Tell Me: What Does the State of Kansas Look Like?

[SweetOzarksGirl]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

Well thanks. (I'm a "she" btw)

Sorry about that. I shouldn't make assumptions.

I do apologize.

I just pulled Wyoming into my example as a quick way to describe why the desert look is there as it is a western state and more associated with desert than Kansas or Nebraska typically would be.

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

Well thanks. (I'm a "she" btw)
But I have to say, Wyoming has nothing to do with the geologic formation of this part of Kansas. Wyoming is pretty much a direct result of the uplift of the Rockies.
The Arikaree Breaks, on the other hand, were created by erosion.

The top layer is loess. I can't remember if it was blown in, or dragged in during the last Ice Age, but for the most part, that's what makes the "dirt" in this area. But the bottom layer is shale from the sediment of the inland sea during the Cretacious period. The erosion of the light loess from the top of the shale is what makes the dramatic canyons.

PS: The sagebrush and soapweed (the "desert-y feel") in that photo are found commonly in western Kansas. Again, it has nothing, really, to do with Wyoming. It's rainfall, pure and simple. There's a reason most of western Kansas looks a lot like eastern Colorado... Both are part of the short-grass prairie of the High Plains. Flat and covered in sage and soapweed...

Has the Aickaree River had any sign of water this year?
If I remember correctly the Arickaree River had dried up by about 1962 with the exceptions of flash flooding.. I attribute its drying up to all of the irrigation from underground wells. IMHO allowing crops to be irrigated by this rare and valuable resource is one of the stupidest mistakes of the 20th Century.

GL2

[itsMeFred]

In general I think you're completely right GL. But we've had a REALLY wet summer this year. It's the first week of August and the hills are still green.
In fact, we just got rain last night. Haigler, NE got 3.5"!

Ozarks,
Most of the western counties (that is, west of the 100th meridian) of Kansas have a lot of soapweed and sagebrush. At least, in the pastures. This is what high prairie looks like, afterall.
(Like eastern WY, CO, etc.)

[thriftylefty]

Sometimes you can tell a lot about a place by the names the early settlers gave it or where the early settlers came from. I was driving through upstate New York near ; Buffalo, Fredonia, Oswego, and Dunkirk, and Erie. It ( the topography) reminded me a little of an area of Kansas that has cities with same names. I don't think it was a coincidence, People from that part of the east came there to settle. Osage city in Kansas with its rolling hills probably seemed a little like Wales to the Welsh settlers that first came there. Ukrainians settled western Kansas in search of a place to plant Hard Red Winter Wheat like in their home land.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by thriftylefty

Sometimes you can tell a lot about a place by the names the early settlers gave it or where the early settlers came from. I was driving through upstate New York near ; Buffalo, Fredonia, Oswego, and Dunkirk, and Erie. It ( the topography) reminded me a little of an area of Kansas that has cities with same names. I don't think it was a coincidence, People from that part of the east came there to settle. Osage city in Kansas with its rolling hills probably seemed a little like Wales to the Welsh settlers that first came there. Ukrainians settled western Kansas in search of a place to plant Hard Red Winter Wheat like in their home land.

True, but all groups moved much further south in latitude to KS to settle with the climate being quite a bit warmer than they were accustomed. Some adapted initially but many left.

[Gunluvver2]

[quote=thriftylefty;20328802]Sometimes you can tell a lot about a place by the names the early settlers gave it or where the early settlers came from. I was driving through upstate New York near ; Buffalo, Fredonia, Oswego, and Dunkirk, and Erie. It ( the topography) reminded me a little of an area of Kansas that has cities with same names. I don't think it was a coincidence, People from that part of the east came there to settle. Osage city in Kansas with its rolling hills probably seemed a little like Wales to the Welsh settlers that first came there. Ukrainians settled western Kansas in search of a place to plant Hard Red Winter Wheat like in their home land.[/quote*******************
According to one of my Great Uncles who homesteaded in Western Kansas over a hundred forty years ago, Kansas got its name from a cowboy named Kan who was cowboying in the area before the Civil war. Kan and another cowboy had been out rounding up mavericks when a bunch of wild Indians jumped them. Kan got a few arrows in him and fell off his horse. His partner outran the Indians and made it back to the ranch in one piece. The next spring Kan's former partner and a new cowboy were out rounding up strays again. They came across a skeleton laying face down in the dirt. The new cowboy asked "who do you suppose that is? The reply was that's Kan's Ass. Hence Kansas and it stuck.

GL2

[popcorn247]

Just an update on my situation. I decided to move from south Florida back home to Indiana. I am so much happier up here! Thanks for the suggestions and I do plan on visiting Kansas. I just have to visit the Flint Hills, the many pioneer museums, etc.

[AnywhereElse]

Originally Posted by popcorn247

Just an update on my situation. I decided to move from south Florida back home to Indiana. I am so much happier up here! Thanks for the suggestions and I do plan on visiting Kansas. I just have to visit the Flint Hills, the many pioneer museums, etc.

You'll enjoy the Flint Hills area and museums, my favorite part of KS. I am originally from SW MI about 40 miles north of South Bend. I have visited FL, Disney World a few times. Did not like the bugs!