Welcome to the Fort Wallace Museum
We invite you to visit the Fort Wallace Museum! We are open year round as an essential place to visit along the Kansas Western Vistas Historic Byway. Discover your American story at the Fort Wallace Museum.
Hidden History of Sheridan
Learn more about the wild and woolly town of Sheridan, Kansas. It served as the end of the Kansas Pacific Railroad in 1868. This film was commissioned by the Western Vistas Historic By-way.
Around KS - Fort Wallace
Deb Bisel shares stories about how Fort Wallace played an important part in the Indian Wars.
Around Kansas - Fossils of Kansas - February 3, 2016
(Frank) And we're back. (Deb) So, I was in Philadelphia as you know over New Year's. And while I was there I went to the Academy of Natural Sciences on Logan Circle. And this is their little brochure, so you gotta go if you're ever in Philadelphia. I went to see the fossilized remains of an elasmosaurus that was actually dug up out near Fort Wallace in the 1860s, right in the middle of the Indian Wars. And we're going to do some more stories on that because it's a phenomenal, just a phenomenal story. But while the personnel there at the museum were showing me through their collections, they're looking for all the stuff from Kansas. So, you've got these fossilized remains of these mostly sea beasts, from when we were an Inland Sea. (Frank) Oh yea, we were the Great Inland Sea. (Deb) We were. It's amazing. (Frank) And you know, they do study that in school now, cause I know one of my granddaughters said, Grandpa, do you know about the Great Inland Sea? And I said, Hey it's a fun thing, and we looked it up and all of that. (Deb) It's really an amazing story. So, as they're pulling out these drawers in this incredible facility in Philadelphia, they're all these little fossilized vertebrae, there's just all kinds of things. And there are names. Theophilus Turner is the man who found the one out near Fort Wallace. But you've got Sternberg, you know a name that everybody in Kansas and anybody in anthropology knows from the Sternberg Museum, of course. But
you've got Sternberg's name and on these things. So, I got to thinking about all the places around Kansas that have boasted fossils, and we've got some incredible locations here in Kansas that you can go visit and some tremendous stories of people that found things and how they found them. And so, there's just stories all over the place. (Frank) Yea, yea. And the thing is especially with a lot of sandstone and all of that, cause I know I've got a pond in my garden and all that and as I was collecting rocks, I'd come upon a rock and there would be like a seashell in it. And it's like, huh that's cool. So, this has been around for some time. (Deb) Exactly. It's just an amazing part of our history and geography and it's so accessible. Like I said there's just locations all over the state that you can go and learn more and some of these you may be familiar with and some you may not be that familiar with. So, we want to share some of those with you today. According to the Kansas Geological Survey, Kansas rocks are full of fossils. Fossils are the signs of ancient plants and animals. They come in many forms, from bones and shells to carbon traces, tracks, and burrows. For fossilization to occur, an organism must be buried fairly quickly to protect it from being eaten by scavengers, attacked by bacteria, or worn away by wind or wave action. Occasionally, mudslides and volcanic eruptions quickly bury organisms on land, but rapid burial is more likely to occur in water. Based on marine fossils contained in many of the rocks that crop out at the surface in Kansas, scientists know that shallow seas covered the area for long intervals throughout the past. These seas were ideal for rapid burial. Rivers, lakes, ponds and streams also made good burial sites. Many significant fossils have been discovered in Kansas and many sites throughout the state have them on display. One of the most significant was near Sheridan, Kansas, when the post surgeon from Fort Wallace, Theophilus Turner, uncovered a plesiosaur nearly 42 feet long. A replica of the fossil is now displayed in the Fort Wallace Museum. Another interesting exhibit is in Minneapolis at the Ottawa County Museum. The Silvisaurus condrayi was found by rancher Warren Condray in the 1950s. Senator Frank Carlson connected Condray with folks at KU and the beast he discovered was named for him and is the only one of its type discovered to this point. The museum displays many rocks and fossils other than Silvisaurus, including a dinosaur egg from China. The Fick Fossil and History Museum in Oakley began with the collections of Ernest and Vi Fick. When the thousands of shark's teeth and other finds outgrew their home, the museum was established to share these artifacts with the public. Of course the Sternberg Museum in Hays, Kansas, is famous for his fish-within-a-fish fossil discovered by George Sternberg. Other fossils include huge marine reptiles, toothed birds, giant clams, flying reptiles, sharks, and bizarre fishes.
