Travels with Serendipity: The Beginning and the End

Anyone who thinks Kansas is just a the state in the middle of the United States has NOT been to Kansas.
Travelers on the Santa Fe Trail left Kansas City, Mo and headed west and southward through Kansas towards Santa Fe and then on to further destinations west, stopping at Fort Larned - a fort built primarily to protect travelers and provide respite from Indian attacks on the trail - much like Bent's Fort in La Junta, CO. - and Dodge City as well.

Kansas also prides itself on being the place that was beginning of the end of slavery. It had 4 constitutions before one was finally accepted. All because of the issue of slavery. Originally the state was supposed to enter the union as a slave state, due to the Missouri Compromise, but then there came the Kansas Nebraska Act which said it's residents could choose. All hell broke loose. Rich abolitionists sponsored immigrants to Kansas to stack the deck in favor of the abolitionist movement, John Brown and his militia were among them. Then there were the Bushwhackers who came over from Missouri to try to swing the state towards slavery. Jesse James and his family were pro-slavery, owned slaves and fought with Quantrill's Raiders during the war. When all was said and done, 4 constitutions later, Kansas entered the Union as a free state but many of it's courthouses and communities were burned by opposing forces in the process. Jesse James later became a bank robber - supposedly because he was so bitter about the aftermath of the war. True Missouri did pass rather punitive laws against Missourians who had fought for the South, but perhaps he had learned to enjoy violence in his association with Quantrill's raiders at such an early age and just couldn't give up the thrill it gave him.

Forgetting the Bleeding Kansas History, Kansas is also lovely in the spring. It has miles and miles of green fields and cities and towns with broad leafed trees shading the traditional houses in them. I never met a grumpy person, Kansians always seemed more than eager to help you find just what you wanted. From the womand at the LeCompton Constitutional Hall (the Lecompton constitution was the second of the four Kansas passed before finally coming up with one that passed both the house and senate of the U.S.) who was determined we would get everything we could from her town's historical sights and even it's best burger joint, to the host at the First Presbyterian Church in Topeka who made sure the lights were NOT turned off on us while we viewed the beautiful stained glass windows and assured the guard that our parking in the church lot was ok while we wandered across to the state capitol.

Eisenhower is from Kansas, his parents attended University in LeCompton, Bob Dole is from Kansas, the Cathedral on the Plains is in Kansas... there's a lot to Kansas. Take your time and you'll find yourself immersed in history and a friendly middle America that's hard to beat.