Suffice it to say, Kansas at 164 years old is a lot calmer place than it was when it was admitted into the Union.
The United States bought the land that ultimately became Kansas from France in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Kansas Territory was then organized in 1854 out of land from Missouri Territory and was admitted as a state in 1861 — just months before the Civil War officially started.
On KVOE’s On-Air Chat this week, Lyon County History Center Curator and Deputy Director Lisa Soller says the Civil War actually started unofficially in Kansas as people who wanted a free state and those who wanted a slave state both came to get settled. Part of that push was a concept of “popular sovereignty.”
After celebrating Kansas Day with their own activities, the history center played host to hundreds of jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts as the center’s third floor hosted the winter installment of Emporia Main Street’s popular Jigsaw Jam Wednesday night. Once again, space was at a premium as several teams and couples filled the third floor taking part in the competition.
Taking the top honors in the team division was Twisted Sisters, who finished their puzzle with a time of just over 39 minutes. It was their third straight win in the team category. Rebekah Green says team members had another three-peat opportunity in mind when they sat down and started on their 500-piece puzzle.
Wednesday was the third installment of the Jigsaw Jam which made its debut last summer at the history center. Main Street has partnered with the history center as the event’s host and Trox Gallery and Gifts which provides the puzzles for all three events and plans to continue the partnership for the foreseeable future.
Main Street plans to host a Jigsaw Jam once per quarter through the calendar year.