Dwight D Eisenhower Museum Abilene Kansas
This is a reissue to correct location of Museum.
The Eisenhower Presidential Center, in Abilene, Kansas was started in 1962 to honor and remember Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961). The Center includes the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Eisenhower Museum, Eisenhower's boyhood home, the Place of Meditation, and a Visitor Center.
This is Part Two of a two-part series on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Center.
Part One, Eisenhower Childhood Home can be found at:
For more videos of the local area
- Fort Hays Historic Site
- Fort Wallace Museum
- Fort Wallace Museum Outside
- High Plains Museum
- Combat Air Museum
- Museum of Kansas National Guard
- First Infantry Division Museum
For more of our travel videos, please go to
Please email us at FreeTravelWithUs@gmail.com with any helpful suggestions on how we can do a better job documenting our travels and getting the word out about our website. Thanks!
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FORT HARKER MUSEUM
A quick look at historic Fort Harker in Kanopolis Kansas
Around Kansas - Ken Weidner, Living Historian - April 12, 2017
(Frank) See, I told you we'd come back. Well, anyway, we have lots of stories today and you're, they're okay now that we're in the middle of April, we got all of this stuff out in front of us this year, the 150 Celebrations and we're talking about Nebraska, sorry. (Deb) No, but we had the 150th of Nebraska, but Kansas has so many 150th Anniversaries this year, it's just crazy. Like I've said, this is the third most important year in Kansas history, 1867. We've got Chisholm Trail, we've got Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty, we've got so many events marking the 150th this year, and so many historic sites. And one of the people that you're going to see a lot is Ken Weidener, and he will be at our big event in July. July for us is the combination of a lot of the stuff in Western Kansas at Fort Wallace, and Ken is just one of these amazing people. When we started putting together the events at Fort Wallace and looking at the big encampment with the dozens of re-enactor's we've got, Ken's name is one that's like, he's going to be there, he's going to be there for our annual meeting in April 23rd. too. He, Frank, just takes it to the nth degree. He has gone back and figured out how the Plains tribes could have done all these signs. Like when he talks about using every part of the buffalo, he figured out how to do that, exactly the way the Plains tribes would have done. He's a living historian, he's a - plays like a teacher. He is phenomenal. This is one that will get the kids attention. I promise you. When Ken shows up it will get the kids attention. (Frank) [Laughs] Okay. I think I have met him a couple of times at like Kansas Sampler, I think, he's always there at the campground. (Deb) Yes, I'm sure. And he's pretty amazing. He's just one of the amazing people, but let's take a look at the art and talent and ability of Ken Weidner. As Kansas marks the 150th anniversary of many events in 2017, one of the exhibits you are likely to see is a tipi with tanned hides and tools, all crafted in the manner of the 1860s Plains Tribes. The man wears face paint and sports a scalp lock, and frankly, is quite intimidating. But the blue eyes may give pause. Ken Weidner of Copeland is a farmer of German descent. He makes his living in southwest Kansas growing wheat, milo and corn and raising cattle on the family farm. Though farming is the life he was born into, his passion is the history of western Kansas. Ken’s interest in early western history began in grade school, evolving into his involvement with black powder guns and eventually the Fur Trade era rendezvous camps. The artistry and challenge of learning to “use every part of a buffalo” interested Ken in the Native American culture. His attention eventually focused on the Southern Cheyenne people who followed the herds of buffalo across the plains states, including Kansas. In the past thirty years, Ken has participated in various living history camps in Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and of course, Kansas. Research and actual hands on experience go hand in hand in crafting, understanding and mastering the creation and use of everyday articles. Most of the items you see in Whirlwind’s tipi have been handcrafted by Ken; brain tanned buffalo robes, rawhide parfleches of various shapes and sizes, beaded bags, bow and arrows, hand dyed Stroud wool blankets, German silver bridles and Indian saddles. Years of studying actual accounts in books and journals; living primitive camp life at every opportunity; and museum research trips where he’s been able to examine historic artifacts, has made Ken a sought-after expert in the material culture of the Southern Plains Indians. Commitment to the craft and attention to detail has opened doors for Ken both locally and across the country. You’ll see his work displayed or included in “hands on” exhibits at historic sites and museums such as Fort Larned NPS and the Little Bighorn Battlefield; and most notably, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. His work is so widely recognized because he is so disciplined and devoted to his craft, and thankfully, to sharing it with the rest of us.
