Abilene became the very first "cow town" of the west. With the railroad pushing west, cattle traders soon came to use Abilene as the largest stockyards west of Kansas City.
The Chisholm Trail ended in Abilene, bringing in many travelers and making Abilene one of the wildest towns in the west.[4] Town marshal Tom "Bear River" Smith was initially successful policing Abilene, often using only his bare hands. He survived two assassination attempts during his tenure. However, he was murdered and decapitated on November 2, 1870. Smith wounded one of his two attackers during the shootout preceding his death, and both suspects received life in prison for the offense. He was replaced by Wild Bill Hickok in April 1871. Hickock's time as marshal was short lived. While standing off a crowd during a street brawl, gambler Phil Coe took two shots at Hickock, who returned fire killing Coe, but then accidentally shot his friend and deputy, Mike Williams, who was coming to his aid. He lost his job two months later in December
Abilene became home to Dwight D. Eisenhower when his family moved to Abilene from Denison, Texas in 1892. Eisenhower attended elementary school through high school in Abilene, graduating in 1909. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is located in Abilene. It is now the burial site of President Eisenhower, his wife, Mamie, and their first born son Doud
Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Center and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
Notable People
Dwight D. Eisenhower, General of the Army, 34th President of the United States Earl D. Eisenhower, engineer, legislator
C. Olin Ball, food scientist, inventor
Joseph R. Burton, U.S. Senator from Kansas
Phil Coe, gambler, saloon keeper
Steve Doocy, commentator
Milton S. Eisenhower, university president
John Wesley Hardin, gunfighter, outlaw
Wild Bill Hickok, gunfighter, lawman
Altamont
Notable People
Don Gambril (born January 2, 1934), American swimming coach
Alton
Notable People
Bruce Goff - architect and a designer of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church.
Russell Stover - founder of Russell Stover Candies, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri and a major production plant in Abilene
Altoona
Notable People
Oren E. Long, former governor and senator from Hawaii
Americus
Athletics Americus High School achieved a record of 26-0 to win the 1961 Kansas boys Class B state basketball championship.
Argonia
Notable People
Michael "Andy Collins" Smith, radio personality
Susanna M. Salter, former mayor of Argonia, became the first woman elected mayor in the United States in 1887
Arkansas City
The James-Younger Gang of outlaws famously hid out in a cave west of town when they rode through the area.
Notable People
Darren Daulton, played baseball for the Philadelphia Philies
Robert Docking, Mayor of Arkansas City, Governor of Kansas from 1967 to 1975.
Robert James Eaton, automobile businessman, grew up in Arkansas City.
Lionel Hollins, former NBA professional basketball player and head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association.
Nila Mack, Actress, writer and director. Created and directed the golden age radio program Let's Pretend.
Euclid James Sherwood, commonly known as Motorhead Sherwood. Vocalist and saxophone player for The Mothers of Invention during the band's early years
Ashland
Notable People
Wes Santee — American middle distance runner
Atchison
Atchison was the birthplace of aviatrix Amelia Earhart: the Amelia Earhart Festival held each July annually attracts an estimated 30,000–50,000 people. The festival includes a downtown craft fair, an antique airplane fly-in and airshow, and one of the largest fireworks displays in the Midwest, which takes place over the Missouri River.
Atchison is often called one of the most haunted places in America, due to the city's ghost-story heritage, featured in the 1997 book, "Haunted Kansas," written by Lisa Hefner Heitz, and published by University Press of Kansas
Atchison is also the home of Benedictine College, a small Catholic liberal-arts college.
Benedictine College Notable alumni
Wangari Maathai 1961?, Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Thomas Hoenig 1968?, President, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, earned his bachelors degree in economics at St. Benedicts College in 1968.
Irv Comp 1941?, former starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, member of the 1944 NFL Championship team.
Terrance W. Gainer 1969?, Sergeant-at-Arms of the U.S. Senate for the 110th United States Congress (January 4, 2007 )
Terry Hanson, 1969 Athlete and Coach in Ravens Hall of Fame who went on to a successful career in pro sports and the media.
Darryl Jones, 1968, athlete led 1967 basketball team to NAIA National Championship, NAIA All-American and All-Decade team selection. Drafted by NBA's San Diego Rockets prior their move to Houston.
Jamie Mueller 1982?, Former professional NFL running back of the Buffalo Bills (1987–1990).
Donn B. Murphy 1951? Ph.D., professor of theatre at Georgetown University, and president of The National Theatre in Washington D.C.
Chris L. Rutt 1880?, inventor of Aunt Jemima pancake mix.
Bob Veale, 1958, National League Strikeout leader, Pittsburgh Pirates[citation needed]
David Koechner, America Actor. Did not graduate.
Notable People
Laura M. Cobb. United States Navy nurse during World War II
Amelia Earhart, aviatrix
Rory Lee Feek, songwriter and 1/2 of county duo Joey and Rory
Sheffield Ingalls, former Lieutenant governor of Kansas
James Edmund Jeffries, politician Governor
John Alexander Martin Wil Martin - EARSHOT vocalist
Jesse Stone, American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter. Developed the basic rock 'n' roll sound.
Attica
The town is famous for damage caused by an F4 tornado that was featured on an episode of Shockwave on the History Channel
Auburn
Auburn is the hometown of Cameron Mitchell, a fictional character in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, though, the episode showed Auburn as having a population of 21,211.
Augusta
Notable People
Madelyn Dunham, grandmother of Barack Obama
Baldwin City
Baldwin City unwittingly found themselves surrounded by the events that led up to the American Civil War. Three miles east of Baldwin was the town site of Black Jack where the Battle of Black Jack took place on June 2, 1856. The night before John Brown stayed in Prairie City and Quantrill's raiders passed within three miles (5 km) of Baldwin after the burning of Lawrence in 1863.
Maple Leaf Festival - Every year since 1957, Baldwin City has hosted the Maple Leaf Festival during the third full weekend in October. It began as a way to celebrate a successful harvest and to view the fall foliage. Today, it is the largest fall family event in the area and features a parade, arts and crafts, quilt show, theatrical performances, history tours, train rides and live music.
Baxter Springs
Baxter Springs downtown main street is part of the historic U.S. Route 66 that passes through Kansas.
Notable People
Hale Irwin - PGA golfer
Joe Don Rooney - Country music electric guitarist
H. Lee Scott, Jr. - former President and CEO of Wal-Mart
Beattie
The city has been called "The Milo Capital of the World" [1] and hosts the annual "Beattie Milo Festival"
Belleville
Notable People
Larry Cheney, Major League Baseball player
Dean Nesmith, former professional football player and head athletic trainer for KUBeloit
Beloit
Notable People
Scott Fulhage - professional football punter with the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals
Margaret H'Doubler – educator
Gene Keady - college and professional basketball coach
Waldo McBurney - former oldest living worker in the United States
Rodger Ward - professional race car driver
Bonner Springs
Bonner Springs contains the Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, a privately-funded charitable institution chartered by the U.S. Congress to "educate society on the historical and present value of American agriculture and to honor leadership in Agri-Business and Academia by providing education, information, experience and recognition."
Bucklin
Notable People
Eddie Sutton, men's college basketball coach
Bunker Hill
Notable People
Mary Ann Bickerdyke, American Civil War nurse
Burlingame
Notable People
Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr., winner of the 1971 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine.
Victor Murdock, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Ron Thornburgh, Kansas Secretary of State
Burns
Films Mars Attacks!, 1996, portions of this comic science fiction movie was filmed in Burns
Burrton
Notable People
Milburn Stone, portrayed fictional Galen "Doc" Adams, M.D. of Dodge City on the long-running CBS Western series Gunsmoke.
Cambridge
Cambridge Public Emergency Radio Tower is one of two former emergency transmission facilities built during the Cold War.
