Will the eight wonders of Kansas include the world’s largest ball of twine, the deepest hand-dug well, or Brutus, the really big shovel? In addition to these, Kansas has beautiful landscapes, amazing architecture and some extremely quirky sites (think Garden of Eden in Lucas — see photo).
Kudos to the Kansas Sampler Foundation for spearheading the project in which Kansans can vote for their favorite significant events and places in the state. Kansans can be better at attracting tourism and commerce if they remind themselves of all the things that make this a great place to work and live.
What are some of your nominations for wonders?
Posted by Patrice Hein
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34 Comments
The fact that 90 percent of Kansas land is devoted to farming is amazing in my way of thinking. Most of the trees in cases are close to urban areas, near water ways and mark boundaries of farm land. Only 2.9 percent of Kansas land acreage has trees.
The Limestone buildings in Kansas are part of its historic past. Carved out of ancient quarries from pre-historic seas. Nothing finer than a limestone built or trimmed building.
Man, I feel like I am cramming for a college exam.The best examples for the south central Kansas is the Flint Hills.
I agree, Wiseman, the Flint Hills are spectacular – but the biggest asset KS has – is her people.
I’ve been a lot of places, seen natural landmarks that folks make a big deal over, man-made gardens and structures that take your breath away, but in the end, coming back to KS just makes me feel ‘home,’ because of its citizens. Neighborhood block parties, good friends, good business associates, great communities…the list is endless.
Add some fireflies to the mix and we just may have the best-kept secret this side of heaven…..
And sunflowers – don’t forget our sunflowers.
They are ‘wonders’ alright..like I really wonder what that guy was thinking when he built his “garden of eden”. It is pretty weird! It is amusing, tho…the things someone does in their spare time with concrete.
Sort of like the Watts Towers in LA..that a guy built on for years and years. Individual effort at its best!
Gees- they still got that big ball of string up there in Beloit? Do people actually use their vacation days to go up there and look at that thing? Do people actually live in Beloit or Cawker City anymore? When grade school begins in September, one of the first assignments is the paper “What I Did On My Summer Vacation”. I can see it now- one paper says “We went to Disney World”, another says “We went to Uncle Joe’s in Texas” and your kid’s says “We went to the big ball of string in Beloit”.
Dunno about Beloit..but I saw a big ball of twine in Cawker City last summer. It is not far from the geographical center of the 48 states. And yes, it is certainly something to wonder about as well..
The Eight Wonders of Kansas Are:
1. I wonder where I will get a job2. I wonder why I am still here3. I wonder if we will get to gamble4. I wonder if I can get a reasonable fare from ICT5. I wonder if tomorrow will be blazing hot or freezing cold6. I wonder why Wichita has more mobile homes per capita than Alabama7. I wonder if the Shockers will ever see a Final Four except on TV8. I wonder who came up with those statues of fake people up and down Douglas
Cawker City is sort of a “suburb” of Beloit which is sort of a “suburb” of Concordia which is sort of a “suburb” of Salina which is kind of a “suburb” of Wichita which is sort of a “suburb” of Kansas City which is a “suburb” of Chicago which is the capital of the Midwest.
Probably folks with alot of time on their hands and little to do. I mean life out there is so boring that a trip to Wichita is the highlight of people’s lives out there. That is like Mitchell County I think- in the middle of nowhere. An hour drive just to Salina.
“Dunno about Beloit..but I saw a big ball of twine in Cawker City last summer. It is not far from the geographical center of the 48 states. And yes, it is certainly something to wonder about as well..”
“… include the world’s largest ball of twine,…”
I thought it had been demoted to 2nd largest.
Kev,
STOP! You’re KILLIN’ me, man.
Fleet…
According to a google search, there are 2, the one man effort in Minnesota, and Kansas’ own committee ball of twine. I have heard rumors of a bigger ball of twine, but can’t find any reference to it.
I certainly hope not..we can’t lose that “claim to fame”!
Tomorrow night — opening night for Wranglers, their last, at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium … looking east over the Arkansas River towards the mostly empty office buildings in downtown Wichita and WONDERING how much damage the proposed $300,000,000.15 downtown arena will do to downtown Wichita.
The Gypsum Hills are pretty spectacular, too. They’re between Medicine Lodge and Coldwater.
http://www.naturalkansas.org/gypsum.htm has a nice description, and a few pictures that don’t do them justice.
I think the wind generators in Beaumont are quite a wonder. They are indicative of forward thinking, oil dependancy-reducing, efficient energy production. There observance might help mitigate our poor reputation for our not teaching evolution, and that hoser Rev. Phelps.
I love it here..the wide open spaces, the spectacular sunsets, the midwestern people. My kids are wanting to move me out to Oregon. I’ll admit, Oregon is the most beautiful place I’ve seen in the states…but the trade off is the large population, the sky high real estate, the traffic in the bigger cities, plus the West Coast weirdness and arrogance in the people. I prefer to live where I can breathe and people are down to earth, friendly, and helpful. I also love The Plaza in Kansas City and the sunflowers, too.
The rock formations out by Ellsworth are really quite lovely.
