Once upon a time, every one of our towns in Kansas were small towns. No matter the size today, these small towns all played a part in our history. Each one of them had a specific event that made the town, the state, and sometimes even the country better afterwards. Let’s see what history made of these towns.

1. The first woman mayor in America elected right in Argonia.
Art davis/Wikimedia Commons
It was a revolutionary time for women all over America, to see a fellow woman achieve a position of office. Though she was elected almost accidentally, she did well and paved the way for more female elected officials afterwards.
2. The first recorded EF5 tornado swept Greensburg almost completely off the map.
Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
This devastating natural disaster took out 95% of the town, but they've since rebuilt bigger and better. It's almost like a whole new town, with most of the original residents still here. The Bit Well even has a display about the event for visitors who want to see for themselves.
3. Catherine McCarty, the mother of Billy The Kid, was the only woman to sign the petition to make Wichita a town back in 1870.
Ty Nigh/Flickr
You might know Billy The Kid from plenty of historic stories, but did you know his mother was part of our largest city's creation.

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4. On Sept. 30, 1878 in Oberlin, the last Indian raid on Kansas soil happened.
Decatur Country Last Indian Raid Museum Facebook
It marked the end of a time where settlers were afraid for their lives. Today, there's a museum that commemorates this event and teaches about what life was like back then.
5. In Cherryvale, the Bender family pretended to be an inn and killed multiple travelers as they stayed there, earning the name The Bloody Benders.
Maggie McCain/Flickr
What is probably the craziest string of murders happened way back in the 1880s, when travelers needed a place to stay overnight and trusted just about any inn with hot food and a bed. However, the group of people calling themselves the Benders ended up killing multiple and fleeing, never to be caught.
6. One day, Sam Blanchard struck salt at 300 feet below the ground while drilling a well. Since then, the town of Hutchinson has been built on top of one of the world's best salt deposits
Strataca Facebook
The salt mine in Hutch is a fantastic place to visit, especially since you can still see old equipment that was used to excavate and haul salt from the areas you tour. They still use the mine, too, just much farther from where the museum is located.
7. In 1921, the first ever burger chain opened up in Kansas, it's name was White Castle.
Hajee/Flickr
Without White Castle to start the restaurant chain business, we might not have had McDonalds or other chain restaurants as early as we did. We might not have on in the state any longer, but it'll always be in our hearts.

If you truly love our history, you might also love this museum trail road trip that takes you to many of our best museums.

 

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