Wichita, KS

[nota]

My great great grandma settled (homesteaded) with her parents near Emporia as did some of my other relatives. She lived till in her 90s-long enough to see some massive trees grow, but they werent' there when they settled.

She told us that when they came to the area, there were no trees there that they couldn't run over with a buckboard. I'd say that is about 3 or 4 feet.

My parents started the nursery in Emporia when I was very small. My dad and mom replaced every tree that died of Dutch Elm Disease in the public parking on every street in Emporia with hybrid elms and other trees not succeptible to Dutch Elm.

Dutch Elm devastated trees all over town, but you wouldn't know it now.

[bahua]

I'm sorry if you took offense. None was intended.

[nota]

I'm sorry if you took offense. None was intended.

Apology accepted and I'm sorry I jumped down your throat.

I love the Flint Hills and that country around them. I keep telling my hubby that's where I want my ashes sprinkled.
"People of the South Wind" you know.

[Thrillcekr]

I was speaking of Missouri having prairies.  That isn't accurate.  The existing open areas in some parts of northern Mo now are a result of the spread Dutch Elm disease which happened after the big waves of settlers heading west passed through Missouri.  I don't know anything about Kansas except that the majority of it has always been prairie and it was initially quite a shock for people  headed west.  Coming from the east they had been used to surviving in wooded areas.  They knew how to use all the resources that the forests provided for them.  Once they reached Kansas they had no idea what the hell to do.  Most burned out as fast as they could but a few stayed behind and eventually figured out how to adapt and survive in this unusual environment.  I guess geography class was good for something. 

[Highlander]

I was speaking of Missouri having prairies.  That isn't accurate.  The existing open areas in some parts of northern Mo now are a result of the spread Dutch Elm disease which happened after the big waves of settlers heading west passed through Missouri.  I don't know anything about Kansas except that the majority of it has always been prairie and it was initially quite a shock for people  headed west.  Coming from the east they had been used to surviving in wooded areas.  They knew how to use all the resources that the forests provided for them.  Once they reached Kansas they had no idea what the hell to do.  Most burned out as fast as they could but a few stayed behind and eventually figured out how to adapt and survive in this unusual environment.  I guess geography class was good for something. 

I am not sure this is entirely accurate.  Most of the pre-European Settlement ecological maps I have seen show a Prairie ecology both north of the Missouri River and in places south of it, such as the Osage Plains.  The northern swath was part of the Prairie wedge or peninsula that went as far east as Illinois.  I do not believe it was the huge expansive prairies like you see in Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas and northwest Texas but there was considerable areas of grasslands interspersed with forest.  Prairie-type vegetation dominated the flatter uplands while forests dominated in the hillier areas around rivercourses.   Missouri even is trying to restore prairie today to its native state as is the case with Prairie State Park south of KC ...........    http://www.mostateparks.com/prairie/geninfo.htm

[nota]

Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Kansas

[Thrillcekr]

I am not sure this is entirely accurate.  Most of the pre-European Settlement ecological maps I have seen show a Prairie ecology both north of the Missouri River and in places south of it, such as the Osage Plains.  The northern swath was part of the Prairie wedge or peninsula that went as far east as Illinois.  I do not believe it was the huge expansive prairies like you see in Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas and northwest Texas but there was considerable areas of grasslands interspersed with forest.  Prairie-type vegetation dominated the flatter uplands while forests dominated in the hillier areas around rivercourses.   Missouri even is trying to restore prairie today to its native state as is the case with Prairie State Park south of KC ...........    http://www.mostateparks.com/prairie/geninfo.htm

It's accurate.  At least according to a local  geography professor it is.  The grasslands didn't appear for the most part until after Dutch Elm disease had came and gone.  I'll have to check that park out though.  I dig the Bison.  They did have some Bison at Hodge Park in KCMO just westt of Liberty but I haven't stopped in there for quite awhile.  Don't know if they're still  there or not.

[nota]

They're still there. I see them all the time. In the AM they are usually in the SE corner of their pasture.

[nota]

Dutch elm disease -are you speaking of dutch elm in the 1950s or before.

The Flint Hills were no different in the 1950s than they are now. No trees. They were much more spacious than today because some have been gobbled up with roads and other development.

I remember driving to Wichita before the Kansas Turnpike was built and loving the Flint Hills because you could see for miles and miles and miles.

[ComandanteCero]

anyone got any pictures of dt Wichita to show?

[nota]

http://www.downtownwichita.org/main.cfm

That is their site - pix arent' too great though.

[doogieslap]

I spent the weekend in Wichita with a bunch of friends celebrating a bachelor party, since one from our group is taking the plunge.  Well, from the things I remember seeing as we walked through downtown to Old Town, was a large amount of empty space in office buildings.  Downtown Wichita is fairly clean and well kept, but it is a ghost town at night.  No traffic whatsoever.  And that's even around 9:00pm.  Old Town is active, and that's just a couple of blocks to the east, but downtown has nothing....except the potential for a large amount of loft conversions.  They have some buildings that have a lot of potential for downtown living.

[Thrillcekr]

I spent the weekend in Wichita with a bunch of friends celebrating a bachelor party, since one from our group is taking the plunge.  Well, from the things I remember seeing as we walked through downtown to Old Town, was a large amount of empty space in office buildings.  Downtown Wichita is fairly clean and well kept, but it is a ghost town at night.  No traffic whatsoever.  And that's even around 9:00pm.   Old Town is active, and that's just a couple of blocks to the east, but downtown has nothing....except the potential for a large amount of loft conversions.  They have some buildings that have a lot of potential for downtown living.

Yep, that's what I've seen during the times I've been in downtown Wichita also.  Very clean and very dead.  Not a soul in a car or on foot to be seen hardly. 

[DanCa]

I find the Flint Hills to be beautiful.  Especially when they're green.  Since I've done the drive between KC and Denver more times than I care to admit, I think the most beauty I've seen in Western KS and Eastern CO is in August when the sunflower fields are in bloom.  For a flat landscape, sunflowers to the horizon is beautiful.

Regarding Wichita, I had never been in the city in my life other than driving around on I-35 so back in '94 I took a weekend trip there to check it out with two friends.  I wasn't impressed and have never been back. 

[nota]

I find the Flint Hills to be beautiful.  Especially when they're green.  Since I've done the drive between KC and Denver more times than I care to admit, I think the most beauty I've seen in Western KS and Eastern CO is in August when the sunflower fields are in bloom.  For a flat landscape, sunflowers to the horizon is beautiful.

It's almost like our own little section of Provence on a MUCH larger scale. I love the Flint Hills too. But Wichita is flat and boring. I have some good friends who lived there for several years and loved it.

[DanCa]

It's almost like our own little section of Provence on a MUCH larger scale. I love the Flint Hills too. But Wichita is flat and boring. I have some good friends who lived there for several years and loved it.

How true!  I remember my first trip to Paris from Germany on a bus.  Traveling through wheatfields in Fance, all I could think was, "this place looks just like Kansas!"

[nota]

If you are into sunflowers, this is a great book.

Beautiful pix and words.