The world’s never-ending highway construction project – KELLOGG.
more …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Mystery_House
“The Winchester Mystery House is a well-known California mansion that was under construction continuously for 38 years and is reputed to be haunted. It once was the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester, but is now a tourist attraction. Under Sarah Winchester’s guidance, construction on the house continued 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, until her death 38 years later on September 5, 1922 [1]. The cost for such constant building has been estimated at about US $5.5 million.View of the mansion from the southeastThe mansion is renowned for its size and lack of a master building plan. According to popular belief, Sarah Winchester thought the house was haunted by the ghosts of individuals killed by Winchester rifles, and that only continuous construction would appease them. It is located at 525 South Winchester Blvd. in San Jose, California.”
Apparently the Wichita version of this legend is that as long as Kellogg remains under construction Bob Knight will remain a political power in the City …
Ben: Do you consider Kellogg as including Highway 54 extending west from Wichita through Kingman, Pratt, Greensburg, Mullinville, Meade and Liberal? If so, Bob Knight will be in power well into his 150’s!! Because the Kansas Highway Department has plans to widen Highway 54 presumably all the way to El Paso, Texas.
Historically Highway 54 was advertised as the “shortcut” road, as compared to Highway 66, between Chicago and Santa Rosa, New Mexico. At that point, the two roads split with Highway 54 going southerly to El Paso and Highway 66 going on westward to Los Angelos.
In my opinion, back in the 1950’s-60’s, the Kansas Turnpike should have turned westward at about El Dorado, passed north and around Wichita and proceeded westward along Highway 54. This would have kept the gasoline tax producing big truck traffic in Kansas all the way to Liberal. Of course, a branch highway could have gone on to Oklahoma.
For those who remember, the Kansas Turnpike was barricaded for several years at the Kansas-Oklahoma border until Oklahoma built to it.
Ben: Do you consider Kellogg as including Highway 54 extending west from Wichita through Kingman, Pratt, Greensburg, Mullinville, Meade and Liberal? If so, Bob Knight will be in power well into his 150’s!! Because the Kansas Highway Department has plans to widen Highway 54 presumably all the way to El Paso, Texas.
Historically Highway 54 was advertised as the “shortcut” road, as compared to Highway 66, between Chicago and Santa Rosa, New Mexico. At that point, the two roads split with Highway 54 going southerly to El Paso and Highway 66 going on westward to Los Angelos.
In my opinion, back in the 1950’s-60’s, the Kansas Turnpike should have turned westward at about El Dorado, passed north and around Wichita and proceeded westward along Highway 54. This would have kept the gasoline tax producing big truck traffic in Kansas all the way to Liberal. Of course, a branch highway could have gone on to Oklahoma.
For those who remember, the Kansas Turnpike was barricaded for several years at the Kansas-Oklahoma border until Oklahoma built to it.
My nominations for ten-top wonders of Kansas:
1) In Wichita, the various buildings in Wichita constructed by the George Seidoff Construction Company back in the late 1920’s and 1930’s including the Broadview Hotel, Hillcrest Apartment Building, Brown Building at Douglas and Broadway, Uptown Theater, Belmont Arches, and many other famous Wichita buildings.
2) Massachusetts Avenue in downtown Lawrence, Kansas … the only truly pedestrian street in Kansas.
3) Pratt’s wonderful neon-lighted downtown Barron Theater and its historic Kansas Fish Hatchery and aquarium museum about two miles east of town. Also Pratt’s great example of Kansas 1930’s ambience throughout.
4) The wonderful free-flowing south branch of the Ninnescah River that rises out of the ground west of Pratt and flows eastward past Kingman where it looks for all the world like a clear mountain stream and on past the south side of Wichita.
5) As others have mentioned, the beautiful Gypsum Hills, sometimes called the Red Hills because of the iron oxide, located from Medicine Lodge westward. My pesonal favorite is the area around Belvidere including the old Robbins Ranch and Frank Rockefeller Ranch. The lady at the Belvidere country store can explain the area. Unconcealed, holstered weapons are allowed there in case of wild animals/snakes.
6) The rolling mostly treeless hills of the Flint Hills stretching from Manhattan south to Oklahoma. Personally I favor Chase County, Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Its like a step back in time of one hundred years. For a travel-guide, read PRAIRIEARTH (sp?) by William Least-Heat Moon.
7) Johnson County’s Mission Hills residential area designed and built by the J.C. Nichols Company in the 1930’s. Its located southwest of the Nichols Company’s Country Club Plaza also dating back to the 1930’s.
8) Wichita’s EAST HIGH SCHOOL, offers a great example of a large multi-cultural student body that blends wonderfully to create a high school with an international flavor that works and achieves many goals.
9) and 10) Vera J. Ralston Miles, the movie star, raised in Pratt and, later, Wichita near the TAK HOMA BURGER on west Maple. Arky, long-time owner of Tak-Homa-Burger recalls Vera’s mother from about 1948 when he arrived from Arkansas and purchased the popular 5-cent hamburger cafe with no seats.
