While the Indigenous populations of the plains are the first peoples to live on and migrate across the landscape, the opening of trade with Santa Fe in 1821 marked the beginning of a series of treks across the Kansas plains by a variety of travelers. Those seeking fortune in the gold fields of California or Colorado, or those wanting a better life on their own piece of ground were also joined by immigrants and Civil War veterans who took up land under the provisions of the Homestead Act, and by the cowboys who drove their herds from Texas to Abilene and Dodge City. Many who crossed or stayed in Kansas brought their heritage with them in songs. Sung around campfires, to restless cattle herds, or in one-room schoolhouses, they offer an insight into Kansas history and of the characters and events that shaped the state.

Hi, everyone. This is Mildred Rugger from Canyon, Texas, for the 2026 Spring Read of HPPR Radio Readers Book Club. In re-reading John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, I was reminded why I read several of his books during high school. His books immerse me in the world he is recreating, and that world is usually unlike my own.

Yep, it's going to be extra cold this weekend, and Luke's got you covered with some useful cold weather cooking tips!

You can look forward to hearing music by Mozart, Rossini, Mendelssohn, and Brahms on the show this week!