Symbols of Kansas

Feel free to cut and paste this and use it as you wish
to help celebrate Kansas Day, January 29

KANSAS BECAME A STATE JANUARY 29, 1861
On January 29, 186, President James Buchanan signed the bill that admitted Kansas as the 34th state. This was one of the precipitating events that led to the Civil War. Three months after Kansas became a state, the first shots of the Civil War broke out at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.

It was a painstaking process for Kansas to become a state. In 1858, James Buchanan recommended that the Lecompton Constitution be adopted for Kansas, which would have allowed slavery in the state. Congress voted it down. Battles, massacres, deception, angst, fiery speeches, arson, and passionate pleas are just a few of the events that occurred to gain statehood as a free state. Kansas state seal, adopted 1861. On May 25, 1861, the Kansas State Legislature adopted the state's seal.

Kansas state flower: Wild Native Sunflower, adopted 1903.
Nearly 3,000 years ago, the sunflower was domesticated for food production by the Native Americans.

Kansas state bird: Western Meadowlark, adopted Kansas Day 1925.
The Western Meadowlark was selected the state bird after a vote by over 121,000 school children. Western Meadowlarks are ground nesters and ground feeders.

Kansas state flag, adopted 1927.
First flown at Fort Riley by Governor Ben Paulin for the troops at Fort Riley and for the Kansas National Guard and officially adopted by the Kansas State Legislature on May 21, 1927.

Kansas state march: The Kansas March, adopted 1935 and Here’s Kansas, adopted 1992.
Duff Middleton wrote the music for “The Kansas March” and it was adopted by the legislature in 1935. Bill Post of Geuda Springs wrote the words and music for “Here’s Kansas” which was adopted as a second Kansas state March in 1992.

Kansas state tree: Eastern Cottonwood, adopted 1937.
Cottonwoods can be either male or female. It is the fluffy white seeds produced by the females during early summer that give the tree its name.

Kansas state song: Home on the Range, adopted 1947.
Dr. Brewster M. Higley originally wrote the words in a poem called "My Western Home" in the early 1870s in Smith County. The music was written by a friend of Higley's named Daniel E. Kelley.

Kansas state animal: American Bison, adopted 1955.
A single herd of bison in 1871 located southwest of what is now Dodge City was carefully estimated to have over 4 million members! Bison bulls may weigh a ton, cows top out around 1,100 pounds. They can run 35 MPH for long distances.
Source: gpnc.org/kansas1.htm

Kansas state insect: Honeybee, adopted 1976.
There is only one queen in a hive and her main purpose in life is to make more bees.

Kansas state reptile: Ornate Box Turtle, adopted 1986.
The word "ornate" means elaborately decorated. The 1985-86 6th grade class in Caldwell, Kansas did a massive campaign to get the ornate box turtle named state reptile.

Kansas state soil: Harney Silt Loam, adopted 1990.
Harney soils are recognized as prime farmland and have excellent properties for producing food and fiber crops. These soils occur on about 4 million acres in west-central Kansas.

Kansas state amphibian: Barred Tiger Salamander, adopted 1994.
The Barred Tiger Salamander are the largest terrestrial salamanders in the world – up to 14 inches in length.

Knowing our Kansas symbols help us "Get Kansas!"

KE #2 Marci Penner