Unearthing Kansas' Buried Treasures: An Evening of Exploration with Roxie Yonkey, author of "Secret Kansas"

About the Event

It’s almost summer which means we’re nearing the season of wanderlust-filled day trips! But this time, you can skip the same old haunts you go to year after year because you’re going to have “Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” in your back pocket. After having an armchair travel session where you read about all of the secret histories and folklore of Kansas you never knew before, you’re going to have a few more landmarks you want to add to your adventures. Come to the store to enjoy some obscure local history and get exploration ideas from author Roxie Yonkey during her talk on the hidden gems of Kansas on June 12 at 7 p.m. at the Raven.

About the Book

Among Kansas’s many wheat fields lie secrets and hidden stories of heroes and villains that even a fiction author could never devise. It wasn’t just Dorothy Gale of the Wizard of Oz who roamed The Wheat State. Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure will introduce you to a true cast of characters along with the little-known history of their inventions, deeds, and fame. Learn about the first Indigenous woman to argue before the Supreme Court to save her ancestors’ graves from greedy developers.

Discover how Frank Bellamy from Cherryvale wrote the Pledge of Allegiance, only to lose his claim to its authorship. Inventions abound in Kansas history such as Mentholatum which had a small role in ending World War II. From Capt. Emil Kapaun who is headed for sainthood to the fraudulent Goat Gland Doctor whose tonics started many entertainers’ careers, there’s no shortage of fascinating anecdotes to choose from. Add to that the countless examples of courageous captains, game-changing women, along with a few ne'er-do-wells whose biographies are chronicled here. Longtime Kansan Roxie Yonkey will unearth the hidden roads and secret passages to unearth the state’s buried treasures. Visitors and lifelong residents alike will find a surprise on every page.

About the Author

Roxie Yonkey has written about Kansas for decades, and has won numerous awards for her work. She loves to delve for the state's little-known stories, the ones you never heard in history class. Even so, many of these stories surprised and delighted her. She writes extensively about the state on her website, RoxieontheRoad.com, and on social media as @roxieontheroad.


Event date: 
Monday, June 12, 2023 - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Event address: 
Raven Book Store
809 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure By Roxie Yonkey Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9781681064376
Availability: In stock at our distributor’s warehouse; will be at the Raven in 3-10 bus. days! More at ravenbookstore.com/ordering-faqs
Published: Reedy Press - April 1st, 2023