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 High Plains History
Airs Wednesdays at 10:30 am and Saturdays at 12:30 pm.

Take a few minutes to step back in time and explore the historical events, places, persons, social movements, and humorous incidents from the centuries of human settlement on the High Plains.  High Plains History is written and produced by Skip Mancini with the assistance of historians, historical societies, and museums from across the region.  Contact Skip Mancini about the program.

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Listen to recent High Plains History Episodes:
Amarillo SymphonyAmarillo Symphony - There's music in the air on Southern High Plains, and lots of it began years ago with the Amarillo Symphony.
(aired 02/10/10)
Moore County Murder - Gather round the kitchen table and we'll tell you a tale of murder and mayhem that just might spoil your appetite!
(aired 02/03/10)
YuccaYucca - Early day pioneers believed in hard work and clean living, and a plant commonly called soapweed helped them succeed in those endeavors.
(aired 01/27/10)
BlackieBlackie - An enduring legend of Lane County involves the character of Blackie and a bank robbery gone bad.
(aired 01/20/10)
Temple Houston Temple Houston - An introduction to a colorful and flamboyant Panhandle figure.
(aired 01/13/10)
Early Day Autos Early Day Autos - A look at Finney County's introduction to the age of the horseless carriage shows some forward thinking in terms of road building, and some changes in the rules of the road.
(aired 01/06/10)
The Founding of FHSUThe Founding of FHSU - As the Southern Plains Indian Wars faded from existence, the need for law enforement and protection changed, and many of the military posts were abandoned.  When a fort in Northwest Kansas was closed, it brought about the opening of a school to serve the Western half of the state.
(aired 12/30/09)
Bang Up ChristmasBang Up Christmas - In the Old West folks really knew how to have a party, especially when it involved some holiday eggnog and some homemade fireworks.  Cowboys and farmhands celebrated the season with a bang, sometimes from a gun...or sometimes from something bigger!
(aired 12/23/09)
Cow and Calf RailroadCow and Calf Railroad - In the early 1900', Strong City might have been mighty strong, but Cheyenne, Oklahoma wound up being the little town that could.
(aired 12/16/09)
Battle of Sappa CreekBattle of Sappa Creek - The site of a ghost town in Northwest Kansas is also the location of a final battle in the Southern Plains Indian Wars.
(aired 12/9/09)
The NatThe Nat - Get hep to the jive at the Nat Ballroom in Amarillo.  The Nat, located high atop a former swimming pool, is a place to dive into the past.  Once host to Duke Ellington and friends, as well as the greats of rock and roll, The Nat said "Come on in, the music's fine!"
(aired 12/02/09)
Old UlyssesOld Ulysses - Settling the plains states took strength, cunning and a bit of derring-do.  The founders of Ulysses, Kansas were well supplied, when it came to finding a solution to a taxing problem.  Happy Centennial birthday to Ulysses, Kansas!
(aired 11/25/09)
Pike's TowerPike's Tower - A tower named after a famous explorer was erected in Lamar, as a part of the first WPA project in Colorado.  But whether Zebulon Pike carved his autograph on a nearby rocky ledge is still a mystery.
(aired 11/18/09)
Modern Day MassacreModern Day Massacre - Fifty years ago a bloody event that some consider "the crime of the century" took place in a small Southwest Kansas town.  The event changed how the world looked at rural American life, and became the basis for a major literary work.  A half-century later a memorial is dedicated to the family that was lost.
(aired 11/11/09)
Llano EstacadoLlano Estacado - The debate continues over the true meaning of the Spanish name for the land of the Texas Panhandle.  But when Coronado searched for cities of gold, he couldn't have imagined the golden opportunities this area would bring to the future.
(aired 11/04/09)
Nicodemus Nicodemus - After the Civil War and Southern Reconstruction, a town in Northwest Kansas became a symbol of freedom for a colony of former slave who traveled from Kentucky to face unknown hardships and start a new life on the prairie.
(aired 10/28/09)
Worsh DayWorsh Day - A mountain of chores faced mothers and children on an early day homestead.
(aired 10/21/09)
The Big Roundup The Big Roundup - Early day cattlemen joined together to create an organization that reached into several High Plains states and territories.
(aired 10/14/09)
Smokey the BearSmokey the Bear - Meet the artist who created a creature more at home in the north woods than on the plains of Kansas.
(aired 10/07/09)
Rock Island RailroadRock Island Railroad - The story of a mighty fine line that laid its tracks in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
(aired 9/30/09)
RavannaRavanna - One of the larger town sites in Finney County, Kansas is now populated by ghosts.
(aired 9/23/09)
Ness County BankNess County Bank - A look at a grand and glorious building that is once again the center of a community.
(aired 9/16/09)
Jewish CemeteryJewish Cemetery - Many ethnic groups and religions were a part of the immigration to the High Plains.  We visit a cemetery site in Finney County.
(aired 9/09/09)
Folsom FloodFolsom Flood - High waters on the Cimarron brought death and distruction, but many lives were saved by a brave heroine.
(aired 9/02/09)
Drift Fence DisasterDrift Fence Disaster - A good idea gone wrong became a major reason for the loss of big cattle ranches in the Southern Plains.
(aired 8/26/09)
The Big PoolThe Big Pool - Let's take a dip in one of the biggest bragging rights ever evolved in Garden City, Kansas.
(aired 8/19/09)
Battle of Chicken CreekBattle of Chicken Creek - Come along to the Texas Panhandle as we scout out a battle site in the Red River Wars.
(aired 8/12/09)
Baseball PlayersBaseball Players - Hear about a couple of Ness County boys who went all the way to the big leagues.
(aired 8/05/09)
 

For earlier episodes visit High Plains History archive:

High Plains History Archives
You can search, listen to and download all the episodes of High Plains History by visiting the archive:

Ancient High Plains History
Mike Everhart Host Mike Everhart, Adjunct Paleontologist with the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, KS, takes us further back in history than we've ever gone before. High Plains History is going back to the time when most of America was covered by a sea. We'll learn about the prehistoric monsters that filled that sea with terror as well as the brave scientists who faced untold dangers to bring us these stories from beneath our very feet.

Learn more about the series and listen to all the episodes by clicking here.

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