Vinland, Kansas

09/29/2026

08/29/2026

The new Vinland Fair store offers t-shirts from previous years in new colors, accessories, kids' wear and logo gear in all kinds of styles and colors!

Welcome to Vinland Fair Store

08/07/2026

150 Years Ago . . .
The 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s adoption was being commemorated with a Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia from May 10 to November 10, 1876. Formally known as the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, it essentially was the first official world's fair held in the U.S.
Kansas – just 15 years old and eager to prove itself – was the first state to select ground for a state exhibition building. Kansas shared its building with Colorado – known as the “The Centennial State” because it was established as a state on August 1, 1876 – and with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, which paid one-tenth of the building’s cost.
Vinland’s well-known nurseryman, William E. Barnes, was one of three men appointed state superintendents charged with the “collection of grains, grasses, vegetables and fruits” for exhibition in the Kansas and Colorado building.
The Kansas Tribune wrote: “No better man than Mr. B. could be selected for this position. About the oldest nurseryman in Kansas, he is thoroughly conversant with all varieties of fruit which he can name on sight. This exhibit will prove a magnificent advertisement for the State, and in combination with our previous show, must result in determining a large immigration and amount of capital hither.”

On July 20, The Kansas Tribune reported that Barnes was “now busily engaged in performing the duties assigned to him.” He soon employed Thomas B. Smith, ex-county clerk, as his right-hand man. The Lawrence Daily Journal reported on August 2: “Mr. Smith has been over a good number of the fifteen counties in the district and having ‘prepared the way,’ he now returns home to open a headquarter, and begin the receipt of specimens and samples as fast as they may choose to come in. The headquarters are located one door south of Mason’s shoe store on Massachusetts street. Considerable numbers of contributions have already been received from Johnson, Cherokee and Douglas counties and more will now come in daily. This is the time for grasses and grains; fruits, etc., will come in a little later. We trust all our citizens will aid the gentlemen above named as far as possible in their good work.”
On August 24, The Lawrence Daily Journal reported: “Now, while it is calculated that as a whole Kansas shall eclipse and astonish the world, persons examining the display with an eye to immigration will compare critically and closely the different counties and localities both as to special products and a general average. Considering this fact it becomes of the greatest importance that Douglas county shall do “her level best.” Every shock of wheat, every telegraph-pole-like cornstalk, every tenement house pumpkin, every two-pound apple will count, and, though not exactly thrown upon the water, will return next fall in an immense tide of immigration. From this, the county making the best display, will derive the greatest benefit.
Fine collections of wheat, barley, rye, oats, clover, alfalfa, millet, h**p, flax and grass may be seen at the depot on Massachusetts street, next to Mason’s shoe store.
Let our farmers wake up. This is the first duty of the hour. To be sure plowing and cultivating are pressing, but no time will pay better than that spent in collecting samples of the best farm products and sending them in for shipment. God is now restoring to us the “years which the locust hath eaten,” and we should do ourselves justice before the world.”
The Kansas Tribune on August 31 reported: “W.E. Barnes, Centennial Commissioner for gathering specimens to forward to Philadelphia, was in the city yesterday prosecuting his work in that connection. He is greatly pleased with the admirable character of the specimens they are gathering. Some of the apples in particular are very fine.
Specimens will be gladly received at the store on Massachusetts street, and will be assorted and packed for transportation. They should be all in by Saturday next. They will be forwarded hence to Topeka where a car load will be made up and will be forwarded, accompanied by Commissioner Barnes about the 5th proximo.
On September 5, The Lawrence Daily Journal reported: “All was bustle and excitement about the Centennial depot yesterday. Commissioner Barnes and his assistants were very busy packing, labeling marketing and recording. Up to the last minute contributions were received, but finally, at about five o’clock, the last apple, the last ear of corn, and the last tomato were tied up and shipped for the show. The great world will have its ears, mouth and eyes wide open all the time the Kansas products are on exhibition.”
The Kansas Spirit reported on September 7 that: “Wm. E. Barnes left for Philadelphia yesterday with a collection of Kansas products for exhibition.”

The thousands who visited the Kansas building were wowed by the variety of crops on display. The two most spectacular displays were replicas of the U.S. Capitol dome and a Liberty Bell. The Capitol dome – 19 feet tall and more than 8 feet in diameter – was completely covered with apples. The Liberty Bell, made of broom corn, millet and stalks of wheat, was more than 8 feet high and nearly 9 feet in diameter with a clapper made from a gourd that was 8 feet in diameter.
Kansas earned national praise from major newspapers for having one of the most artistically prepared and impressive state displays. Philadelphia's The Times declared Kansas "The State That Showed the Best.”
The Kansas City Times wrote: “It is perfectly safe to say that no one feature of the Centennial has called out more genuine surprise or has bestowed upon it more enthusiastic praise that the Kansas exhibit . . . In a single stroke Kansas has lifted herself head and shoulders above every State here represented, no other State exhibition being worthy of mentioning on the same day.”

