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Happy Kansas Day Images Birthday Celebrations Activities {Events}

Kansas Day

Happy Birthday Kansas!

Kansas became the 34th state on January 29, 1861. It entered the Union as a slave-free state. Now, Kansas Day is celebrated every January 29th. Celebrate by brushing up on some Kansas facts.Kansas Day is not a public holiday, but it is a state-wide observation. Offices, banks, businesses and schools are usually open.
Kansas Gov. Brownback joins in the Kansas Day festivities at the Museum Kansas Day as an annual celebration of Kansas’ statehood is fairly unique among all the other states. The day is fondly remembered by adults who grew up in Kansas to those who have moved to other states or countries. This pride in being a Kansan was part of Kansas Day celebrations from its beginning as shown in the piece below. The following is taken from an article originally published in the January 1932 issue of The Kansas Teacher and Western School Journal. The article “The Origin of Kansas Day” was written by Esther Clark Hill, Kansas Historical Society.

Kansas Day was born in Paola in 1877. In the Paola public school 15 or 20 youngsters were studying United States history in Alexander LeGrande Copley’s classroom, and on January 8, 1877, the lesson happened to be the battle of New Orleans. Intense interest was created in the class by the fact that 62 years before that, to the very hour, General Jackson’s riflemen were peppering the British red-coats from behind the cotton bales. The whole school awoke to patriotism on that anniversary and decided to celebrate their pride in Kansas and its victories of peace.

So it was announced that an afternoon would be set apart for the study of Kansas – —its geography, its history and its resources; and the afternoon selected was January 29, 1877. For two weeks the students were busy outside of school getting together every available piece of information concerning Kansas. They searched encyclopedias, plied parents with questions, and stirred the whole community to furnish local history, statistics and valuable and interesting facts bearing upon that one subject.

Kansas Day Celebration & Events– January 29

Each year, on January 29th, schools across Kansas celebrate KANSAS DAY in commemoration of the birthday of our state in 1861 when Kansas become the 34th state in the Union.

January 29, 2014, the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center hosted its first annual program for K-8 grade students from all over Northwest Kansas. With assistance and support of The Nature Conservancy, Smoky Valley Ranch, and the Kansas Historical Society, Kansas Day in the Classroom, the program was a great success. We look forward to presenting programs each year on this important day, sharing our Kansas history and traditions.

Teacher take home packs include activity books for the students and books for the school library. For more educational materials visit National Agriculture in The Classroom Other resources available.

School classes are scheduled between 9 am and 3 pm. Classes participate in four 20 minute sessions for a total of 80 minutes. If time and weather allows, the students can also visit the sculpture. The program theme and content will change each year.
Call Kylee Buzzell at 785-671-1000 for program information and to schedule your class.

Look out more important days here

Schedule your class by January 8.

2016 Program – Kansas – The “Wild West”
What was life like out here in western Kansas when we became a state?
Our 2016 “Wild West” theme will take kids back in time to see what it was like here in Kansas in the 1860’s when Kansas became a state. Learn about the history of our area and the “Wild West” town of Sheridan. Students will travel along the Smoky Hill Trail and encounter those who traveled and those who protected the travelers.
Each session lasts about 20 minutes

Chuck Wagon
Lobby: Welcome to the “Wild West” – Kansas 1860’s. The Railroad and the “Wild West” town of Sheridan
Room 1: Along the Smoky Hill Trail – Who was going west and why?
Room 2: Forts and Soldiers – Protectors of the “Wild West”
Room 3: The Chuck Wagon makes a stop on the trail and fixes up a snack