Caney
Notable People
Alex Boulanger, author
Kenneth McFarland, educator and superintendent of schools for Topeka at the time of Brown v. Board of Education
Clancy Hayes, jazz musician
Canton
Canton has two water towers, labeled "HOT" (in red) and "COLD" (in blue).[9] The words were painted on as a tourist attraction in 1956 at the suggestion of local real estate agent Mrs. M.D. Fisher.[10] In fact, both tanks hold water at an average temperature, neither chilled nor heated
Popular culture
On July 21, 2008, Stephen Colbert made a comment on The Colbert Report about John McCain making a campaign stop in Canton, Ohio, and "not the crappy Canton in Georgia."[12] The comment resulted in a local uproar, which prompted Stephen to apologize for the story during his July 30, 2008, show, insisting that he was incorrect and that the "real" crappy Canton was Canton, Kansas, after which he made several jokes at the town's expense.[13][14] Reaction from Mayor Brad Smiley[15] and local residents was negative[16] and Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius invited Colbert to "spend a night" in Canton's historic jail.[17] On August 5, 2008, Colbert apologized to citizens of Canton, Kansas[18], then continued the running gag by directing his mock derision in successive weeks towards Canton, South Dakota[19] and Canton, Texas.[20] On October 28, Colbert turned his attention back to Canton, Ohio after Barack Obama made a campaign stop there, forcing Colbert to find it "crappy"
Carbondale
Notable People
Daniel Forbes, Jr (pioneer U.S. Air Force photoreconnaissance pilot)
Barnum Brown (American Museum of Natural History paleontologist
Cassoday
It is known as the "Prairie Chicken Capital of the World
Cawker City
Notable People
Merwin Coad, Iowa politician Claire Windsor, silent film actress.
Cawker City is one of several places claiming to be home of the largest ball of twine in the world.
John Riggins
Centralia
Notable People
John Riggins, NFL running back
Chanute
The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum - The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum offers award winning exhibits and programs that highlight the achievements of Martin and Osa Johnson, pioneering documentary filmmakers, photographers, authors, explorers, and Kansans. A trip to the museum allows one to relive the Johnsons’ 1917-1936 adventures in Africa, Borneo and the South Seas. Additional exhibits feature the rich cultures and art of Africa.
Google Earth - The Macintosh version of Google Earth, software that allows the user to "fly" over the surface of the earth, mapped with high-quality satellite photography and accurate topographical data, has a default position when started up that is centered exactly on the town of Chanute (specifically, on the corner of Lincoln and Main). This may be verified by running the software on the Macintosh and zooming in from the default start position without rotating the virtual globe at all. This location was set by Dan Webb, who was born and raised in Chanute, graduated from the University of Kansas in 1986, and is now a senior software engineer at Google. Webb is a long time friend of Brian McClendon, who centered the Windows version of Google Earth on his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas.
Notable People
Osa Johnson - Adventurer, author, and documentary filmmaker
Paul Lindblad- MLB player
Ralph Miller - Hall of Fame basketball coach
Jennifer Knapp - Christian Singer-Songwriter Songwriter and mystic
eden ahbez (1908-1995), lived in the town in his youth, when known as George McGrew
Champman
Notable People
Frankie Burke, actor
Joseph Henry Engle, Space Shuttle astronaut
Henry Varnum Poor, artist and architect
Cherokee
Notable People
Page Cavanaugh, jazz and pop musician, was born in Cherokee.
Cherryvale
Notable People
Sam Avey, wrestling promoter
Louise Brooks, dancer, silent film star, and author
Claude Wendell Horton, Sr., geophysicist, acoustic researcher
Billy Sandow, manager for World Champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis
Vivian Vance, actress who played Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy
Claflin
Notable People
Jackie Stiles, NCAA Division I women's college basketball.
Clay Center
Notable People
Herb Bradley, professional baseball player
Warren Henry Cole, surgeon who pioneered X-ray use in medicine
George Docking, former governor of Kansas
Steve Doocy, Host for Fox News "Fox and Friends"
Tenney Frank, noted scholar and historian
Nicole Ohlde, professional basketball player
William D. Vincent, United States Representative
Clifton
Notable People
Robert McAlmon, American poet and author William Penhallow Henderson, American artist and architect
Clyde
Notable People
George Dockins, professional baseball player
Coffeyville
Coffeyville's most famous moment may have been the end of the Dalton Gang: on October 5, 1892, four of the gang were killed while Emmett Dalton survived with 23 gunshot wounds and was imprisoned for 14 years before being pardoned. They had been attempting to rob two banks, First National Bank and Condon Bank, at once when the citizens recognized them under the fake beards they were wearing and fought them after coming out of one of the banks. The two banks at the time of the attempted robbery were directly across the street from one another. Four citizens, including a U.S. marshal, Marshal Charles T. Connelly, died in defense of the town. The town holds an annual celebration each October in remembrance of the Dalton Raid and the lives its citizens lost.
Notable People
Phil Ehart, drummer of the rock band "Kansas"
Ron Kenoly, popular worship leader
Rudy May, former Major League pitcher
William Mueller, professional wrestler known under the names, "Trevor Murdoch" and "Jethro Holiday"
Cynthia Sikes, actress
Mildred "Micky" Axton. aviator and educator
Denver David Hargis, Kansas politician
Walter Johnson, Hall of Fame baseball player
Field Eugene Kindley, aviator
Lafayette "Reb" Russell, football player and western movie actor
Ryan Lilja, NFL offensive lineman, Indianapolis Colts
Mike Rozier, 1983 Heisman Trophy winner
Ron Springs, Football player
Jeff Wright, retired NFL defensive tackle, Buffalo Bills
Siran Stacy former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles
Devin Thomas NFL wide receiver, Washington Redskins
Popular Culture
Coffeyville is a featured location in the 2009 video game Call of Juarez : Bound in Blood.
Colby
Notable People
John R. Connelly, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Sheila Frahm, U.S. Senator from Kansas and Lieutenant Governor of Kansas
Samuel Ramey, opera singer Mark Schultz, Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter
Columbus
Notable People
Marcellus Boss, 5th Civilian Governor of Guam
Concordia
Notable People
Academic
George Norlin, former president of the University of Colorado.
Arts/Entertainment
Jim Garver, guitarist for Garth Brooks
Robert E. Pearson, movie director
Marilyn Schreffler, American actress who provided voice-overs for several animated TV programs
Helen Talbot, motion picture actress and pin-up girl. Born Helen Darling in Concordia.
The Sensational Showmen, Rock show band from 1964 to 1968, inducted into Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2009.[35][36]
Business/Politics
Charles H. Blosser, local businessman and namesake of Blosser Municipal Airport in Concordia
Napoleon Bonaparte Brown, local businessman and philanthropist, namesake of the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia
Frank Carlson, former Congressman, Senator, and Governor of Kansas
Deanell Reece Tacha, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Clyde Short, former Chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party
Religion
Most Reverend Charles Joseph Chaput, OFM Cap, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Right Rev. John Francis Cunningham, Bishop of Concordia
Constantine Scollen famous missionary priest was resident from 1896 until 1898
Jim Garlow, pastor of Skyline Church in La Mesa, California. Garlow is often cited as an evangelical leader in the political arena[37][38]
Sports
Tom Brosius, track and field athlete
Greg Brummett, baseball player in 1990s, pitched for San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins; head baseball coach at Cloud County Community College
Keith Christensen, former NFL football player New Orleans Saints[39]
Billy Dewell, former NFL football player Chicago Cardinals[40]
Bill Dotson, track and field athlete[41]
Mike Gardner, head football coach at Tabor College and Malone University[42]
Larry Hartshorn, former NFL football player Chicago Cardinals[43]
Tim McCarty, head football coach at East Central University
Ernie Quigley, professional basketball referee and umpire in Major League Baseball; member Basketball Hall of Fame
Harry Short, Texas League baseball player
Shanele Stires, former WNBA basketball player Minnesota Lynx and college basketball coach
Kaye Vaughan, former Canadian Football League and Hall of Fame player with Ottawa Rough Riders, winner CFL's Outstanding Lineman Award[44]
Other
Boston Corbett, Union American Civil War soldier, famous for shooting John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln[45]
Coolidge
In the 1983 movie National Lampoon's Vacation starring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, the Griswolds visits Cousin Eddie and his family, who live on a farm outside Coolidge
Knute Rockne Crash Site - Cottonwood Falls
Cottonwood Falls
In 1931, Transcontinental & Western Air Flight 599 crashed ten miles south of Cottonwood Falls near the community of Bazaar, killing all eight on board, including Notre Dame University football coach Knute Rockne. A monument to the crash is located on private property.