5 Most Haunted Places in Kansas
There's a lot to love about Kansas, a place with a lot of history. Some of that history is dark, dark enough to create its share of ghost stories. Let's take a look at five of the most haunted places in Kansas.
Midland Railroad Hotel
Kansas Statehouse
Fort Riley
White Woman Creek
Sallie House
It's a creepy, frightening, weird and fascinating world out there. Let's take a look at the tales and legends behind hauntings, and explore the amazing, from the supernatural to the scientific, and from under the sea to among the stars.
Media:
Ghost Story by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
“Topeka Dome by Aviper2k7
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
“Kansas (Fort Riley -Military Base) 4 by DianaMH
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
“US-KS - Grandview Plaza - North America - Road Trip - Great Plains - Kansas - Water Tower (4891570161) by
Licensed under CC BY 2.0
Museum Kansas National Guard
The Museum of the Kansas National Guard, located in Topeka, Kansas, is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Kansas National Guard and honoring the memories of the soldiers and airmen who, for over 145 years, have served Kansas and the United States whenever the call was made. The Museum has over 125 inside displays and 35 outside equipment displays documenting the history of the organization from virtually every conflict from the Civil War to the more recent peacekeeping actions in Bosnia.
This is Part Two of a two-part series on museums in the Topeka, Kansas area.
Part One, The Combat Air Museum, can be seen at:
For more videos of the local area
- Fort Hays Historic Site
- Fort Wallace Museum
- Fort Wallace Museum Outside
- High Plains Museum
- First Infantry Division Museum
- Eisenhower Museum
- Eisenhower Childhood Home
For more of our travel videos, please go to
Please email us at FreeTravelWithUs@gmail.com with any helpful suggestions on how we can do a better job documenting our travels and getting the word out about our website. Thanks!
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First Infantry Division Museum
The First Infantry Division Museum, located at Fort Riley, Kansas, tells the story of the Army’s most storied division. Founded in 1917, the First Division (First American Expeditionary Force) was created by General John J. Blackjack Pershing to meet the growing threat in Europe by Germany. The Expeditionary Force was comprised mainly of Army units on duty on the Mexican border.
For more videos of the local area
- Fort Hays Historic Site
- Fort Wallace Museum
- Fort Wallace Museum Outside
- High Plains Museum
- Combat Air Museum
- Museum of Kansas National Guard
- Eisenhower Museum
- Eisenhower Childhood Home
For more of our travel videos, please go to
Please email us at FreeTravelWithUs@gmail.com with any helpful suggestions on how we can do a better job documenting our travels and getting the word out about our website. Thanks!
