Sometimes school is less about what you want to learn, and more about what you need to learn. We’ve found that some facts about Kansas were left out in the curriculum here in the Sunflower State, and thought we’d share them with you. Do you know anything else that school didn’t teach you about Kansas?
1.Kansas is scientifically proven to be flatter than a pancake. A pancake has more surface definition than we do.
Clotee Pridgen Allochuku/Flickr See all those textured bits? We don’t have those. I heard once that Kansas hills don’t go up, they go down. Maybe that’s closer to truth than I thought!
- Lebanon, Kansas holds the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states.
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr It’s a fun pit-stop on a road trip, and it helps you feel a bit more centered, if you know what I mean.
- Kansas is second in average number of tornadoes per year (Oklahoma is first), and third in tornadoes per 1,000 square miles.
UrPic2/Flickr We average at about 60 per year, and 44 per 1,000 square miles. You’ll most likely stay put, Dorothy, unless you travel south!
- Kansas is one of two sources of helium in the United States.
Nick Normal/Flickr A not-so-fun fact about this funny gas is that the world may be running out of it.
- It’s illegal to have a snowball fight in Topeka
MIKI Yoshihito/Flickr I wonder how they’d enforce this. Good thing it never snows when we want it to, right?
- There’s only one Kansas county named after a woman - Barton County, Kansas was named after a famous Civil War volunteer nurse, Clara Barton.
Wikimedia Commons She was an important part of the Civil War, and is responsible for the founding of the American Red Cross. Barton’s name is all over the place, including quite a few Elemetary schools and community centers. She even has a crater on Venus named after her!
- Kansas has 528 caves and counting.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr If you find any new caves on or near your property, make sure to report them to The Kansas Speleological Society!
- Kansas is the 2nd largest producer of American beef. Second to Texas, of course!
David DeHetre/Flickr It’s definitely an achievement, because some states have a lot of land for cows.
- There are 27 Walnut Creeks in the state.
wheatfieldbrown/Flickr Maybe it’s time we start naming them something else?
- A weird one – It’s illegal to shoot rabbits from a motorboat.
Chris Murphy/Flickr Don’t you even look at those rabbits! Leave them alone, you boating fiend!
In addition to these fun facts about Kansas, check out these 9 Kansans and their inventions that changed the lives of many.
Clotee Pridgen Allochuku/Flickr
See all those textured bits? We don’t have those. I heard once that Kansas hills don’t go up, they go down. Maybe that’s closer to truth than I thought!
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr
It’s a fun pit-stop on a road trip, and it helps you feel a bit more centered, if you know what I mean.
UrPic2/Flickr
We average at about 60 per year, and 44 per 1,000 square miles. You’ll most likely stay put, Dorothy, unless you travel south!
Nick Normal/Flickr
A not-so-fun fact about this funny gas is that the world may be running out of it.
MIKI Yoshihito/Flickr
I wonder how they’d enforce this. Good thing it never snows when we want it to, right?
Wikimedia Commons
She was an important part of the Civil War, and is responsible for the founding of the American Red Cross. Barton’s name is all over the place, including quite a few Elemetary schools and community centers. She even has a crater on Venus named after her!
Vincent Parsons/Flickr
If you find any new caves on or near your property, make sure to report them to The Kansas Speleological Society!
David DeHetre/Flickr
It’s definitely an achievement, because some states have a lot of land for cows.
wheatfieldbrown/Flickr
Maybe it’s time we start naming them something else?
Chris Murphy/Flickr
Don’t you even look at those rabbits! Leave them alone, you boating fiend!
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