Cuba
The town has received attention due to its small town America nature documented by photographer Jim Richardson. Cuba, Kansas and Jim Richardson were highlighted on the "CBS News Sunday Morning" show in 1983 and May 9, 2004 as well as the May 2004 issue of National Geographic Magazine
Culver
Notable People
George Washington Carver, lived in the vicinity for a brief period.
Delia
Notable People
David Bawden, cedevacantist claimant to the papacy
Delphos
Notable People
Grace Bedell, credited with influencing Abraham Lincoln to grow his beard.
Archie McKain, Major League baseball pitcher
Derby
Derby was named one of the "10 Best Towns for Families" by Family Circle magazine
Notable People
Woody Austin, professional golfer (PGA)
Darryl Starbird, custom car designer
George Teague, NFL safety (Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys)
Billy Campfield, NFL running back (Philadelphia Eagles) (Kansas Jayhawks football) 1975-78
Nick Reid, KU Linebacker (Kansas Jayhawks football) 2002-05 , 2005 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
Jason Gamble, Arena League and Clemson University football center
Matt Gogel, professional golfer (PGA and Nationwide)
Bruce P. Blake, retired Bishop, United Methodist Church
Oh HenryS! Candy Bar
Dexter
Early in the 20th century Dexter became the focus of research that would confirm the existence of an abundance of naturally occurring and readily available helium. In May 1903, a newly drilled natural gas well was found to contain a nonflammable gas. Researchers at the University of Kansas found the “Dexter gas" contained only 15 percent methane and 72 percent nitrogen, causing the gas to be nonflammable. In addition they discovered helium within an “inert residue" in the gas and, after expanding their research to other wells throughout Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, published a paper in 1907 saying that helium could be extracted from natural gas. Helium did not have any practical applications at the time, but by 1917 the federal government was sponsoring extensive research into the possibility of using helium in airships
The "Oh Henry!" Candy Bar was invented by a man named Tom Henry of Arkansas City, who's family now runs a candy factory on route K-15 in Dexter, Kansas called "Henry's Candies". The factory sells "Momma Henry" bars, which are near identical to the original "Oh Henry!" candy bar.
Dighton
A song written by Frank Baker, the Lane County Bachelor, became a popular folk song throughout the western United States.
On May 23, 1928, the Fleagle Gang arrived in Dighton after robbing the First National Bank of Lamar, Colorado. Needing medical attention, they kidnapped local doctor W.W. Weinenger, and later shot him and dumped his body into a ravine.
The courtroom mural, "The First House of Lane County," by Mary Alice Bosley, was featured in Kansas Murals: A Traveler's Guide, by Jost and Loewenstein ([1]). The canvas work, painted in 1961 as a background for the pageant at the Lane County Fair, was then installed in the courthouse, where it has remained ever since
Downs
Notable People
Francis Schmidt, football coach
Edwardsville
The city is within close proximity to the Kansas Speedway which hosts a number of races every year including NASCAR and IndyCar series races
El Dorado
El Dorado is home to Butler Community College.
Butler's football team has won five NJCAA national championships (1981, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2008
Notable former Grizzlies currently playing in the NBA include Stephen Jackson of the Golden State Warriors, Tony Allen of the Boston Celtics, and Kasib Powell of the Miami Heat.
Butler's men's and women's track and cross-country teams also have won numerous conference, regional, and national accolades.
Notable People
William Bartee, former NFL football player Kansas City Chiefs
Tom Borland, former major league baseball pitcher Boston Red Sox
Beals Becker, major league baseball player
Steve Brodie, actor
Stanley Dunham, the maternal grandfather of Barack Obama
Alfred W. Ellet, Brigadier General in the U.S. Civil War
Cara Gorges, 2nd Runner-up Miss USA, 2007
Maude Fulton, stage actress, Hollywood screenwriter.
Ralph Graham, college football coach and pioneer of racial integration in college sports
Larry Hartshorn former NFL football player Chicago Cardinals [9]
Stephen Jackson, basketball player
Rudi Johnson, NFL football player Cincinnati Bengals
Marion Koogler McNay, artist, philanthropist, founder of the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
Robert L. Rodgers, US Congressman
Emily Sander, murder victim
Almon Brown Strowger, inventor
Blake Vargas, 2008 Horizon Award winner
Mort Walker, cartoonist
William Allen White, journalist
Gerald Burton Winrod, activist In April 2010, the Hot Rod Cafe (formerly the El Dorado theater on Main St.)[10] was filmed for the documentary reality television series American Pickers episode "Easy Riders" which aired July 26, 2010
Elk Falls
The Elk Falls motto is "world's largest living ghost town."
Elkhart is the birthplace of two Olympic athletes: Distance runner Glenn Cunningham, nicknamed the "Elkhart Express", former world record-holder in the mile run and silver medalist in the 1500 meter run at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Sprinter Walter Thane Baker, winner of Olympic medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics and 1956 Summer Olympics.
Elkhart is also the birthplace of standout women's basketball player Jamie Talbert who played for Coach Sherri Coale's 2002 Final Four women's basketball team at the University of Oklahoma.
Elkhart is also home to Darrin Simmons asst coach for the Cincinnati Bengals and Jerry Simmons Strength and conditioning coach for the Carolina Panthers
Ellinwood
Downtown Underground Tunnels
Notable People
Walter Joseph Hickel, Governor of Alaska and United States Secretary of the Interior
Ellis
Ellis is the site of Walter P. Chrysler Boyhood Home and Museum. Chrysler, founder of the Chrysler Corporation, grew up in Ellis. When he was 17, he began his career working in the railroad roundhouse, where he became a machinist's apprentice and developed his expertise for metal working and machinery. In the summer of 1993, the Chrysler Corporation recognized Chrysler's hometown by sponsoring a parade and Chrysler festival, attended by several members of the Chrysler family. A prototype Dodge Viper was loaned to the museum for one year.
Ellsworth
Once called "The Wickedest Cattletown in Kansas", Ellsworth was a bustling cattle town for a time during the late 1860s but its cattle trade had dwindled down by the mid-1880s. During this period it was known for being one of the wildest cattle towns, the scene of numerous killings following shootouts between drunken cowboys, and the town sported numerous saloons, brothels and gambling halls, with prostitution being rampant. Wild Bill Hickok ran for Sheriff there in 1868, but was defeated by former soldier E.W. Kingsbury. Kingsbury was an extremely effective lawman, but had to have the help of the local police to control Ellsworth itself, as he also had the county to deal with. Violence inside Ellsworth was commonplace. [2] Ellsworth Marshal Will Semans was shot and killed on September 26, 1869, while attempting to disarm a rowdy man in a dance hall.
Notable People
Keith L. Ackerman, Episcopal bishop
Robert Herbert Mize, Jr., Anglican bishop
John Morco, gunfighter
Ben Thompson, gunfighter
Billy Thompson, gunfighter
Libby Thompson, prostitute
In Popular Culture
Ellsworth Federal Penitentiary appears in the game Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent, indirectly referencing "Ellsworth" (its location is listed as simply "Ellsworth Federal Penitentiary, Kansas"). There, the main character, Sam Fisher, must meet with an inmate named Jamie Washington, a member of a US terrorist organization called John Brown's Army. Fisher must escape with Washington and then use Washington to solidify cover for his mission. The actual Federal Penitentiary is in Leavenworth, KS. There is however an Ellsworth Correctional Facility.