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Hoss's Sinkhole, Wallace KS
Around Kansas - Story of Battle Canyon - May 18, 2016
(Deb) While I wrestle the alligator, Marlin over here is going to [laughs] I had to that give away your age and if you're talking about Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. (Frank) I was pretending to read a book here. (Frank) So I’m going to, [chuckles] present it again. (Deb) My lovely assistant. (Frank) Tell us about this. (Deb) Okay. This is a fantastic book. Ramon Powers. Many of you know Ramon was former Director of the Kansas State Historical Society before he retired. Native of Gove County. So he grew up in the middle of all this history. And Jim Leiker wrote this great book on the Northern Cheyenne. Now remember the movie Cheyenne Autumn? (Frank) [Hmm-hmm] (Deb) Okay. That's based on this incident. So the book talks about how this Cheyenne exodus, where the Cheyenne have been moved to Oklahoma and they're trying to get back to their native home in Northwestern Nebraska and that area right around Rapid City in South Dakota, a little South of there. So as they're coming through Kansas in 1878, with the raids. So, the one we're going to talk about today, the piece of that is the Battle of Punished Woman's Fork, which is just outside of Scott City, it's just there next to the lake. I had never been there until just this month or a few weeks ago, last month maybe. Dr. Jake took me out see it and I'm embarrassed to say I had not been to Battle Canyon before. And you've got to see it, you will be blown away. It's a fantastic site and the history is very tragic, as many of our Indian War stories are, but really important and the community there is doing an awful lot to interpret that and they got the El Quartelejo Museum in Scott City which helps interpret that history and the State Park there and there's just so much going on. So it's a fantastic place to go spend a day. And again, get some exercise during the spring and learn some fantastic history. Now Frank might actually read the book instead of just pretending to read. (Frank) Yes. I’m going to read this and she'll tell you the story. (Deb) Driving along Highway 83, North of Scott City, the prairie breaks into occasional bluffs, the grass is short and yucca dots the landscape. Even with these hints however, you can't help but gasp when you turn off the road to the West and drive down into historic Scott Lake State Park. Yes, down, the road winds down the hillside. The scenery and abundant wildlife, the sunrises and sunsets over the lake, the incredible history within its confines all beckon in the visitor to stay awhile. This corner of Kansas has many stories to tell. And today I will share just one, the Battle At Punished Woman's Fork in 1878. There are enough tragic stories in the annals of the Plains Indian Wars to fill volumes. Sadly this story is among them. The Northern Cheyenne had been moved from Northwestern Nebraska and bordering South Dakota to the Indian Territory. Conditions were deplorable and they decided to go home. Historian John Monnett calls it an Exodus, as we refer to the Children of Israel fleeing Egypt. Most Kansans of the day called it something else. The Dodge City Times covered skirmishes with the band of Cheyennes in their neighborhood. The red devils, the wild and hungry Cheyennes commit murder and arson. Several herders murdered. A house burned down. Wholesale stealing of horses, an Indian fight. Three soldiers killed and three wounded. The border wild with excitement. Straggling bands of Indians, raiding everywhere. Another Indian skirmish, an Indian killed, a soldier wounded. Emigrant trains robbed. Four companies of cavalry ordered to Dodge. I will not do the disservice of using that event to a couple of lines here. Let it be said Louis was mortally wounded and died en route to Fort Wallace and the Indians horse herd was destroyed. A devastating blow. The most significant effect however, lay in the attitudes on both sides, leading to pressure from the public for real protection. And a more violent and personal response from Dull Knife and his followers resulting in the brutal raid near Oberlin. This is a story you must experience. Visit Punish Woman's Fork adjoining Historic Scott Lake State Park. Visit the Gerry Thomas Gallery at the El Quartelejo Museum in Scott City where you will find photos and artifacts, along with Gerry's incredible art. Visit the Last Indian Raid Museum in Oberlin. Read the Northern Cheyenne Exodus in History and Memory by Jim Leiker and Ramon Powers. Read Tell Them We Are Going Home by John Monnett. The story is far too rich and complex for sound bites. But I will leave you with a couple. Louis was described by a friend as the most tolerant and least prejudiced man I ever met. And when Dull Knife's people reached the Promised Land and were imprisoned for crimes committed along the way, he responded that if the authorities tried to send us back we will butcher each other. Let us never ever forget these were real people, not just dusty photographs.
High Plains Museum
The High Plains Museum, just off Interstate 70, in Goodland, Kansas opened in 1960 and features a collection of over 8,000 objects representative of Goodland and Sherman County history.
For more videos of the local area
- Fort Hays Historic Site
- Fort Wallace Museum
- Fort Wallace Museum Outside
- Combat Air Museum
- Museum of Kansas National Guard
- First Infantry Division Museum
- Eisenhower Museum
- Eisenhower Childhood Home
For more of our travel videos, please go to
Please email us at FreeTravelWithUs@gmail.com with any helpful suggestions on how we can do a better job documenting our travels and getting the word out about our website. Thanks!