In 1948, young Vera Ralston, a student at North High, represented Lawrence-Dumont Stadium as some kind of princess. Shortly thereafter won Miss Kansas. Then represented Kansas in the Miss America contest. For her talent, she reportedly said, “Frankly I have no acting talent. During high school I delivered telegrams in downtown Wichta on a bicycle.” But her story won her 3rd or 4th place anyway … and a contract in Hollywood to make many movies.
So, Vera, please return to Wichita for a visit … we will offer you a free TAK HOMA BURGER and a tour of the remodeled North High School.
Because I am a transplanted Okie who was raised on the north shore of Grand Lake it took me longer to appreciate the beauty of parts of Kansas.
JWink you have listed some of my favorites. I would have to add the ‘Ole Mill Tasty Shope’. I always take out of town guests there and buy them a turtle sundae. Can’t be beat.
Hope the downtown activity doesn’t take some of the color already there. Kev my husband and I love the bronze statues. They are a real example of the relaxed lifestyle I think Kansas is all about.
There is a house on south 63rd street and Greenwich road that has some of the most beautiful sculptures of Native American and horses that I have ever seen. The property has several on it.
We can’t mention the Flint Hills enough. I still go to Ok a lot and always drive through the hills. There is a rest stop just east of Blue Stem or Leon, where you feel you are at the highest point of the hills. The view takes your breath away.
I was out in the Chautauqua (southern Flint Hills) Hills last Sunday, and was astounded to witness bright green pastures bordered by groves of purple redbuds in bloom, all overseen by the bright blue sky. I cannot recall the last time I saw so many redbuds so brightly in bloom. When you add all the songs and calls of the native birds, and the absence of city noise – well, in my opinion this scene qualifies as one of the 8 wonders of Kansas – at least in springtime.
The view from a passer-through.
http://althouse.blogspot.com/2007/03/wichita-eagle.html#comments
Just thought might be interested in a non-Kansan’s view as she passes through.
You and me share roots. My mom is 1/2 Osage and from north OK and my father is from Grove Okla. I lived in Grove for a bit and it is such a great place for kids. Perhaps you know it. If so, do you recall Sailboat Bridge, The Worlds Largest Sports Store, Lake Theater or Koffee Kup Cafe?
Grove, OK and Shell Knob, MO are full of former Wichitonians.
The four borders were the most wondrous things about Kansas to me…when I was a kid they held hope that I could actually LEAVE. Yes, the Flint Hills are magnificent, as are Ellswo rocks and Gyp Hills; and yes, Cawker and Lucas are quirky charms. But listen, please bother to travel some, even if you wind up back in the Sunflower State. Out There you will find even nicer climates, stunningly more beautiful landscapes, and yes, even decent folks. (Doesn’t get much quirkier, though.) At the very worst, you’ll appreciate the state more when you return. At best, you may travel far enough to remedy the political myopia that keeps me away to this day.
Hmmmmm,8 wonders of Kansas?
1. I wonder why a state that pretends to be so religious, has so many liquor stores?2. I wonder why a state with so many schools, and yet so many people that profess not to read, has so many bookstores and colleges?3. I wonder why a state full of so many people that admit to having never been anywhere, has such a narrow view of the rest of the world?4. I wonder why a state with so much open space to learn to drive has such BAD drivers?5. I wonder why this state has so MANY Wal-Marts?6. I wonder why I can’t find a Baskin Robbins?7. As a transplant, I constantly wonder where the myth of the “Friendly Kansan” came from?8. I wonder why everywhere else in the country “Arkansas” is 1 word.
Kev, Miami was my home town. Grove was our playground Cowskin Bridge and Sailboat Bridge areas were our favorite fishing spots. I’ve at the Koffee Kup. I was back last year to eat at the best catfish restauraunt in Green Country (also known as NE Ok) and couldn’t believe how Grove has grown. Did you ever go to Harbor Village? I can remember when that was the only thing on the east side of Sailboat Bridge.
After 20 years in Kansas I can say nothing rivals the Flint Hills in the spring time.
Hello from one OKie to another.
I still have some family back there in Grove although many of them have passed on. My dad ran a drive in eatery on Main Street there for a few years and my uncle Ralph ran an AC Heating business until he passed. I don’t recall Harbor Village. I do recall Monkey Island being over there somewhere.
If you are from Kansas, it is AR- KANSAS. If you are from elsewhere, it is AR-KAN-SAW
Kev the same is true of Miami, Ok. If you are talking about that big city in Florida it is Miami, if it is in Ok. it is Miama even if it is spelled the same. Thats how we know who the natives are.
I’ve been in Kansas 20 years and have finally got used to Ar Kansas.
Monkey Island is where the money people live now. They built a big resort there called Shangri La. The cove across from it has the best crappie hole I have ever fished. You could catch 60 to 80 a night. The big houses have taken over that part of the lake and it is harder to find a dock to fish from.
My sister lives in Langley which is where the big dam is located.
Here are four wonders of Kansas:
Crestview Country ClubFlint Hills National Golf ClubPrairie Dunes Country ClubAlvamar Country Club
Oh, and the SG Co. Zoo is kinda cool, too. =)