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Kansas Historical Society
(KSHS)
Great Seal of the State of Kansas Colored.svg
Kshs non logo.jpg
Agency overview
Formed 1875
Jurisdiction Kansas
Headquarters 6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, Kansas
39°3′24.19″N 95°46′33.04″W / 39.0567194°N 95.7758444°W / 39.0567194; -95.7758444
Agency executives
  • Patrick Zollner, Executive Director
  • Matthew Chappell, Divisions Director
Parent agency State of Kansas
Website KSHS

The Kansas Historical Society (KSHS) is the official group that keeps track of Kansas's history. It is located in Topeka, the capital city of Kansas. The KSHS acts as the "trustee of the state." This means it is trusted to protect and share the history of Kansas.

The Society runs several important places. These include the Kansas Museum of History, the Kansas State Archives and Library, and the Kansas State Capitol Tour Center. It also looks after 16 historic sites across the state. The KSHS helps schools teach history and social studies. It works with the Kansas State Department of Education to create programs for students.

History of the Kansas Historical Society

How the Society Started

The Kansas Historical Society was created in 1875. It was started by a group called the Kansas Editors' and Publishers' Association. Their goal was to save important records from the past and present. In 1879, the Kansas Legislature passed a law. This law officially recognized the Historical Society. It made the Society the state's "trustee" for history.

Newspaper publishers in Kansas have always supported the Society. Because of this, the KSHS has one of the best collections of newspapers in the country.

Moving to New Homes

For almost 40 years, the Historical Society was in different parts of the statehouse. Its collections grew bigger and bigger. In 1914, everything moved to the new Memorial Building in downtown Topeka.

Later, in 1984, the Kansas Museum of History moved to a new location. This new spot was an 80-acre site in west Topeka. The historic Stach School also joined this new complex. Then, in 1995, many other collections moved there too. These included library books, old documents, and archaeological items. This brought all parts of the Historical Society back together in one place.

How the Society Works

The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency. This means it is part of the state government. It also has a partner group called Kansas State Historical Society, Inc.. This partner is a non-profit group. It helps the main Society with things like memberships and managing grants.

Millions of people use the Historical Society's programs each year. The Society has six main parts: Administration, Cultural Resources, Education and Outreach, Historic Sites, Museum, and State Archives & Library. The non-profit group also helps publish the Society's magazine, Reflections. It also supports its history journal, Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains.

The KSHS Website

The Kansas Historical Society launched its first website in 1993. It was created by Steven Chinn and Lynn H. Nelson. The website was first hosted at the University of Kansas. It was part of a larger group of websites called the Kansas Heritage Group.

In 1998, the Historical Society started hosting its own website. The address became www.kshs.org. Over the years, the website has won many awards.

Kansas History Journal

Kansas History  
Kansas History journal cover.jpg
Abbreviated title (ISO 4)
 Kans. Hist.
Discipline Western history, history of Kansas
Language English
Edited by Kristen Epps
Publication details
Publisher
Kansas Historical Foundation and the Kansas State University Department of History (United States)
Publication history
 1978–present
Frequency Quarterly
Indexing
ISSN 0149-9114
LCCN 78648409
OCLC no. 633924912
Links
  • Journal homepage
  • Online archive

Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains is a special magazine about history. It comes out four times a year. Experts review the articles before they are published. The Department of History at Kansas State University publishes it. The Kansas Historical Foundation also helps pay for it. If you are a member of the Kansas Historical Foundation, you get this journal.

This journal focuses on the history of Kansas and the American West. Kristen Epps is the main editor. The journal's offices moved to Kansas State University in 2013. Before that, it was edited at the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka.

The journal has won awards for its articles. For example, in 2019, an article by Jay Price won an award for the best article on religion in the American West. In 2021, an article by David Beyreis won an award for the best historical article.

The Kansas Historical Society has published three main history journals since 1875. These are Kansas Historical Collections (from 1875 to 1928), The Kansas Historical Quarterly (from 1931 to 1977), and Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains (started in 1978).

State Historic Sites

The Historical Society takes care of 16 important historic sites across Kansas. These sites help people learn about the state's past. Here are some of them:

Register of Historic Kansas Places

In 1977, the Society created a list called the Register of Historic Kansas Places. This list includes important historic places in Kansas. All Kansas places on the National Register of Historic Places are also on this state list. But many other sites are only on the state's own registry.

Awards and Honors

The Kansas Historical Society has received many awards. These awards come from groups that work with history. They recognize the Society's great work. Some of these awards include:

  • 1998: American Association for State and Local History
  • 1999: Santa Fe Trail Association
  • 2001: American Association for State and Local History
  • 2002: American Association for State and Local History
  • 2003: Travel Industry Association of Kansas
  • 2004: American Association for State and Local History
  • 2006: American Association for State and Local History
  • 2007: Family Tree Magazine Award
  • 2008: American Association for State and Local History
  • 2009: Oregon-California Trail Association
  • 2011: United States Department of the Interior Partners in Conservation Award

See also

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