An author who is going out on tour in support of her new book chronicling obscure things in Kansas is planning a stop in Salina.
According to Reedy Press, Kansas author Roxie Yonkey has penned the new guidebook, “Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” .
The publisher says 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.
“Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” is available wherever books are sold.
_ _ _
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.
“Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” Scheduled Events:
Note: It is advisable to check with the event venue for confirmation a few days ahead of a book signing or presentation.
Book Signing
Friday, April 14, from 3 – 5 p.m.
Hays Public Library
1205 Main St, Hays, KS 67601
(785) 625-9014
Free and open to the public
Book Signing
Monday, May 1, from 1 – 3 p.m.
Lyon County History Center & Museum
711 Commercial St, Emporia, KS 66801
(620) 340-6310
Free and open to the public
Book Signing
Thursday, May 4, from 6 – 8 p.m.
The Garage
134 S 4th St, Salina, KS 67401
(785) 833-6888
Free and open to the public
Book Signing
Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Finney County Historical Museum
403 S 4th St, Garden City, KS 67846
(620) 272-3664
Free and open to the public
Book Signing
Saturday, June 10, from 2 – 4 p.m.
Kansas City, Kansas Public Library
625 Minnesota Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 295-8250
Free and open to the public
Book Signing
Saturday, June 24, from 6 – 8 p.m.
Books and Burrow
212 S Broadway St, Pittsburg, KS 66762
(620) 238-5330
Free and open to the public