07/12/2026

50 Years Ago . . .
The nation’s bicentennial celebration inspired Vinland resident Betty (Hicks) Hagerman to spend nearly a year crafting a bicentennial quilt with blocks depicting historical scenes surrounding a huge map of Douglas County in the center.
Betty spent hours researching scenes for the 16 outside quilt blocks – historical buildings, a wagon train crossing the prairie, a Native encampment, a farmer behind his horsedrawn plow and a modern combine in a field of ripened wheat. The map marked historic locations of schools, post offices, townsites, trails, railroads and township lines.
As she worked on the quilt, she exhibited it in various stages of completion at fairs and quilt shows. The completed quilt was viewed by the public for the first time at the 1976 Maple Leaf Festival.
Among her quilt activities, Betty contributed a regular quilt column in the Baldwin newspaper. On December 28, 1978, she shared in her column: “A rather inauspicious beginning, when I learned in mid-January of the fire in the Good Housekeeping warehouse which supposedly completely destroyed by Douglas County Bicentennial quilt.”
“About the time I got used to the idea it was gone for good, I received notification that the remains were being returned, and was pleasantly surprised early in March to receive most of a quilt – with four large plus-shaped holes, but a lot of it was intact. Incidentally, after negotiation, Good Housekeeping’s insurer sent a check for $1,500. I think most of the blocks can be salvaged when I work up the enthusiasm to do so.”
Betty did find the enthusiasm to repair her damaged quilt. At the time of her death in 1986, the quilt was displayed at the Elizabeth M. Watkins Community Museum in Lawrence.
Betty took on her massive bicentennial project after contributing a quilt block for the Douglas County Bicentennial Quilt that was pieced by 17 area women and displayed at the Watkins Museum. That quilt project led to the formation of the Kaw Valley Quilters Guild in 1977. As a founding member of the guild, Betty helped organize numerous historical quilt shows at the museum.
The guild’s reputation grew after the new Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas requested help with an exhibition of its quilt collection. Betty and other guild members unpacked and helped prepare for display at a symposium all 1,000 blocks from the museum’s collection of quilt blocks made by Carrie Hall, a famous Kansas quilt maker and teacher. Betty co-edited the 80-page book reviewing the symposium.
Betty earned a widespread reputation as an expert on the Sunbonnet Sue quilt pattern. She designed many variations of the popular quilt pattern and was the author of “A Meeting of the Sunbonnet Children.”
Betty died ten years after the bicentennial and a few months later, the “Bicentennial Revisited – and other Quilt Treasures” show at the Watkins Museum featured 26 of her quilts and several wall hangings. The Betty J. Hagerman Conservation Fund was established to help care for quilts and textiles at the Watkins Museum.
Betty and her husband Aub, a farmer well known through the county, lived northwest of Vinland on the road to Lawrence. They had no children. Betty’s sister is Mary (Hicks) Cates Gensler.
Searches for the present location of Betty’s bicentennial quilt have been unsuccessful.

05/23/2026

100 Years Ago . . .
Commencement exercises were held for the 10th graduating class of Vinland Rural High School.
The ten graduates were:
• Lucille Lola Craig
• Mabel Ruth Day
• Orville Green
• Bernice Elise Holmes
• Fred Earnest Gottstein
• Clifton Charles James
• Edward Francis McClintock
• Avier Delbert Schick
• Jennie Stevens
• Ruth Augusta Sturdy

Lucille Craig was the only daughter with six brothers born to Charles Delmar & Mary (Hemphill) Craig. She was raised in the Stony Point school district.
After graduation, she taught school a few years and then became a registered nurse. In 1941 she married James Martin and they lived in Jenera, Ohio. They had 3 sons and a daughter. Lucille was a Girl Scout Leader and 4-H Camp Nurse for many years. She enjoyed gardening and canning and was a lifetime member of The North American Gladiolus Council. She died in 2006 at the age of 97.

Mabel Day was one of two daughters born to Bert Calvin & Rosa (Cooper) Day and was raised near Sibley. Mabel and her sister Mildred rode the train from Sibley to attend high school in Vinland.
She was a writer of poems and musical selections, active in debates and won many friends through her appearance in plays and public readings.
After graduation, she entered the University of Kansas, enrolling in the fine arts department and studied two years. She taught two years at Big Springs and two years at White School in North Lawrence.
In 1930, she married Orin Jordan. After his admittance to the bar, they moved to his hometown of Beloit where they built a home and had a daughter and a son.
In 1933, at the age of 26, Mabel died from complications following the birth of her son. Her obituary stated: “Mrs. Jordan was a lovely, unassuming young woman who attracted many fine acquaintances by her humanly interests and inspirational smiles for all. She was the possessor of a rare magnetic personality. To see her was to love her. To know her a benediction.”

