Partially thanks to dedicated history-keepers and donations to the Library of Congress, there’s a good chunk of Kansas’ history documented here and there. It’s estimated that photography didn’t take off until the mid 1800s, so there’s not much to look at from before then. We’ve looked through archives upon archives, and found some of the oldest photos ever taken in Kansas. Take a look!

1. Kansas Avenue in Topeka circa 1860
Wikimedia Commons
2. Massachusetts Street in Lawrence circa 1867
Library of Congress
3. "A rare specimen found on hill above Fort Riley, Kansas." circa 1867
Library of Congress
4. "The mayor of Prairie Dog Town" Abilene, Kansas ca. 1867
Library of Congress
5. "Scalped on the plains incidents in Mormon history." circa 1868
Library of Congress

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6. Kansas City Mining Company circa 1865-1880
Wikimedia Commons
7. Red Beds Bluffs in Meade County circa 1897
Wikimedia Commons
8. "Roundup on the Sherman Ranch, Genesee, Kansas. Cowboy with lasso readied looks beyond the herd on the open range to his fellow cowpunchers waiting on the horizon." circa 1902
Wikimedia Commons
9. "The only remaining sod school house in Decatur County, Kansas." circa 1908
Library of Congress
10. "A Wichita" circa 1927
Library of Congress

Do you have any old photos from your personal collections from this era? Feel free to share them with us in the comments! For more Kansas history, you should check out this iconic piece of Kansas history‘s announcement.

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