The city is the subject of the song "Ellsworth", which was recorded by country group Rascal Flatts for their 2006 album Me and My Gang.
Eudora
Notable People
Chase Austin, NASCAR driver
Eureka
Notable People
John Edward Erickson, Governor of Montana, practiced law in Eureka.
Eureka is known as the "Racing Capital of Kansas," as it is the home of Eureka Downs, a quarter-horse race track.
Fairview
Notable People
David Floyd Lambertson, former United States Ambassador and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in Southeast Asia[4]
William P. Lambertson, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Bernard W. Rogers, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe (NATO)
Fort Scott
Notable People
Richard Christy - drummer, member of the Howard Stern Radio Show
Clark M. Clifford - former United States Secretary of Defense
Jerry Elliott - jurist
Charles Hatfield - "Rain maker"
Mark Hart - musician, song writer, producer
Adam LaRoche - first baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Andy LaRoche - third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
David Perley Lowe - Kansas Judge
Elmer Verner McCollum - biochemist, discoverer of vitamin A
Gordon Parks, photographer, author, filmmaker and composer
Fredonia
Ben Paulen - Former Governor of Kansas
George W. Malone - US Senator for Nevada, born here.
Kendall Trainor - Arkansas Razorbacks football player.
Freeport
At the 2000 census the population was six, making it the smallest incorporated city in the state of Kansas
Frontenac
At the 2000 census the population was six, making it the smallest incorporated city in the state of Kansas
Galena
Galena is the eastern end of the segment of U.S. Route 66 that passes through Kansas.
The Jayhawk Ordnance Works northwest of Galena, built during World War II, was a large ordnance plant producing ammonium nitrate. After the war it was privatized by its operator Kenneth Aldred Spencer and at one point was the world's largest producer of ammonium nitrate fertilizer in the world
Galena is home to the International Harvester L-170 truck that became the inspiration[6] for the character "Mater" in Disney's "Cars". The truck sits at 119 N. Main St. by the "Four Women on the Route" diner and souvenir store.[7]
In the book The Grapes of Wrath, the characters Sairy and Ivy Wilson came from Galena.
The baseball team won the state championship in 2010,
Garnett
Lagerstätte - Garnett is famous for its fossil founds from the late Carboniferous period. The lagerstätte is about 300 million years old and contains some of the earliest reptiles on earth.
Notable People
Arthur Capper - former Governor of Kansas and US Senator.
Edgar Lee Masters - Poet, Lawyer, Playwright
Genesco
Notable People
John S. Gibson, Jr. - One of the nation's youngest mayors who later moved to California and became a member of the Los Angeles City Council
Little Blue Books
Girard
Socialism in Girard
In the first decades of the 20th century Girard became a hub of socialist politics. In 1896 Julius Wayland moved to Girard from Kansas City, Missouri and brought with him his socialist periodical "Appeal to Reason".[6] In 1900 he employed Fred Warren as his co-editor. Warren was a well-known figure on the left and managed to persuade some of America's leading progressives to contribute to the "Appeal to Reason". In 1904 Warren commissioned Upton Sinclair to write a novel about immigrant workers in the Chicago meat packing houses. Wayland provided Sinclair with a $500 advance and after seven weeks research he wrote the novel, The Jungle. Serialized in 1905, the book helped to increase circulation to 175,000. When published by Doubleday in 1906, As the popularity of the "Appeal to Reason" increased, so did the attacks on Wayland and Warren. The phenomenal success of Wayland's newspaper meant that Girard came to have a printing plant capable of handling a weekly newspaper of huge circulation; on occasion over 400,000 copies per week. It also meant that Girard appeared in the imprint of many radical books and pamphlets, for the Appeal to Reason Company issued hundreds of other socialist publications in addition to the Appeal.[7] During the decade of the 1900s Eugene V. Debs lived in Girard and worked on the "Appeal to Reason". He was the Social Democratic Party candidate for President of the United States in the election of 1900. He ran for President again on the Socialist Party of America ticket in 1904, 1908, and 1912. Debs received 901,000 votes in the election of 1912 (6% of the vote).[8] In 1908 he kicked-off his campaign for president from the steps of the Crawford county courthouse in Girard. In 1912 he carried Crawford County (one of four counties he carried nationwide).[9] During World War I Debs was a subject of efforts by President Wilson to suppress dissent against the war. He was convicted of violating the Smith Espionage Act and, in September 1918, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 1920 he ran for President while still incarcerated in the Atlanta Penitentiary. He received 919,799 votes (3.4% of the vote) despite his imprisonment. President Warren G. Harding pardoned Debs in December, 1921.[10] In 1915 Emanuel Julius was invited to move to Girard and write for "Appeal to Reason", then the largest socialist periodical in the country.[11] In 1919 he became co-owner and editor of the "Appeal to Reason" and began printing in Girard the first of his small paperback books which soon became the foundation for his Little Blue Books series. His vision was to make good literature available to the masses at a cheap price. At the end of nine years the small project had become a gigantic publishing venture and E. Haldeman-Julius (he combined his name with his wife's in 1916, when he married [Anne]Marcet Haldeman. It was Marcet's aunt, Jane Addams of Hull House, who suggested the two use the name "Haldeman-Julius." He was referred to as "the Henry Ford of literature".[12] Following World War II, the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover viewed the Little Blue Books' inclusion of such subjects as socialism, atheism, and frank treatment of sexuality as a threat and put Haldeman-Julius on their enemies list. This caused a rapid decline in the number of bookstores carrying the Little Blue Books. Emanuel Haldeman-Julius died July 31, 1951 at his home in Girard. He was found drowned in his own swimming pool by his second wife of nine years, Sue Haldeman-Julius. The Little Blue Books continued to be reprinted after Haldeman-Julius' death and were sold by mail order by his son until the Girard printing plant and warehouse was destroyed by fire in 1978.
Notable People
Dennis Franchione — college football coach
Ron Kramer — Green Bay Packers player
Dennis Hayden — Actor, producer
Goessel
1988, 1st Place, Class 1A, High School Boys Basketball.
Notable People
Shirley Knight, Academy Award nominated actress
Large Van Gogh Painting - Goodland
Goodland
Very large reproduction of Vincent Van Gogh's "Three Sunflowers in a Vase just off of I-70
Notable People
Milo Baughman, furniture designer
Brook Berringer, football player
John Wayne Delehant, U.S. federal judge
Harry D. Felt, U.S. Navy Admiral
Marla Luckert, Kansas Supreme Court justice
Charles I. Sparks, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Deanell Reece Tacha, U.S. federal judge
Great Bend
Argonne Rebels Drum Corps - From 1947 to 1989 Great Bend was the home of the Argonne Rebels Drum and Bugle Corps. Under the direction of many dedicated individuals including Glenn and Sandra Opie, the corps achieved national fame, most notably, American Legion national championships in 1971, 1972, and 1973. They were also ranked 3rd at the American Legion contest in 1956, and 5th at the Drum Corps International contest in 1972.
Popular Culture
Greyhound racing got its start in the United States in the bottoms in 1887 during a formal coursing event.[7]
In November 1959 Perry Smith and Richard Hickok stopped for dinner in Great Bend on their 400 mile journey to Holcomb, KS., where they murdered the Clutter family. Author Truman Capote wrote a ground breaking book In Cold Blood about the murder. In 1967 part of the movie, by the same name, was filmed in Great Bend.[citation needed]
In the 1993 novel The Death and Life of Superman by Roger Stern, Jonathan and Martha Kent drive from the Great Bend, Kansas airport to Smallville[8], which would put Smallville somewhere in central Kansas.
