The Kansas Council for Economic Education invites the campus community and the public to ‘Railroaded: The Industry That Shaped Kansas,’ a presentation by Dr. Leo Oliva, retired Fort Hays State University professor and historian. The presentation, funded by a grant from Humanities Kansas and the National Endowment for the Humanities, is part of KCEE’s two-day Social Studies Extravaganza teacher workshop. The presentation will take place at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 18 in 141 Woolsey Hall, Fidelity Bank Ballroom.
Few industries dominated the economy of the nation in the 19th century more than the railroad. Railroads brought immigrant settlers, created jobs and fed beef markets in the east. They enabled regular mail service and the adoption of standard time. Most Kansas towns were founded because of the railroad, and few survived without it. Yet the advancement of the railroad industry came at a significant cost to the Plains Indians who were forcibly displaced by this westward expansion. The presentation examines the complicated legacy of railroads and the impact on native peoples who called Kansas home.
Questions may be directed to Charlene Nichols, KCEE executive director, at charlene.nichols@wichita.edu.