Kansas Celebrates Sesquicentennial: January 29 Marks 150 Years of Statehood and Civil Liberties

TOPEKA, Kan., Jan. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas will celebrate 150 years of statehood, marking the occasion with a year-long calendar of grassroots-organized events and commemorations.  "Kansas Day at the Capitol" in Topeka kicks off the year on January 28 with presentations by the Governor, members of the Kansas Senate and House of Representatives, and a special honor guard.

Ad astra per aspera: "to the stars through difficulty." No state motto is more definitive. By the time Kansas entered the Union as the 34th state in 1861, the territory and its citizens had already lived through a bloody, terrifying prequel to the Civil War. The Bleeding Kansas struggle etched itself into the nation's conscience like no other. At issue was whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state; the issue that ignited the first shots of the Civil War.

Throughout 2011, Kansas will host a full slate of sesquicentennial events. In addition to the planned events, commemorations of the anniversary include the U.S. Postal Service's issuance of a Kansas 150th stamp; the Kansas Department of Transportation's posting of signs at 20 entrances to the state to welcome travelers; and commemorative Kansas Lottery tickets.

January 1 - December 31, Statewide

Paint Your Barn | Keep an eye out, barns across the state are sprouting sunflower paintings and signs to honor the sesquicentennial.

January 28 - December 31, Topeka

150 Things I Love About Kansas | Wizard of Oz memorabilia, Christmas cards from Amelia Earhart, Wild West movie posters and hundreds more items will be part of this ongoing exhibit at the Kansas Museum of History.

June 2-4 – Black Jack Battlefield, Wellsville

Battle at Black Jack Commemoration | Watch a battle reenactment and tour the battlefield where John Brown, fierce opponent of slavery, led his militia against a proslavery force on June 2, 1856. This armed clash, The Battle of Black Jack, is considered by many to have been the first battle of the Civil War.

June 11 - Rural Wabaunsee County

Symphony in the Flint Hills | The Kansas City Symphony will play at this annual outdoor event staged in the prairie highlands of central Kansas. This year, the performance will include stories about the Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln, and the history and legacy of Bleeding Kansas.

July 9-10 - Wichita

Mid-America All-Indian Center Powwow | The center will mark the sesquicentennial at its 40th annual powwow in a joint celebration with the Old Cowtown Museum.

August 12-21 – Lawrence

Civil War on the Western Frontier | 2011 is the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War. This annual educational program, with presentations, lectures and exhibits in Lawrence and Douglas County, helps bring that fateful year to life.

September 23-24 – Medicine Lodge

Medicine Lodge Indian Peace Treaty Pageant | Staged every three years, this big event reenacts the 1867 peace council in Medicine Lodge, as well as the settlement of Kansas. Native American dancers and the Kansas Championship Ranch Rodeo round out the pageant.

For more information, visit www.TravelKS.com, and www.KS150.org. Find Kansas Travel & Tourism on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TravelKS and on Twitter at  @TravelKS.

SOURCE Kansas Travel & Tourism