Thanks to a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), five Kansas institutions have made historic materials in their care available to anyone with access to a computer connected to the Internet. The two-year project, called "Western Trails," aided in the creation of digital copies of source materials related to the historic western migration of the U.S. population, whether on foot, by horse-drawn conveyance, by rail, or by highway. Kansas partners in the project include the Boot Hill Museum and Kansas Heritage Center in Dodge City, the Kansas State Historical Society, the Special Collections Department at Wichita State University, and the Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas. The Kansas State Library in Topeka coordinated the project. The University of Kansas created the statewide database that hosts all catalog records created by the partners. This makes it possible for you to search the database. State agencies in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming are also taking part in the Western Trails project.

New Kansas projects are joining Western Trails. The first is the Kinsley Historical Digital Map created by a partnership led by the Kinsley Public Library.

IMLS is a federal grant-making agency located in Washington, D.C. that fosters leadership, innovation and a lifetime of learning by supporting museums and libraries.
 

 

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