A photo can give you a glimpse into life years ago. It can tell a story in a unique and incredible way. While we may not be able to travel back in time to see for ourselves what life in Kansas in the early 1900s was like, photos are a doorway to that fascinating time in history. We’ve gathered 11 historic photos from the Sunflower State in the early 1900s that will give you a unique perspective of this beautiful state.

1. Large drifts of soil surround a home following a dust storm in 1936. This photo was captured in Liberal, Kansas.
Arthur Rothstein/Photogrammer
2. This image shows the home of a worker in the strip coal mine. This photo was taken in Cherokee County during the summer of 1936.
Arthur Rothstein/Photogrammer
3. A coal miner stops during a day of work in Cherokee County in 1936.
Arthur Rothstein/Photogrammer
4. Children fishing in a creek in Cherokee County in 1936. This was a popular pastime for children during the summer months.
Arthur Rothstein/Photogrammer
5. This image, taken in 1936, shows a bank in Kansas that failed years prior. Between 1930 and 1933, approximately 9,000 banks failed around the United States. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a three-day National Bank Holiday. During these three days, nobody could withdraw any money from a bank.
Arthur Rothstein/Photogrammer

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6. A dust storm approaches the small town of Elkhart, Kansas, in May of 1937.
Photogrammer
7. In November of 1938, a train stops in Concordia, Kansas.
John Vachon/Photogrammer
8. This image shows a man making a cigarette in Coffey County, Kansas. This image was taken in 1938.
John Vachon/Photogrammer
9. A grocery store is open for business in Salina, Kansas. This image was taken in 1938.
John Vachon/Photogrammer
10. A car sits outside of the county courthouse in Yates Center, Kansas. This image was taken in 1938.
John Vachon/Photogrammer
11. This image was taken in 1938 and shows two men standing on a street in Toronto, Kansas.
John Vachon/Photogrammer

Which photo did you find most interesting? Let us know in the comments.

If you want to learn even more about life in Kansas years ago, plan a visit to the Pioneer Krier Museum in Ashland.

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