being flat, broadly oblong, and about 1/2 inch to 1-1/2 inch long and 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch wide. These […]

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: Native Americans, Nature, Ornamental Plants, Pastures

How Plains Tribes Predicted the Weather

July 29, 2020 by hsotr

How the Plains Tribes Predicted the Weather

Native Americans were in a prime position to observe the weather and learn the sequences that precede and follow each system.

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: History, Native Americans, Nature, Weather

Kansas Forts and Bases

June 24, 2020 by hsotr

Kansas Forts & Bases

Not all of us can readily absorb military history without getting bogged down in the technicalities. Thankfully, Kansas Forts and Bases: Sentinels on the Prairie by Debra Goodrich Bisel and Michelle M. Martin is supremely readable, providing an era-by-era overview of Kansas forts as reflective of the broader picture of Kansas history overall.

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: Architecture, Books, History, Native Americans, The West, Travel

Sand Dropseed

July 25, 2018 by hsotr

Sand Dropseed

This unique seed-throwing grass plays an important role in rebuilding damaged shortgrass prairie.

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: Native Americans, Nature, Pastures, Soil, Stewardship

Silver Bluestem

May 9, 2018 by hsotr

Silver Bluestem

Attractive ornamental or pesky pasture invader? Silver bluestem excels in both roles.

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: Livestock, Native Americans, Nature, Ornamental Plants, Pastures, Stewardship

Little Bluestem

May 3, 2018 by hsotr

Little Bluestem

Its wide distribution and importance to the prairie ecosystem have made little bluestem the state grass of Kansas.

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: Livestock, Native Americans, Nature, Ornamental Plants, Pastures, Soil, Stewardship

Big Bluestem

April 25, 2018 by hsotr

Big Bluestem

Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is one of the most iconic plants of the tallgrass prairie. Its sturdy, upright stems are usually covered with a blue, waxy coating, giving it its name. These stems grow in clumps and vary dramatically in height depending on the environment. Big bluestem can be a modest three feet tall, but […]

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: History, Livestock, Native Americans, Nature, Ornamental Plants, Pastures, Stewardship

Kansas Historical Markers

February 22, 2018 by hsotr

Kansas Historical Markers

Over 120 historical markers dot the Kansas landscape, telling the story of our fascinating state. If you are looking for the Kansas historical markers, the Kansas Historical Society offers a complete listing organized by county. Each entry provides the full text of the marker, along with its address and GPS coordinates. As you visit the […]

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: History, Links, Native Americans, The West, Travel

El Cuartelejo: Rediscovery

September 26, 2017 by hsotr

El Cuartelejo: Rediscovery

Archaeologists have determined that the ultimate cause of El Cuartelejo’s demise was fire, as testified by the remains of charred posts and corn seeds. The Comanches who later took up residence near the pueblo had a legend that the ruins were struck by lightning. In any case, for the next hundred years, the walls slowly […]

Filed Under: The Sunflower State Tagged With: Architecture, History, Native Americans, Preservation, The West, Travel

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