Notable People
Karrin Allyson, jazz singer, pianist
Damian Johnson, National Football League offensive lineman
John Keller, 1952 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic basketball player
Jack Kilby, inventor, 2000 Nobel Prize laureate in physics
Oscar Micheaux, author, film director
Jerry Moran, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Roy Stryker, economist, photographer
Glenn Opie, Drum Core International Hall of Fame
World's Largest Hand-Dug Well - Greensburg
Greensburg
Greensburg is also home to the world's largest hand-dug well.
Gypsum
Notable People
Frank Wilkeson, New York Times journalist and Washington explorer who owned a large ranch in Gypsum for nearly forty years and is buried in the town.
Halstead
Films
Picnic (1955) An ex-college football star turned drifter arrives in a small Kansas town on Labor Day. It was primarily filmed in Halstead. The Parade (1984) A made-for-television movie in which an ex-con returns to his Kansas hometown days before the town's annual Fourth of July parade. It was filmed in Halstead
Notable People
Jim Roper, NASCAR driver
Adolph Rupp, NCAA basketball coach Conrad Nightingale, competed in the 1968 Olympics
Harper
An episode on the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet which aired from 1997 to 2000 called Veronica's Big Homecoming was about Harper
Haven
Notable People
Flosse Page - ranked as the sixth-oldest person in the U.S. and eleventh in the world when she died, aged 112 years and 255 days.
Haviland
Haviland is known for meteorite finds connected to the Haviland Crater and for an annual meteorite festival held in July. The festival includes food, contests, treasure hunts, corn pits, raffles, meteorite digs, concerts, and star-gazing
Hays
Home to Fort Hays State University.
Notable Alumni:
Greg Anderson, athletic trainer linked to the BALCO steroids scandal
Nola Ochs, world's oldest college graduate (95 in 2007)
Kathryn O'Loughlin McCarthy, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Tim McCarty, East Central University football coach
Pillar (band), which formed at the university in 1998
Notable People
John L. Allen, Jr., journalist
Clay Allison, gunfighter
Philip Anschutz, billionaire businessman
Rob Beckley, Christian rock singer
Robert Bogue, actor
Calamity Jane, frontierswoman
Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild West showman
Elizabeth Bacon Custer, author
General George Custer
George Custer, U.S. Army General
Pete Felten, sculptor Wild Bill Hickok, gunfighter, lawman
Chief Hogsett, Major League Baseball pitcher
Melissa McDermott, journalist
Jerry Moran, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Kathryn O'Loughlin McCarthy, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Elizabeth Polly, the so-called "Blue Light Lady"
Willard Schmidt, Major League Baseball pitcher
Andrew Frank Schoeppel, U.S. Senator from Kansas and 29th Governor of Kansas
Gerald Seib, journalist
Rebecca Staab, actress
Frances Tilton Weaver, a pioneer of women in the legal profession
Herrington
Notable People
Bruce P. Blake, Bishop of the United Methodist Church
Jennifer Grace, Actress
Terry Nichols, accomplice in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Hiawatha
Hiawatha is nicknamed the "City of Beautiful Maples" because of its countless trees that produce delightful colors in the fall season. The city also has the oldest Halloween parade in the nation, starting in 1914
Notable People
Al Buell - Pinup artist
Bill Martin, Jr. - Children's book author
Homer A. McCrerey - Commissioned US Naval Academy officer and bioengineering oceanographer
John McLendon - Inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979
Hill City
Notable People
Charles V. Park (1885-1982), noted librarian for whom the Charles V. Park Library at Central Michigan University is named, was born in town.
Hoisington
Notable People
Kathryn Eames, actress
Kari Wahlgren, voice actress
The April 2001 storm was featured on an episode of The Weather Channel series Storm Stories. The tornado struck during the high school prom, and many of the prom goers were unaware the tornado had even hit—a fact that was the subject of the June 9, 2001 episode of the NPR radio show This American Life.
Holcomb
Holcomb is known for the murders of the Herbert W. Clutter family, which formed the basis of the Truman Capote novel In Cold Blood. The town of Holcomb was thrust into national headlines on November 15, 1959, when four members of the prominent Clutter family—Herbert, 48; his wife Bonnie, 45; daughter Nancy, 16; and son Kenyon, 15—were found bound and shot to death in various rooms of their home, on the family's River Valley Farm on the outskirts of Holcomb. Two ex-convicts, Richard ("Dick") Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, were soon arrested, tried, and convicted of the killings. It started when both Hickock and Smith were released from prison and, acting on jailhouse information by a fellow cellmate of Hickock's named Floyd Wells (who had worked for Mr. Clutter in 1948), made plans to rob the Clutter household under the mistaken belief that Mr. Clutter, according to Wells, kept thousands of dollars in cash in a safe at the residence. There was no Clutter safe, nor any substantial amount of cash in the home. Upon this discovery, and after killing the captive family to eliminate any witnesses, the pair fled with around $42, a portable radio, and one pair of binoculars. They were arrested on December 30, 1959, in Las Vegas. Following their convictions and several appeals, Hickock and Smith were hanged for their crimes on April 14, 1965. The murders, arrests and convictions of Hickock and Smith were the basis for author Truman Capote's acclaimed book, In Cold Blood, which was serialized in The New Yorker magazine in 1965 and first published in book form in 1966. Capote actually began work on the book several days after he read a news article in a New York paper in 1959 about the murders. The best-selling book, in turn, spawned several filmed versions of the story: director Richard Brooks' theatrical feature film In Cold Blood in 1967 starring Robert Blake, Scott Wilson and John Forsythe, and a two-part made-for-television movie of the same title starring Eric Roberts, Anthony Edwards and Sam Neill that aired on network TV in 1996. Portions of the 1967 theatrical film were shot on location in and around Holcomb and nearby Garden City, including the actual Clutter house where the crimes occurred. The 2005 movie Capote, directed by Bennett Miller, is also about the author Truman Capote, and provides great insight into Mr. Capote, his writing of the novel, and the crimes in Holcomb. Philip Seymour Hoffman received an Oscar for Best Actor in March 2006 for his portrayal of Capote in the movie. The 2006 film Infamous, starring Toby Jones as Capote, covers much of the same material.
Hope
David Jacob Eisenhower, the father of US President Dwight David Eisenhower, lived in a 160-acre (0.65 km2) ranch near Hope from 1878 to his enrollment at Lane University.
Hoxie
Notable People
Dirk Johnson, professional football player, NFL
Gordon Sloan, associate justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
Erastus J. Turner, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Hugoton
Notable People
Billy Drago, actor
Humboldt
Notable People
Walter Johnson, pitcher who won 417 games for the Washington Senators
George Sweatt, player with the Kansas City Monarchs
Miss Able the Space Monkey
Independence
On April 28, 1930, Independence was the site of organized baseball's first night game. The Independence Producers lost 13-3 to the Muskogee (Oklahoma) Chiefs , its Western Association rival. Mickey Mantle played minor league ball at the Independence field.
The State of Kansas designated the childhood home of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Ingalls family at Independence as a historic site, which is open to visitors. It is the location from which the events of the book Little House on the Prairie take place. It includes a cabin modeled after the original and the post office that was originally located at nearby Wayside, Kansas. The Sunnyside School, a one room schoolhouse that was moved to the site is also featured. Much of the surrounding countryside retains its open and undeveloped nature. It is located on the William Kurtis Ranch about 13 miles southwest of downtown Independence.[11]
Miss Able, a rhesus monkey, was born at Ralph Mitchell Zoo. Miss Able along with Miss Baker, a squirrel monkey, became the first animals to fly in space and return alive on May 28, 1959.
