2013 Spring Newsletter

by Jim Bousman DROUGHTY KANSAS "T * HSPX PMEFS UIFSF TFFNT UP CF B UFOEFODZ UP SFĘ FDU PO UIF QBTU *U T IBSE GPS NF UP CFMJFWF JU IBT CFFO B IBMG DFOUV ry since I started studying Kansas history. During this initial period of study I became aware of the drought of 1859 1861. Our oldest son is a retired U.S. Air Force “weatherman”. Because of his career, I became interested in weather BOE DMJNBUF ć FTF UXP JOUFSFTUT NFSHFE UIJT TVNNFS XIFO * TUBSUFE UP TFF B QBSBMMFM CFUXFFO UIF QBTU BOE UIF QSFTFOU ć F XJOUFST PG BOE CPUI IBE WFSZ MJNJUFE TOPX GBMM ć F TQSJOH BOE TVNNFS PG BOE GPMMPXFE UIF TBNF QBUUFSO $SPQT BOE HBSEFOT XFSF BMNPTU OPO FYJTUFOU ć F NBKPS EJČ FSFODF CFUXFFO UIFO BOE OPX XBT UIF FČ FDU UIF ESPVHIU IBE PO UIF JOIBCJUBOUT PG UIF 5FSSJUPSZ I intended to discuss what Joseph G. Gambone called “a nightmare of crop failures, economic stagnation, and star WBUJPOw BT B SFTVMU PG UIF ESPVHIU PG 5P EP TP XPVME SFRVJSF TFWFSBM JTTVFT PG UIF RVBSUFSMZ ć FSFGPSF * FODPVSBHF ZPV UP SFBE BCPVU UIJT FSB JO UIF MJGF PG PVS TUBUF BOE TFF XIZ BT TPNF FTUJNBUF JOIBCJUBOUT MFę UIF 5FSSJUPSZ BOE IPX B NBKPS SFMJFG FČ PSU TBWFE UIF MJWFT PG TP NBOZ XIP TUBZFE :PV NBZ BMTP XBOU UP MPPL JOUP UIF FČ FDU of drought on crops: soil and precipitation; dry hot winds; and plant “respiration”.

So, I begin. ć F -FUUFST PG +PIO BOE 4BSBI &WFSFUU BSF BO FYDFMMFOU TPVSDF PG QJPOFFS MJGF JO -ZLJOT Miami County. John came to Kansas Territory in 1854. He joined a group led by O.C. #SPXO BOE TUBLFE B DMBJN TPVUI PG 0TBXBUPNJF ć F MFUUFST CBDL IPNF UFMM PG UIFJS FBSMZ struggles, “bloody 56”, and their life through the drought years and beyond. On June 5, 1860 John writes, “Mr Snow is cutting the wheat. We shall not have much of a yield. We have had not rain enough to bring up the corn in these parts and farmers are growing quite discouraged. It looks now very uncertain about raising enough to supply the home de mand. A great many have not yet made garden. On June 9, 1860, “Yesterday morning just before day a hurricane passed over these parts. It blew down

Jim Bousman

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