These 12 Candid Photos Show What Life Was Like In Kansas In the 1930s
Odds are you weren’t here in the 1930s, but our oldest readers may remember all the sights and sounds from this decade, even the music. Kansas in the 1930s was very eventful, but these stunning still shots from around the state in various years really show us what life was like back then.
The Works Progress Administration st up an arts and crafts display, but it seems that a woman is working for people to watch.
This Kansas man, Jim Bausch, won a decathlon at a National AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Meet.
In late 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Kansas for a campaign speech, and also remarked on the home of Governor Woodring. What a great shot!
A man named Glenn Cunningham who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics worked his hardest to get there.
This man in a tall, tall stetson hat looked very fashionable on this Kansas street corner. What do you think? A sign on the pole advertises a "free fair" and auto race on September 11th and 13th. Behind him is "Albertland mensear" and a "Karmelkorn shop". It's almost like we're right there with him.
A car had fallen between two walls. There's a story behind this, but whatever happened, we hope they're okay.
This photo was taken from a water tower overlooking this small town that today holds under 400 people.
However, later in the day, a huge dust storm snuffed out all of the light, and this photo was sent along with a message that said, "Dear Mr. Roosevelt, Darkness came when it hit us. Picture taken from water tower one hundred feet high. Yours Truly, Chas. P. Williams."
In this photo, they're putting together mattresses for a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project.
Though this doesn't show much scenery, these old trains aren't often seen anymore. We've got a few of them hanging around at museums and the like.
These women were part of the Farm Labor Union in 1938, which was unit "2b". There's sashes on each member, and you can almost read the names of the towns. In the front on the far left seems to be Galena, and the third from the left in front might be Abilene, if my eyes don't fool me. Can you spot any other towns?
In 1939, this color photo was probably one of the first to be taken in Kansas, but it's still striking. Here, you can see they're servicing engines at these coal and sand chutes.
If you love seeing Kansas’ history in various decades, don’t miss out on these photos from the 1960s.
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