Notable People
Sheila C. Bair, Chairwoman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Donald Graham Burt, Academy Award winning production designer[12]
Scott Hastings, NBA basketball player
William Wadsworth Hodkinson, founded Paramount Pictures and ventured into commercial aviation
Lyman U. Humphrey, newspaper editor, banker, 7th governor of Kansas
William Inge, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
Bill Kurtis, television journalist
Alf Landon, 1936 Republican presidential candidate, 26th governor of Kansas
Mary Howard de Liagre, actress
Dave McGinnis, NFL coach
Harry F. Sinclair, founder of Sinclair Oil Derek Schmidt, current Kansas Senate majority leader
Ron Warner, NFL football player
Junction City
Among its residents is film director Kevin Wilmott whose movies including Ninth Street are set in Junction City. Ninth Street specifically refers to a bawdy area of the community that was frequented by Fort Riley soldiers in the 1960s.[7]
In the 1980s a major initiative was undertaken to clean up the Ninth St. area.
Timothy McVeigh rented the Ryder truck he used in the Oklahoma City bombing from an auto body shop in Junction City.
Kinsley
Notable People
Kyle Burkhart, NFL offensive lineman, currently a free agent
Freedy Johnston, singer/songwriter
Peter Mehringer, Olympian Earl Winfield Spencer, Jr., first commanding officer of Naval Air Station, San Diego, California, and first husband of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor
Kiowa
Notable People
Marcellus Boss, the 5th Civilian Governor of Guam; former Kiowa city attorney.
La Crosse
It has been referred to as "The Barbed Wire Capital of the World"[4] and is home to the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum
Lansing
The Lansing Correctional Facility (formerly the Kansas State Penitentiary), which includes the state's main maximum-security prison, is located in Lansing. Perry Edward Smith and Richard Eugene Hickock, the subjects of In Cold Blood, were hanged at the prison on April 14, 1965.
Most recently, Lansing was ranked 88 in the top 100 of Money Magazine's 2007 list of best places to live
Notable People
Lansing Man
Ashley Aull, Miss Kansas USA 2006
Chris Burnett, American jazz saxophone player, composer, and veteran of US military bands
Adam Gnade "talking songs" artist
Larned
Notable People
Mitch Webster, retired Major League Baseball outfielder
Gene Keady, Big Ten sportscaster, former head coach for the Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team
Gary Patterson, head coach of the TCU Horned Frogs college football team
Lebanon
In 1918, a scientific survey established that the geographic center of the contiguous (Lower 48) United States lies near the town and a monument was subsequently erected at the site
Rural flight - On October 2, 2006, Lebanon was the focus of a study of rural flight, as local farmer Randall Warner was featured in a New York Times story about the problems faced by communities such as Lebanon
Liberal
Natural Gas was discovered west of town, in what would become part of the massive Panhandle-Hugoton Gas Field, in 1920.
In 1963 the largest helium plant in the world, National Helium, was opened.
The fifth largest collection of civilian and military aircraft in the United States is located at the Mid-America Air Museum. Started with a gift of fifty planes by Colonel Tom Thomas, Jr., the museum has more than one hundred aircraft
Liberal is also home to "The Land of Oz" exhibit from The Wizard Of Oz exhibit, a recreation of Dorothy's house and the famed Yellow Brick Road, featuring donated bricks bearing the names of such luminaries as former U.S. Senator Bob Dole, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and Liza Minnelli.
In popular Culture
In the movie National Lampoon's Vacation, Clark W. Griswold mentions departing the route of travel to Liberal to see the world's largest house of mud. The idea is rejected by his wife, Ellen, in favor of getting to her cousin Eddie's home.[25]
Composer Mark So wrote his "LIBERAL PLAIN SONG for Joseph Kudirka" (2005) while stopped at a gas station in Liberal. [2]
Notable People
Carlos Alsup, football player
Wayne Angell, economist
Wade Betschart, football player
Lamar Chapman, football player
Wantha Davis, horse racing jockey
Kasey Hayes, PBR bull rider
Marcus James, football player
Kristin Key, comedian
Shalee Lehning, basketball player
Martin Lewis, basketball player
Dan Maes, Colorado politician
Kelli McCarty, actress, adult film star, Miss USA 1991
Jerrod Niemann, singer/songwriter
Melvin Sanders, basketball player
William Stafford, poet
Doug Terry, football player
Dallas Trahern, baseball player
Jerame Tuman, football player
Larry D. Welch, U.S. Air Force General, 12th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force
Lincoln Center
Notable People
William Baker, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Jessa Crispin, blogger
Martin Johnson, adventurer, explorer, and documentary filmmaker
Uncas A. Whitaker, engineer, entrepreneur
Lindsborg
It is known for its association with Swedish heritage and the biennial Svensk Hyllningsfest.
Lindsborg also has an art museum showcasing the works of the artist and later resident, Birger Sandzen. The Gallery was dedicated on October 20, 1957 on the Bethany College campus. It houses the largest and most extensive collection of his paintings, prints, drawings and watercolors found anywhere in the world
Lone Elm
Notable People
Dale Gear - Major League Baseball pitcher
Lucas
The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum.
Florence Deeble's Rock Garden
Garden of Eden created by Samuel P. Dinsmoo
Grassroots Art Center
McPherson
It is home to McPherson and Central Christian Colleges.
McPherson College
Notable Alumni:
Jonathan Coachman - former World Wrestling Entertainment and current ESPN personality
Duane Earl Pope -- convicted bank robber and murderer. Briefly on the FBI 10 Most Wanted List
The first basketball team to represent the United States in the Olympics featured six McPherson residents of 13 total players. This team went on to defeat Canada 19-8 in the Gold Medal game at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
Marquette
The Kansas Motorcycle Museum is located downtown on North Washington Street. It was founded in 2004 by National Racing Champion, "Stan the Man" Engdahl, a native of Marquette
Marysville
Marysville is also known as the "Black Squirrel City" due to an isolated community of all-black squirrels that make their homes in the town. The squirrels are said to be the result of escapees from a traveling circus
Notable People
Louis T. Hardin, a.k.a. Moondog, composer, musician and poet
Michael McClure, poet and playwright
Ralph Nelson Elliott, accountant
Kendra Wecker, collegiate and professional basketball player
Kenneth W. Dam, Deputy Secretary of State (1982-1985)
Mayetta
Notable People
The baseball writer and expert Bill James grew up in Mayetta.
Meade
Flag controversy In August, 2006, the town received national media attention due to the reaction after a rainbow flag was flown above a local hotel.[5]
Dalton Gang hideout Located in Meade is the former hideout of the Dalton Gang, who robbed banks and trains in the nineteenth century
Carrie Nation
Medicine Lodge
Temperance activist Carrie Nation launched her crusade against the sale of alcohol while living in Medicine Lodge in 1900.[10] Her home and a reproduction of the 1873 stockade are open to the public
Notable People
Carleton Beals, journalist
Dorothy DeLay, violinist
Edward Joseph Hunkeler, Roman Catholic Archbishop
Chester I. Long, U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kansas
Martina McBride, American country music singer
Carrie Nation, temperance activist
Jerry Simpson, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Jasper N. Tincher, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Milan
Notable People
Michael "Andy Collins" Smith, radio personality
Miltonvale
Notable People
Patrice Wymore, vaudeville and film star
Minneapolis
Notable People
George Washington Carver, who lived in the vicinity for a brief period.