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Around KS - Butterfield Trail Museum, Russell Springs - Feb. 24, 2016
(Frank) And we're back. Now, as you know I'm a native Kansan and I'm supposed to know a lot about Kansas. This young lady is not from Kansas but she knows about a place I've never been. And it's gonna be her next story. So, I'm gonna let her kinda of tell you about a place called Russell Springs. And for those of you watching in Russell Springs, I apologize. (Deb) Well, I don't know if they get our signal there. The reception is not too great in Russell Springs I don't think, so they won't be too offended. And that reminds me cause I do a lot of speaking all over the country, somebody said one time, I wish you would wear a sign when you leave the state that says, Kansans Don't Talk Like This. You're right, I'm not a native Kansan but I sure love it. And when I as out in the western part of the state I got to go to Russell Springs the other day. I had actually been before. It had been 15 or 20 years, but it's on the old Butterfield Stage Route. So there is the Butterfield Trail Museum there. And it’s, I love it. I just love it. Tiny, tiny, tiny little town, but people working so hard to keep their history alive and everybody volunteers and they just you know, it's just wonderful. I love it. And it's overlooking the Smoky Hill Valley there and it's just, I love it. So, you're going to love seeing it too. The museum won't open again til May. She actually, Debbie Mather came in and opened it for us just so we could get some pictures and stuff, but it will be open again, starting in May and will be open all summer. And so,and then there's a nice little hotel. So, I'm going to tell you all about it so you can all make plans to go to Russell Springs. (Frank) Yea, and the Butterfield Stage Line is an interesting story all of its own. (Deb) It's a great story. Stay with us. On a rise above the Smoky Hill River sets the Logan County Courthouse, the centerpiece of Russell Springs. It used to be bustling, when the business of government drew folks to the hamlet in droves. Russell Springs was the county seat for Logan County from its organization in 1887. Efforts to move the county seat to Oakley were defeated in 1937, 1945, and 1960, but, in 1963, Russell Springs lost the election, and the county offices were moved. It was thought that the building would be demolished, but a local historical association first met in the fall of 1964, and the former Logan County courthouse became the Butterfield Trail Historical Museum, opening on September 5, 1965. Some portions of the museum are just collections of stuff that belong to local residents, but I found two areas to be of special interest, the Messamore Fossil Collection and the courtroom. All of the fixtures were left when the court moved to Oakley and the court is a 45-year-old time capsule. The annual Butterfield Trail Ride to benefit the museum began in May 1967. Early each summer, there is a two-day event starting with a ride or walk of 10 to 12 mile section of the Trail, ending with a stay in Russell Springs for the night. We were about to go into Debbie Mather’s quilt shop when we ran into Mel and Kathy Herschberger. They own the Logan House, the original hotel built there in 1887. We had driven by on our way into town and I was thrilled to have the chance to see it. I asked if it was a B&B and Mel laughed and replied, It's a bed and bring your own breakfast! There are nine guest rooms in the original part of the hotel and the addition has a kitchen, dining and family room. Kathy said friends have called it her doll house. Most of their clients are hunters or family reunions, but they do get the average traveler tired of chains and wanting to experience a different time and place. Debbie then took us through the Butterfield Trail Museum. It's closed for the season, but will reopen for May. She opened it especially for us so I could take pictures to share with you today. The old courthouse, complete with jail next door, makes a wonderful museum and I vowed to come back and spend time in the library. One of the most interesting artifacts was a set of plywood wings that one enterprising gentleman from Winona built in the 1930s. The folks in Russell Springs are working so hard to keep their rich and unique story alive. It is well worth the drive.
Fort Hays Kansas
Fort Hays Kansas
Fort Hays, Kansas was an important frontier outpost of the United States Army located in Hays, Kansas between 1865 and 1889. Fort Hays was the home of several well-known Indian wars regiments including the Seventh U.S. Cavalry, the Fifth U.S. Infantry, and the Tenth U.S. Cavalry, whose black troopers were better known as buffalo soldiers. The fort was originally located about five miles south of present day Walker, Kansas.
