Where does the American West begin? A good case can be made for
U.S. Highway 283, which runs north-south across the Kansas plains.
Here, near the 100th meridian, the air becomes decidedly drier, the
horizons wider, and the skies bigger. Spaces between towns are also
much greater; when pickup trucks meet on an empty stretch, their
drivers often raise a hand from the steering wheel just to say
"howdy." This is Kansas. But Kansas is also the cosmopolitan suburbs
of Kansas City, the rolling green hills near Lawrence and Topeka,
and dozens of lakes shimmering in the steady Kansas sun. It's little
surprise that Dorothy, the fictitious heroine of The Wizard of
Oz, felt the wonders of the Emerald City couldn't quite compare
with the pastoral pleasures of her beloved Kansas.
Kansas has 10 state-designated travel regions. In the east, they
include the Kansas City area, with its upscale shopping, dining, and
nightlife; the Heritage Hills, featuring the historical college town
of Lawrence; Little Ozarks, bordering the more famous highlands in
Missouri; Flint Hills, famous for its tallgrass prairies; and Pony
Express Country, also known for its Santa Fe and Oregon trail lore.
Central Kansas includes Post Rock Country, the region surrounding
Hays that inspired Dr. Brewster Higley to write "Home On the Range";
Heartland Country, where Hutchinson is home to an innovative new
space center, the Cosmosphere; and Wichita, the state's largest
city. West Kansas includes the High Plains, known for their vast
spaces and grand rock formations, and Wild West Country, where Dodge
City lives on.
The West was indeed wild in 19th-century Kansas. Numerous tribes
had long called the region home, among them the Plains Apache,
Pawnee, Shawnee, Pottawatomi, Iowa, Sac, and Fox. In 1830, when the
U.S. government passed the Indian Removal Act, many eastern tribes
were forced into Kansas and Oklahoma. Traffic on the Santa Fe and
Oregon trails, the opening of the frontier to white settlers, the
slavery question--all combined to make Kansas a violent place in the
1800s.
During the 20th century, however, the old "Bleeding Kansas"
gained a new reputation for innovation and a pioneering spirit,
particularly in aviation. Soon after the Wright Brothers' first
flight in 1903, Kansas exploded with aviation activity. Famous
Kansans from the world of flight include Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech,
and Amelia Earhart. Today, the state's northeastern corner is
experiencing a telecommunications and technology boom as
headquarters to such companies as Sprint, yet life in much of rural
Kansas retains a quiet, traditional calm.