Rollin R. Rees, a U.S. Representative from Kansas
Tanner Walle, singer/songwriter
Mission Hills
Mission Hills has the highest median household income of any city in Kansas with a population over 1,000, as well as one of the highest median incomes for any city in the United States
Notable People
George Brett, Hall of Fame baseball player
James Ellroy: writer
Thomas Frank: founder of The Baffler and author of What's the Matter with Kansas?, a book that frequently discusses Mission Hills
Matt Gogel: former PGA Tour professional golfer, Golf Channel sportscaster
Kevin Harlan: CBS and TNT sportscaster
Donald J. Hall, Sr.: billionaire chairman of Hallmark Cards
Tom Watson: renowned professional golfer
Carrie Westcott Playboy's Playmate of the Month in September, 1993
Cheryl Womack, immigrant's daughter who built multimillion dollar trucking insurance company
Worlds' First Bulldozer
Morrowville
World's First Bulldozer. In 1923, a young farmer named James D Cummings and a draftsman named John Earl McLeod made the designs for a bulldozer.[4] A replica is on display at the city park, where the two built their first bulldozer
Mound Valley
Notable People
James Wesley, country music singer
Mullinville
Mullinville is mentioned in the song "The Jet Set" by George Jones and Tammy Wynette.
Mulvane
Mulvane is near the replica of the Golden Gate Bridge built by Larry Richardson, a retired postman, over Cowskin Creek. The bridge, a scale model 150 feet long.
Notable People
Laura M. Cobb, United States Navy nurse during World War II
Muscotah
Notable People
Joe Tinker, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Neodesha
The first commercially successful oil well drilled in what would become the Mid-Continent Oil Field was drilled in Neodesha in 1892. Norman No. 1 Oil Well was located in the southeast part of the city. The Norman No. 1 Museum is near the location of the original wellsite
Notable People
Grimes Poznikov, street performer in San Francisco, California
Ness Cidty
Ness City is featured in "The Killing Box", an episode of the television show Prison Break. Fugitive Theodore Bagwell tracks down his ex-girlfriend Susan Hollander after she moved to Ness City from Tribune.
Ness City gained international attention in March 2008 as the home of the woman whose buttocks grew attached to a toilet seat after refusing to move from it for two years
Newton
From the earliest beginnings in 1871 to 1873 Newton came to be known as "bloody and lawless—the wickedest city in the west." This reputation was much due to the 1871 Gunfight at Hide Park, which ultimately resulted in 8 men being killed before, during and after the incident.
Notable People
Errett Bishop, Mathematician
Tony Clark, Major league baseball first baseman
Reed Crandall, Comic book artist
Phil Epp, Artist [16]
Harold E. Foster, Head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team, member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame[17]
Elizabeth Hoisington, American Army General
John M. Janzen, Professor of Anthropology, Author
Sean Mann, Bioethicist, Linguist, Academic
Jacob A. Schowalter, Philanthropist. Founder of Schowalter Foundation and Kansas State Representative.
Conrad Snider, Clay Artist[18]
Jesse Unruh, California Politician
Nickerson
Films
Picnic, 1955, the scenes at the Owenses' and the Pottses' houses were filmed in Nickerson.
Norton
One of the first recorded tornado pictures was taken in Norton, in 1909. The photographer, Will Keller, was also able to see up into the tornado as it passed over him
Notable People
Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services and a former governor of Kansas.
Keith Sebelius, former member of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas from 1969 through 1981
Monument Rocks
Oakley
Monument Rocks - One of the Eight Wonders of Kansas and the first official National Natural Monument these stark formations look like nature's Stonehenge.
The Palace Theatre in Oakley has been featured in People magazine and ABC World News after the establishment reopened in 2003 after being forced to close indefinitely two years prior. It is a community run theatre and is managed by senior students in the Oakley High School entrepreneurship class
The 2006 CBS television series Jericho is about a fictional small town in northwest Kansas that must cope with the aftermath of nuclear attacks on major American cities. The vast distance of this region from major metropolitan areas isolate Jericho from the brunt of nuclear attack. The fictional town of Jericho shares many similarities with Oakley, which is about 70 miles from the Colorado/Kansas border. Oakley and Jericho also share the same intersection points of Interstate 70, U.S. Route 83, and U.S. Route 40. Approximately 70 Jericho fans met in Oakley on September 14–16, 2007 for the first Jericho convention, Jerichon 2007. A second Jerichon was held Memorial Day weekend 2008.[13] Although fewer fans attended, set designer Mike Loomer made an appearance. A third Jerichon was discussed, but the sponsoring group, Guardians of Jericho, appears to have disintegrated.
In March 1855, abolitionists Rev. Samuel Adair and his wife Florella settled in a cabin near Osawatomie to serve as missionaries to the community. Florella's half-brother, John Brown came to "Bleeding Kansas" later the same year with a wagon of guns in order to help fight the pro slavery forces like his five sons, who were already living in another community in the area. Brown then came to Osawatomie to visit the Adair's and fight pro slavery forces there. By 1856, having established himself as a leader of free state guerillas, Brown made Osawatomie and the Adair cabin his base. In a raid in May 1856, Brown killed five pro slavery men along Pottawatomie Creek near Osawatomie. This was then referred to as the "Pottawatomie Massacre", which inflamed the fighting throughout the Kansas Territory.[5] The second and main Battle of Osawatomie took place on August 30, 1856. Osawatomie played a key role throughout the Civil War, serving as a center for Jayhawker activity
Osborne
Notable People
Joe Miller, judge, politician
Oslaloosa
Notable People
McKinley Burnett — leading figure in Brown v. Board of Education
James Reynolds — actor on Days of Our Lives
C. Wesley Roberts — Chairman of the Republican Party, father of U.S. Senator Pat Roberts
Dummy Taylor — deaf Major League Baseball pitcher
Otis
The Linde Group, based in Munich, Germany, operates the world's second largest helium production facility in Otis, producing nearly one-sixth of the global supply of the gas.[4] The Otis facility supplies helium to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, sending nearly 400,000 cubic feet in 2008 alone
Ottawa
Notable People
Steve Grogan, former New England Patriots quarterback, led Ottawa to a runner-up place in state football and to a state championship in basketball.
Don Harrison, news anchor, one of the original anchors of CNN Headline News
Gary Hart, former Democratic U. S. Senator from Colorado and Presidential Candidate in 1984 and 1988
Steve Hawley, American astronaut (considers Salina as his hometown)
Isaac Smith Kalloch, signatory of Ottawa's original town company charter, later became Mayor of San Francisco
Jerry Voorhis, U. S. Representative for California's 12th congressional district from 1937–1947
Stanley Sheldon, bassist and vocalist for Peter Frampton, most notably on Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive! album.
Brett Staneart, recipient of a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team and Writers Guild Award (Guiding Light)
Paola
Notable People
Justice Brothers, automobile racers
Danny Carey, drummer for the band Tool
Park City
Notable People
Dennis Rader, serial killer known as BTK killer (or the BTK strangler). Rader’s house at 6220 North Independence was torn down in March 2007. Park City bought the house from Rader’s ex-wife for $56,000
Parsons
Parsons is the home of Dwayne's Photo, which is the last processor of K-14 Kodachrome film in the world.
The motion picture Zombiegeddon (2006) was filmed in Parsons.
Notable People
Buck Clayton aka Wilbur Dorsey Clayton, jazz musician
Derrel Gofourth, NFL offensive lineman
Bill Guthridge, basketball coach
Clancy Hayes, jazz musician
Christopher L. McSherry, writer, SE Kansas Racing Champion (1997-1998)
Shaun Hill, NFL quarterback
Clyde M. Reed, Kansas Governor and U.S. Senator
T. Claude Ryan, designer/builder, The Spirit of St. Louis
ZaSu Pitts, actress
Vernon Schmid, prize winning poet, author, columnist
Clark Tippet, American ballet dancer and choreographer
July 4th Celebration,[14][15] Fireworks at Peabody City Park, other events at various locations. 89th year in 2010. Infamous for ending firework display called Battle of New Orleans, which explodes over 1 Million individual items.[16] In 1960s and 1970s, up to 30,000 or more people attended, including a Carnival of rides
Small Town, USA, 2010, a feature documentary, currently in pre-production, examines the challenges faced by communities, employers and individuals as they strive to develop cultural and economic models that will ensure survival. IMG Pictures filmed in many small towns in rural Kansas, including Peabody. The Peabody downtown is being used for the promotional picture
Rebecca L. Ediger, United States Secret Service agent[42]
Dennis Franchione, College football coach
Frederic Remington, American Old West artist
Peru Madelyn Dunham, grandmother of Barack Obama, was born in the town in 1922.