Fred Gottstein was the youngest of eight children born to John & Martha (Deay) Gottstein. He was raised in the Harmony school district northeast of Vinland.
In 1930, he married his classmate Bernice Holmes. They lived northwest of Vinland where he farmed and raised cattle. Fred gained a widespread reputation as a dowser using a divining rod to locate hundreds of water wells in the area. He helped organize the annual Vinland Fair and served as treasurer of Vinland Grange for many years. He was a member of the Vinland Church of Christ. He and Bernie were active bowlers into their 90s.
Fred died in February 2003 at the age of 93.

Bernice Holmes was one of six children born to Byron I. & Nellie (Tucker) Holmes. She was raised in the Stony Point school district southwest of Vinland.
In 1930, she married her classmate Fred Gottstein and they lived on their farm northwest of Vinland for 66 years.
Bernie taught school for 33 years at Harmony, Prospect, Welcome, and Vinland. She graduated from Baker University in 1964. She retired in 1973 after teaching 29 years at Vinland Elementary School.
She was a member of EHU, the Vinland Grange and the Vinland Church of Christ. For many years, she and Fred directed the pet parade and the flower show at the Vinland Grange Fair.
She died in 2003 at the age of 95.

Clifton James was the second of four children born to Allie C. & Jennie (Harris) James. He was raised on a farm northeast of Vinland.
In 1932, he married Maude Allen and they had two sons and two daughters. They lived in Lawrence where Clifton worked as a carpenter until he retired in 1971.
He died in 2003 at the age of 96.

Ed McClintock was the youngest of ten children born to Allison & Mary (Cade) McClintock. He was raised near Sibley.
In 1928, he married Bernice Schmidt (class of 1927). They lived in the Sibley area north of Vinland where he farmed.
During World War II, Ed served in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
Ed and Bernice had two daughters, Maxine and Eva Jane.
He died in 1968 at the age of 61.

Avier Schick was one of four sons born to Clarence & Bertha (Selby) Schick. He was raised on the family farm west of Vinland.
After graduation, he taught two years at District #30 school. In 1928, he married Dorothy Edmonds. They lived in Lawrence and had three sons.
After his teaching stint, Avier worked at the Bowersock Mills and Power Company for nine years. Later, he worked at Kansas University, first on maintenance with Buildings and Grounds before switching to the campus police force.
He died in 1981 at the age of 72.

Jennie Stevens was the younger of two daughters born to Thomas “Perry” & Sadie (Sturdy) Stevens.
She graduated from Lawrence Business College and Baker University and then taught schools in Douglas and Franklin counties.
She married Kermit Laughlin (class of 1928) in 1935 and they lived in Dallas, Texas. They had two children, Susan and Jay. She died in 1971 at the age of 62.

Ruth Sturdy was the fourth of five children born to George Franklin & Ida (Rodgers) Sturdy. She was raised in the Coal Creek school district.
She was a registered nurse. She married Tom Greenlaw and they lived in Watsonville, California where they had one daughter.
She died in 1971 at the age of 61.

05/22/2026

Please note: No Memorial Day service is planned at the Vinland Cemetery this year.
Memorial Day is a good time to donate to the Vinland Cemetery Association to enable continued upkeep of our loved ones’ resting places. The cemetery has no dedicated funding and relies on memorials and donations to cover expenses including regular mowing. And, the rising cost of gas is cutting into the cemetery’s savings.
Board members and volunteers will be on site at the cemetery this Saturday and Sunday and can accept your donations.
Or, donations can be mailed to Vinland Cemetery Association, c/o Cyndi Olsson Phillips, 772 E. 1750 Road, Baldwin City KS 66006.

03/31/2026

The Vinland Cemetery Association seeks volunteers to help with this year's spring cleanup to get ready for mowing season.
Saturday, April 11, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Please bring snipers, pruners, saws, shovels and garden carts, if available.
Questions? Contact Stan at [email protected].
Thank you for your support!

03/02/2026

03/01/2026

All are invited to attend the Vinland Cemetery Association’s annual meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, in the basement of Vinland Valley Community Church, 1724 N. 692 Rd. Cemetery lot owners are entitled to vote.
Questions or concerns may be presented to the Cemetery Board at this time, or anytime by mail to Denny Johnson, Treasurer, 1855 N. 700 Rd., Baldwin City, KS 66006.

01/24/2026

The Tom Chapman farm in this historical piece researched and written by Judy M. Sweets was located about 1.5 miles southeast of where Vinland is now located.
The Chapman/Roe families were from Canada and came to the Kansas Territory in 1855, among the first white families to settle the area then known as Coal Creek.
Three of the Roe children married Chapman siblings. After the death of the father, William Chapman, in 1859, his widow Ellen Chapman married the widowed Roe patriarch, John Roe.
John Roe died in 1883 and his obituary reads: “Coming to Kansas in her darkest hours, when the struggle between freedom and slavery had been transferred from the halls of congress to the plains of Kansas, he gave to the cause of freedom an unwavering support, contributing largely by counsel, example and by his means towards making Kansas a free state. Living near one of the stations of the underground railroad, many a fugitive from slavery, when fleeing from oppression, has been helped forward to freedom by him and his descendants.”