For more videos of the local area
- Fort Wallace Museum
- Fort Wallace Museum Outside
- High Plains Museum
- Combat Air Museum
- Museum of Kansas National Guard
- First Infantry Division Museum
- Eisenhower Museum
- Eisenhower Childhood Home
For more of our travel videos, please go to
Please email us at FreeTravelWithUs@gmail.com with any helpful suggestions on how we can do a better job documenting our travels and getting the word out about our website. Thanks!
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Fort Larned National Historic Site
Wind, The Santa Fe Trail & Life on the Plains
Around Kansas - History of Fort Larned - April 27, 2016
(Frank) One, one, one other thing on parks. (Deb) One, one, one, one, one, one. (Frank) One more. (Deb) Spit it out Porky! (Frank) Yea, betip, betip. It's Smokey Bear, not Smokey the Bear. So anyway. (Deb) I have been to Smokey Bear's grave! (Frank) What? (Deb) I collect graves, you know. But I have been to Smokey Bear's grave. (Frank) OK. (Deb) And it is very hard not to say, Smokey the Bear, but it is Smokey Bear. (Frank) It's Smokey Bear. (Deb) But he's buried in Capitan, New Mexico. I think, if I remember correctly, I think I actually saw Smokey Bear at the National Zoo in Washington when I was a teenager too. I will check the dates to make sure I'm not lying to you, but yea, Smokey Bear's grave. (Frank) OK. We're also going to talk about forts. (Deb) My favorite topic. (Frank) Yea and Kansas was full of forts. You have another fort you're going to talk about. (Deb) Fort Larned. It's just amazing. Number one, it's beautiful. When people see it they're just shocked by how pretty it is and a lot of kids are shocked because they've got this image of what a fort looks like and there's no wall around it. There's no palisades because of course, we had no trees. But it's a wonderful part of the National Park System and there's so much. And when you go to Larned make sure you stop by the Santa Fe Trail Museum also. That's not too far away. Yes, Fort Larned. They've got April 30th, they've got an event coming up, the Old Guard and Muster. Our friend Leo Oliva will be there. It will be a great day. They're going out to the Indian Village, the Cheyenne Village that would have been not too far from Larned. Lots of history. That will be a phenomenal event. But they've got stuff going on all the time, so check out their website. Yea, we'll take a closer look at Fort Larned. Like most of our western forts, Larned was designed to protect commerce. Located on the lucrative Santa Fe Trail, the post was originally located a few miles east of its permanent site. David Bell, an officer in the 1st US Cavalry, established a camp on the Pawnee Fork in October 1859. It later became Camp Alert and finally, Fort Larned in honor of Col. Benjamin F Larned, paymaster general of the US Army. The fort also served as a central location to distribute annuities to the Plains Tribes, as prescribed by the Fort Wise Treaty of 1861. Fort Larned was the site of a meeting between General Winfield Scott Hancock and several Cheyenne chiefs on April 12, 1867, in which Hancock intended to impress the Dog Soldier chiefs with his military power. During the winter of 1868–69, U.S. Major General Phil Sheridan launched a campaign against the Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Comanche Indians on the Great Plains. Sheridan's men attacked any who resisted, taking their supplies and livestock and pushing the remaining Indians back into their reservations. By the end of the Winter Campaign, Sheridan had successfully forced a majority of the Indians in the Fort Larned area onto reservations. Renovations to Fort Larned took place between 1866 and 1868. The original sod and adobe structures were removed and replaced with the sandstone buildings that make up the fort today. By 1871, no escorts were required for the wagon trains traveling on the Santa Fe Trail, eliminating the need for military presence in the region. The post was abandoned in July 1878, and five years later the Fort Larned Military Reservation was transferred from the War Department to the General Land Office of the Department of the Interior. From 1885 to 1966, the buildings were used to house the headquarters of a ranch. In 1957 the Fort Larned Historical Society was founded to develop and open the site as a tourist attraction. The fort was designated as a National Landmark in 1961 and in 1964 it was incorporated as a unit of the National Park System.
