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World War 1- Flu Epidemic
The 1918 flu epidemic may have gotten its start on the Kansas Fort Riley base. It is said to have started when dust and ash of the burnt manure created a yellow haze. Many infected soldiers at Fort Riley were shipped overseas to fight in the war, taking the flu with them. The flu spread to Europe, Russia, North Africa, India, China, Japan, the Philippines, and New Zealand. It was soon worldwide,affecting one fifth of the world's population. -
Kansas and the Ku Klux Klan
In Kansas, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan happened at the same time as the railroad strike. The Klan wanted to move into Kansas. They saw an opportunity as racial tensions increased over the strike. The Ku Klux Klan gained members in Kansas when it sided with the union and the striking workers. -
Wichita- The Air Capital
After WW1, the aviation industry in Kansas grew rapidly. Three aviation pioneers, Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna, and Lloyd Stearman, came together to form Travel Air Manufacturing Company. The company became the leader in manufacturing light commercial aircraft. The company was not only important to Kansas, but made significant contributions worldwide. -
Minnie Johnson Grinstead
The 20th century brought new oppunities for women, including politics. Minnie Johnson Grinstead was the first women elected to the Kansas Legislature. In 1924, Grinstead, participated in nominating Republic Calvin Coolidge for president. This gave her national reconition -
The Great Depression
In Oct. of 1929 the stock market crashed. In Kansas the Great Depression hit hard. The aviation industry in Witchita was almost wiped-out. Only 29 aircraft manufacturing companies in Witchita survived the Depression. The Great Depression was also hard on farmers. Many farmers went into debt by buying farm machinery. -
The Dust Bowl
The 1930s in the Great Plains is often referred to as the " dirty thirties" or the "Dust Bowl." These names came from blowing dust that was the result of a series of severe droughts. Little rain, hot days, high winds, and soil- eroding farming practicescreated storms of black dust. Some of the dust storms lasted several days. When people got caught outside, inhaling dirt, in extreme cases, led to death through suffacation. -
Glenn Cunningham
Kansas and the nation had a sports hero in the "Kansas Flyer," Glenn Cunningham. Cunningham was a world class athlete and a great role model. In high school Glenn Cunningham set a new state record for running the mile and went on to set a national record for high school runners. As an adult Gunningham held many world records for track and earned an Olympic silver medal. -
A Famous Journey- Amelia Earhart
Another famous Kansan to make news during the 30s was Amelia Earhart- the first women to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She had great determination when she was living in a time period where therewas little support for women who wanted sucess in fields dominated by men. Earhart's 14 hour and 56 minute solo flight across the Atlantic was the first by a female pilot. It earned her the Distinguished Flying Cross, the first one congress awared to a women. -
Rural Electrification
In the 30s the residents of Kansas towns and cities enjoyed the use of electricity, but farmers did without. One of the New Deal programs that had a major effect in Kansas was rural electrifiication. The program provided loans to farmers who wanted electricity on their farms. The Brown- Atchinson Electric Cooperative developed the first rural electrification project in Kansas. The power was turned on March 31, 1938. WW2 delayed many rural eletrification projects in Kansas. -
World War 2
When Pearl Harbor was attacked, change came quickly. In Kansas, the governor ordered that bridges, telephone lines, and other potenial targets be guarded against enemy attacks. Many Kansans participated in military operations throughtout the world. More than 215,000 Kansas men and women served in the military during World War 2.