FORT RILEY, Kan. - And then there were eight. A selection committee from the Kansas Sampler Foundation has counted the votes and the Fort Riley-Junction City area has been selected as one of the 8 Wonders of Historic Kansas.
The announcement was made on June 22 by the Kansas Sampler Foundation after a final count of 19,146 votes.
"Once again, we had votes from every state in the union as well as from several foreign countries," said Kansas Sampler Foundation director Marci Penner. "The increased number of votes means more people learned about Kansas."
This year's voting exceeded the previous year's by just over 5,000 total votes, Penner added.
"It's great that Fort Riley was voted as one of the eight wonders," said Bill McKale, Fort Riley Museum Director.
"The Fort certainly has a rich history stretching back to before Kansas was a territory. What is so unique of Fort Riley is its continual link to the past and its ongoing history."
The selection reaffirms the Fort Riley and Junction City area as an essential part of the historical traditions of Central Flint Hills Region, the state of Kansas and of the American Great Plains.
"We are very excited to learn that Historic Fort Riley, Junction City was chosen as one of the Top 8 Wonders of Kansas History," said Connie Hall, executive director, Geary County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We are proud of Fort Riley, Junction City's contribution to the history of Kansas, and this very well deserved recognition will solidify this area as a top visitor destination in Kansas."
The eight selectees were chosen from a list of 24 finalists, which were in turn selected from more than 170 historical sites that were nominated by the public. A selection committee from the Kansas Sampler Foundation made the determination on those 24 finalists.
Selection criteria required that a nomination represent significant history but also give the public something of visual magnitude to see. That nomination for Fort Riley was submitted by Gaylynn Childs, president of the Partners of the First Territorial Capitol.
A,A "When we first learned of the contest, our initial thought was to nominate the First Territorial Capitol on Fort Riley," Childs said, "as some historians believe that is where the Civil War really began. However, upon consideration it became very apparent, that Fort Riley from the territorial era right up to the present day has impacted Kansas, national and world history more than any other locale in the state.
"From guarding the pioneer trails that crossed its boundaries to the 'Bleeding Kansas' and Civil War conflicts, then up through the Cavalry and Indian campaigns and the world wars and conflicts of the 20th Century, Fort Riley has made contributions to our national history, and as a result has had many historically significant residents.
"In my opinion, Fort Riley and this immediate area is by far the most historically significant locale in Kansas. And this significance covers the whole 150-year span of the state's history not just isolated eras or events."
Designed to educate the public about what there is to see and do in Kansas and to encourage travel, the series of 8 Wonders contests are organized by the Kansas Sampler Foundation.
The eight rural culture elements used by the Foundation to help a town assess itself are each showcased in their own contest. Top 8 Wonders have been decided in architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography and now history. The overall 8 Wonders of Kansas were announced on Kansas Day 2008.
"The results indicate that voters were most interested in history that dated back prior to statehood," Penner said. "The only entrant in the top 8 with 'recent' history was the 1930s Dust Bowl entry at the Historic Adobe Museum in Ulysses. Then, the Kansas Museum of History rounded out the top eight with an appreciative nod from voters."
Besides the Fort Riley-Junction City area, the other seven selectees were: 1930s Dust Bowl to Gas Exploration, Historic Adobe Museum, Ulysses, Kan.; Boot Hill Museum/Historic Dodge City, Dodge City, Kan.; Council Grove, Santa Fe Trail National Historic Landmark; Council Grove, Kan.; Fort Scott National Historic Site, Fort Scott, Kan.; Historic Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth, Kan.; Kansas Museum of History, Topeka, Kan., and Kanza Tribe and Lewis and Clark's Independence Creek, Atchison, Kan.
All contest results and information about each of the 8 Wonders can be found at www.8wonders.org.
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