KANSAS LEGENDS

Kansas Fun Facts & Trivia

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The Long Branch Saloon really did exist in Dodge City, Kansas.  One of the owners, William Harris, was a former resident of Long Branch, New Jersey and named the saloon after his hometown in the 1880’s.  The Long Branch Saloon still exists in Dodge City and can be seen at Dodge City’s Boothill Museum.

Though most people say that Kansas is "flatter" than a pancake and it certainly look like it is, it actually slopes from an elevation of more than 4,000 feet long the Colorado border to 700 feet on the Missouri line.

Established in 1827, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is the oldest military post in continuous operation west of the Mississippi.

Kansas State Game rules prohibits the use of mules to hunt ducks.

It is illegal to shoot rabbits from a motorboat in the State of Kansas.

The Long Branch Saloon today, May, 2004,  David Alexander.

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

Hot and Cold Water Towers in Canton, Kansas, photo courtesy Kansas Travel, Tourism & Restaurants

"Hot” and "cold” water towers stand in Pratt, Kansas.  This "joke” was first labeled on the side-by-side water towers in 1956.  Furthermore, Pratt's not the only town boasting the "hot" and "cold.".  Another pair can also be found in Canton, Kansas..

The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop in Olathe, was the first eating station for westbound passengers on the Santa Fe Trail in 1863.

The first restaurant chain in the U.S. was the Harvey Houses, that started in 1876 to serve railroad travelers.  The Harvey House Museum can be seen Florence and Fred Harvey's home in Leavenworth.

Any person convicted of using or carrying bean snappers in Wichita will be fined.

At one time it was against the law to serve ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas.

Sumner County is known as The Wheat Capital of the World.

The term "red light district" came from the Red Light Bordello in Dodge City, Kansas.  The front door of the building was made of red glass and produced a red glow to the outside world when lit at night. The name carried over to refer to the town's brothel district.

In Dodge City it is illegal to spit on a sidewalk.

Almon Stowger of El Dorado invented the dial telephone in 1889.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, was from Abilene.

Riding an animal down the road is against the law in Derby, Kansas.

Lucas, Kansas, a tiny town of less than 500 residents, is the officially designated "Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas,” due to its numerous artistic displays.

Hutchinson is nicknamed the Salt City because it was built above some of the richest salt deposits in the world. Salt is still actively mined, processed and shipped from Hutchinson.

There are 27 Walnut Creeks in the state of Kansas.

If you’re going to cross a highway at night in Kansas, you are required to wear tail lights.

Amelia Earhart, the first woman granted a pilot's license by the National Aeronautics Associate and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, was from Atchison.

All places of business in Dodge City are required to provide a horse water trough.

The three largest herds of buffalo in Kansas are located on public lands at the Maxwell Game Preserve in McPherson, the Big Basin in Ashland, and the Buffalo Game Preserve in Garden City.

Fort Riley was the cradle of the United States Cavalry for 83 years. George Armstrong Custer formed the famed 7th Cavalry there in 1866. Ten years later, at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, the 7th was virtually wiped out. The only Cavalry survivor was a horse named Comanche, whose stuffed body is on display at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum in Lawrence.

Continued Next Page

Vintage Fort Riley, courtesy of Betty Daniel Gudat of

San Antonio, Texas

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From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Vintage Photographs of the Old West - From our personal Photo Print Shop, you can now order prints that provide dramatic glimpses into the rich heritage of the American West. From notorious outlaws, to Indian Chiefs, buffalo roaming the range, and pioneers on the trail, this varied collection grows daily.