Dwight D Eisenhower Childhood Home Abilene Kansas
This is a reissue to correct location of Museum.
The Eisenhower Presidential Center, in Abilene, Kansas was started in 1962 to honor and remember Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961). The Center includes the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Eisenhower Museum, Eisenhower's boyhood home, the Place of Meditation, and a Visitor Center.
This is Part One of a two-part series on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Center.
Part Two, the Eisenhower Museum can be seem at:
For more videos of the local area
- Fort Hays Historic Site
- Fort Wallace Museum
- Fort Wallace Museum Outside
- High Plains Museum
- Combat Air Museum
- Museum of Kansas National Guard
- First Infantry Division Museum
For more of our travel videos, please go to
Please email us at FreeTravelWithUs@gmail.com with any helpful suggestions on how we can do a better job documenting our travels and getting the word out about our website. Thanks!
If you are enjoying the videos, please help us continue by letting your friends know about them and subscribe to our channel so we can meet the new “1,000” subscriber requirements.
Kansas Forts
Fort Larned was one of many army forts in Kansas. Fort Riley was established in 1853 and Fort Scott was established in 1842. When most Indians had been brought under control Fort Zarah closed. Fort Lincoln and Fort Ellsworth both play another part in Kansas history. These are some Kansas forts.
Around Kansas Spiders October 16, 2019
Deb Goodrich: Welcome back. My guest-host this morning is Jayne Pearce. We're at the Fort Wallace Museum. Sometimes you just have to spray for bugs in the Fall. Have you seen spiders this Fall, Jayne?
Jayne Pearce: I've seen everything that crawls. I've seen these little wireworms everywhere.
Deb: Oh my Gosh, crazy.
Jayne: Yes. It is a buggy Fall.
Deb: It is a buggy Fall. Probably because we've heard so much moisture.
Jayne: Yes.
Deb: The spiders have been prodigious and I was asking people about footage of the tarantula migration. Just mentioning tarantula migration on Facebook.
Jayne: Yes. Got some pretty good reactions. [laughs]
Deb: People are freaking out, aren't they? By golly, they do. We got all kinds of crazy spiders in Kansas, and the one in the State House the other day? Did you see that?
Jayne: No.
Deb: They were talking about burning down the State House to get rid of-- the spider was that big. I'm not sure what that was, but maybe we'll find out in this segment.
Voice Over: You don't have to be out in the barn or machine shed to walk into a spider web this time of year. Just open your back door, and likely, an arachnid will be weaving its web over your head. Even the millions spent on the State House renovation can't keep the creepy crawlies out, as demonstrated by the appearance of a very large wolf spider recently. Across the State to the west, the tarantula migration has been attracting attention.
Imagine the surprised driver crossing America unaware, when suddenly, in Eastern Colorado or Western Kansas, hundreds of Texas brown tarantulas scurry across the road. It really can be like an episode from a horror movie, though endlessly fascinating. As I sat down at my computer to create this segment, the houseflies began attacking in earnest. On my computer, on my phone. On the table, on my arm, on my neck. No matter where I have gone in Kansas, the flies have been thick and numerous.
That got me rethinking my whole attitude toward spiders. I found a web with a couple of flies trapped this morning and hesitated to dust them away, so, grateful was I that the spider had taken out the fly. That must have been what was on the mind of the English poet Mary Howitt in the 1820s when she sat down, swatted a fly, eyed a busy spider, and wrote her wishes down.
Will you walk into my parlor?, said a spider to a fly. 'Tis the prettiest little parlor that you ever did spy. The way into my parlor is up a winding stair, and I have many pretty things to show you when you get there. Oh no, no, said the little fly, To ask me is in vain, for who goes up that winding stair, shall ne'er come down again. One can only hope.
Now, we know, since we've all read that story, that the spider did seduce the little fly through flattery, kind of appealing to the little fly ego. We can only hope that it works every time. Kill a fly save a spider.