Kansas, and Immigrant Towns

Spanish were the first recorded explorers to “discover” the Americas. Christopher Columbus along with a few men wanted to explore the open world and bask in discovery. They set out to find ways to trade with Asia and stumbled upon the Americas. Thinking they reached India, they called the natives Indians. A few years later, a different explorer, with the name of Amerigo Vespucci, realized that the Americas was not Asia and named them after him. Hundreds of years later, when America was completely established, immigrants from England sought a different future and came to America. A few groups made their way west into Kansas and influenced our way of building things and communities.

One immigrant group was the French. The French wanted to explore, like the British and like the British they sought a better future. These men sought to trade with the Comanche, the strongest native tribe in the Great Plains, along with the Osage and Pawnee. They traded guns, metal, and alcohol for furs. These trades made the future much brighter for them and later on these relationships with the tribes became so great the French even intermarried with these tribes. These relationships influenced present day Kansas by Giving us a more varied lifestyle between the two groups. The Frenchmen had jobs of silk merchants, cattle ranchers, engineers, and merchants. One county that was wholly French was Franklin county.

Mexicans are another group of immigrant people in the United States, and one of the most common immigrants. These immigrants were cattle ranchers, railroad workers, wagoneers, miners, and farmers. They too sought a better future and were willing to work to get it. They built and traveled the Santa Fe trail, raised cattle in Mexico and moved them to Kansas using the Santa Fe trail. They also mined coal and other minerals in salt and coal mines, and even transported the goods in wagons across Kansas. Some cities and one county that they immigrated into were Atchison, Topeka, Kansas City, Hutchinson, Lyons, and Finney County.

Yet another immigrant group was the Germans. The main reasons the Germans came here to Kansas was for freedom of religion, political reasons, better economy, and war. They wished to escape their leader and the failing economy. They also wished to evade the war. The cities they created were Humboldt in Allen County, Bremen in Marshall County, Stuttgart in Phillips County, Marienthal in Wichita County, Windthorst in Ford County, Olmitz in Barton County, Olpe in Lyon County, Bern in Nemaha County. The German language was so popular here that there were 6 newspapers that were written in the language. The Germans worked on farms, railroads, and some even owned their own business. Because they sought refuge and a better life here they worked hard to obtain it.

Asians were yet another group of immigrants to seek refuge and a better life. These include the Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians. Many Chinese came as railroad workers. Many also sought refuge from the Vietnam War (1963-1975). They sought refuge from wars and were yet again willing to work for it. They built railroads and were merchants. They worked hard to finally find refuge in Kansas. Some cities they lived in were Kansas City, Dodge City, and Garden City. Since then there have been increasing amounts of Asian immigrants.

The last group mentioned here, but certainly not the least, are the Czechs. The Czech people were from Bohemia. They came here to learn about the culture, to explore, and to find a good home. They found plentiful soil, cheap land, and good building resources. Because they were Bohemian, they spoke their native language and German. The Czechs worked as mechanics, merchants, and farmers. The counties they lived in were Decatur, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Marion, Marshall, Rawlins, Republic, Rush, Russell, Shawnee, Sumner, Trego, and Washington.

Today cultural remnants are found everywhere in Kansas. It lives on in each and everyone of us through our heritage. The traditions of our cultures continue through us and we should be proud of that.

For More information visit these sites and read this book:

"Christopher Columbus."-History.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus. Trans. History Channel. History Channel, n.d. Web. <http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus>.

"Asian Americans in Kansas." - Kansapedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/asian-americans-in-kansas/17046>.

Society, Kansas Historical. "Cool Things-Hmong Story Cloth." Http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/cool-things-hmong-story-cloth/10367. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/cool-things-hmong-story-cloth/10367>.

"French Settlers in Kansas." - Kansapedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/french-settlers-in-kansas/12203>.

"British in Kansas." - Kansapedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/british-in-kansas/16704>.

"Czechs in Kansas." - Kansapedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/czechs-in-kansas/17887>.

"German Settlers in Kansas." - Kansapedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/german-settlers-in-kansas/16710>.

The Kansas Journey- Historical Book of Kansas. Thank you.