Philllipsburg
Each summer, Phillipsburg swells with visitors during the annual Riverless Festival and Kansas' Biggest Rodeo. The Riverless Festival is held in June and is a take on other communities that have river or lake festivals. Since Phillipsburg is a dry climate area, the city celebrates its lack of rivers in a tongue-in-cheek way through its annual Riverless Festival. The courthouse square hosts craft booths,food stands line the roads, and children line up for the games and rides, which are sponsored by local area businesses.[7] The rodeo is promoted as the biggest in Kansas. Phillipsburg hosts the rodeo each year, typically during the first week of August
McDill "Huck" Boyd, Newspaper Editor, Politician
Wallace Pratt, Geologist
Pittsburg
Pittsburg is the home to Pittsburg State University
Notable Alumni:
Chuck Broyles, the school's national champion football coach
Gary Busey, actor
Eldon Danenhauer, Offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos.
Dennis Franchione, former head football coach of Texas A&M University (and former coach of Pittsburg State)
Eugene Maxwell Frank, a Bishop of the United Methodist Church
Kendall Gammon, former NFL Longsnapper, Kansas City Chiefs ( employed by Pittsburg State)
Don Gutteridge, Major League Baseball Player and Manager
Sherm Lollar, Major League Baseball Player
Jennifer Knapp, Grammy-nominated Christian Music Artist, sold over 1 million albums
Ronald Moore (football player), former NFL Running Back, 1992 Harlon Hill Trophy winner
Brian Moorman, NFL punter, Buffalo Bills
Jim Press, Chrysler Vice Chairman and President
H. Lee Scott, former Wal-Mart President and CEO
James Tate, writer who won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for poetry.
Duane D. Thiessen, Major General USMC
Jay W. Hood, Major General US Army, Commander 1st US Army East, Ft. Meade MD, Former Commanding General JTF Guantanamo Bay Cuba
Notable People
Ralph Berry – Professional wrestler
P.J. Forbes — former Major League Baseball player
Hugh Gillin – actor
Roy Glenn — actor
Don Gutteridge — former Major League Baseball player and manager
Brandon Jones Kerry Meier current NFL football player for the Atlanta Falcons
Dennis Rader BTK Serial Killer- Born in Pittsburg
Vance Randolph — folklorist
Bill Russell (baseball) – former Major League Baseball player, coach, and manager
Paul White — broadcast journalism pioneer and CBS news director
Plainville
Notable People
Brent Collins, actor
Jerry Moran, U.S. Representative from Kansas
Pleasanton
Notable People
Julius C. Holmes - Assistant Secretary of State and United States Ambassador to Iran
Plevna
Notable People
Karl C. King, U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Portis
Cultural references
A memorial was put up in this small city in honor of Melvin "Tubby" Millar. Millar was the animator of the Looney Tune's cartoon character, Porky Pig. The Millar Memorial reads: "In memory of Melvin Tubby Millar, animator for Looney Tunes Porky Pig cartoons and assistant to Friz Freleng, creator of Porky Pig." Millar included his hometown name into many of his cartoon episodes, including: 1) In "Porky's Pet" (King, 1936) the train station has a poster in the background reading "When in Portis, Stop at Millar Manor". 2) In "Bingo Crosbyana" (Freleng, 1936) there is a matchbox with the name "Portis Matches" and a wine glass with the label saying "90 Percent Portis". 3) A crate in the episode "Porky of the North Woods" (Tashlin, 1936) reads "#2 Portis Kan". It is apparent by the label that the word "Kansas" did not get finished, thus ending with just "Kan" and half of an 'S'Prairie Village
Prairie Village
Notable People
Chuck Norris, actor and martial arts champion, briefly lived in Prairie Village as a child
Hank Bauer, Major League baseball player, manager
Robert Frederick Bennett, Mayor of Prairie Village, Governor of Kansas (1975–1979)
Sandahl Bergman, Broadway dancer and film actress
George Brett, Hall of Fame baseball player
Joyce DiDonato, operatic mezzo-soprano
William Colby: Author/Lawyer
Ben A. Jones, thoroughbred horse trainer
Horace A. "Jimmy" Jones, thoroughbred horse trainer
Ramesh Ponnuru, columnist
Larry Winn, former U.S. Representative from Kansas
David Wittig, indicted CEO of Westar Energy
Pratt
Notable People
Brad Ziegler, professional baseball player
Media References
Theodore Bagwell lies low in a Pratt bar in "The Killing Box", an episode of the television series Prison Break. In Stephen King's "The Stand", Nick Andros and Tom Cullen encounter the cruel, vicious and promiscuous Julie Lawry at Pratt
Pretty Prairie
Notable People
Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, who played the Alfalfa character on the Little Rascals / Our Gang series. Switzer lived in the town in 1954 while briefly married to Collingwood Grain heiress Dian Collingwood. Switzer appeared in bit roles in many movies.
Quinter
The city received some slight national publicity in November 2006 when longtime resident Waldo McBurney, age 104, was proclaimed the oldest worker in the United States.[3]
Ransom
Notable People
Ruth Riley - professional basketball player - was born here, but raised in Macy, Indiana.
Nolan Cromwell - NFL player - graduated from Ransom High School in 1973.
Reading
Jim Barnett, the unsuccessful 2006 Republican candidate for governor of Kansas grew up on a farm near Reading and graduated from Reading High School.
Reading was also the birthplace of former U.S. Representative Robert D. "Bob" Price (1927-2004) a Texas Republican who served from 1967 to 1975.
Roeland Park
Notable People
John D. Carmack, computer programmer
Russell
Russell came to national attention in the mid-1990s as the hometown of U.S. Senators Bob Dole and Arlen Specter when both men campaigned for the U.S. presidency
Notable People
Philip Anschutz, billionaire businessman
Bob Dole, U.S. Senator from Kansas, Senate Majority Leader
Arlen Specter, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania
Walter Sutton, geneticist
Sabetha
Notable People
Arthur Schabinger (1889–1972), basketball coach and administrator, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
Wilbur Bestwick (1911–1972), the First Sergeant Major of the United States Marine Corps
St. Francis
Notable People
Ron Evans, astronaut
Santanta
Notable People
Gary Spani, professional football player, Kansas City Chiefs
Noted for its Neo-Nazi political chapter
Oz Museum
Wamego
Oz Museum
Wamego is home to a museum dedicated to The Wizard of Oz,[11] featuring a collection of over 25,000 Oz artifacts on permanent loan from Friar Johnpaul Cafiero.[12][13] The Museum was founded in April 2004,[14] and led to the development of several other small businesses with the Oz theme, which have come to be known as the "Oz Cluster."[15] Prominent Oz-related businesses include the Oz Winery, Lincoln Street Station, Barleycorns and Toto's Tacoz.[16] On the first weekend of October, Wamego holds its Annual OZtoberFEST, an Oktoberfest-type celebration with an Oz theme.[12] The annual street festival typically hosts Hot Air Balloon Rides, Tallgrass Brewery Beer Garden, the Yellow Brick Road Bike Ride, and a local stage or music production.
Notable People
Steve Balderson, filmmaker
Benjamin Butler, painter
Walter Chrysler, automobile manufacturer, founder of Chrysler Corporation
Wamego but soon after his birth, his parents moved to Ellis, Kansas[22]
Maggie May, model, Playboy playmate
Travis Metcalf, professional baseball player
William Pickard, LSD chemist, was arrested one mile northwest of Wamego, serving two life sentences in federal prison
