The Kansas Collection at the Main Library features a wide variety of Kansas history and local history resources to assist you with your research. We also hold special collections related to the history of the Wyandots in Kansas, the Huron Cemetery, and the history of the library and public schools.
The Kansas Room, located on the Second Floor of the Main Library, is open Tuesdays from 9 am to noon and Thursdays from 1 pm to 4 pm. You also can schedule an appointment with the Kansas Collection Librarian.
Make an appointment by emailing ksroom@kckpl.org or calling 913-295-8250 x.1108.
Special Collections Online
The library is continually working on digitizing our Kansas Collection and posting them to our OMEKA website. Visit the site now to view the items we have available.
Explore the Kansas Room Special Collections Online
Collection Highlights
The Kansas City, Kansas School Newspaper Collection contains newspapers from USD 500 schools including Wyandotte High School, Argentine High School, Washington High School and Northwest Junior High School.
The Carnival Park collection comprises 17 historic photographs and newspaper clippings about the park from the early 20th century
The Kansas City Waterworks supplied water to KCK and KCMO starting in 1872. Constructed in 1887, the Quindaro pumping station supplied 40,000,000 gallons of water daily to the growing metropolis. This collection comprises 242, 5” x 7” glass plate negatives of the Kansas City Water Works – Quindaro Pumping Station.
The Kansas City, Kansas High School Cornerstone Collection comprises documents and ephemera placed in the cornerstone of the 1899 Kansas City Kansas High School building during construction.
The Lyda Conley Collection comprises correspondence, documents, and ephemera from the papers of Eliza Burton Conley.
The Argentine High School Scrapbook Collection comprises documents and ephemera from a scrapbook documenting the school’s history.
The KCK Letter Collection comprises correspondence of the Ben and Rebecca Armstrong family of Argentine, Kansas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
More Collection Information
- The William E. Connelley Collection containing original material relating to the Wyandot Nation dating back to its Ohio period. It also includes documents relating to the history of Kansas City, Kansas. The collection consists of artifacts, diaries, journals, manuscripts, mission records, land plats, maps, and photographs.
- The Lyda Conley Papers , correspondence during her career as an attorney in Kansas City.
- Charles and Sarah Robinson Papers.
- Kansas City, Kansas Public School Newspaper Clipping Scrapbooks covering a period from 1950 through 1960.
- Historic photographs and postcards of of Kansas City, Kansas.
- Historical Maps and Atlases.
- Newspaper Clipping File encompassing Kansas, Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas and a Biography File.
- Council of Clubs Yearbooks 1910 through 1976.
- Kansas State Law Books dating from 1857.
- Poetry and fiction authored by Kansans or written about Kansas.
- Kansas and locally published periodicals.
- The Library's Government Documents section is a part of the Kansas Collection. It is a selective depository for materials produced by state, county, and city government agencies. The library is a partial depository for selected Kansas Documents.
- Historic Kansas newspapers available on microfilm
- The Kansas City Star and Times, 1880-2013
- The Kansas City, Kansan, 1916-2008
- The Wyandotte Herald, 1872-1910
- The Kansas City, Gazette (1905-1909, 1917-1918)
- The Kansas City Call (1919-2011)
- Quindaro Chindowan (May 1857-June 1858)
- Argentine Siftings (January-May 1886)
- Argentine Weekly Argus (August –December 1887)
- Baptist Banner (September 1892)
- Kansas Citian (December 1894-March 1895)
- Armourdale Advocate (December 1888)
- Armourdale News (May-October 1885)
- Daily Advocate (January-March 1889)
- Monthly Clipper (September 1886)
- Bonner Springs Citizen (April-July 1890)
- Kaw Valley news (February-April 1890)
- Champion (August 1897-April 1894)
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