Abandoned Farms and Homesteads of Kansas: Home Is Where the Heart Is

The Sunflower State is soaked with history, which in turn fills the walls of her buildings. Four major Civil War battles took place in Kansas: Lawrence, Baxter Springs, Mine Creek, and along the Missouri-Kansas border, giving Kansas the nickname "Bleeding Kansas." The infamous Bonnie and Clyde, along with their gang, committed multiple crimes throughout the state of Kansas, including at least thirteen murders and robberies. Amelia Earhart was born and spent her early years in Acheson, and Ernest Hemmingway lived and worked in Kansas City at one point. In 1973, a huge flood near Walnut Creek, east of Great Bend, revealed a mass grave. In June 1864, approximately thirty wagons with thirty unarmed men--several only teenagers--were attacked by 125 Sioux braves (unhappy by the way they were recently treated by the government).

While passing deteriorating homes, the distant laughter of long-forgotten children and the cries of distant warriors echo on the breeze. Home is the most significant place in our lives--all of our experiences, every sorrow, and every success are imbedded into the walls of our homes long after they're gone.

Trish Eklund's personal insights, and the stories of those associated with the featured locations, accompany the author's enchanting images.