LETTERS & DIARIES COLLECTION
The museum collection spans from 1875 to present, and contains more than 115,000 objects. The early collecting focus was on pioneers, items associated with famous Kansans, relics, curiosities, and the Civil war. That focus changed to represent the everyday lives of all Kansans. The ethnographic collection represents items from the region.
Object Collection
Gus Bellport Saddle
Gus Bellport was a Kansas cowboy and rancher who spent a lot of time on the trail. Bellport operated a livery business, sheltering horses for people like William “Buffalo Bill” Cody.
He raised cattle and sold beef to General George Custer, he was involved in the Cherokee Strip Land Rush.
He was hired by the army to supply forts from Kansas to Montana. He delivered merchandise during the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty in 1867. He herded cattle from Texas back to the North.
He purchased this saddle in San Antonio, Texas, in 1867 while on a cattle herding trip. It features wooden stirrups and wooden saddle tree covered in rawhide and leather, with diagonal tooling. The Texas-style saddle was made durable for the trail with double rig structure, long flank cinch mounted to steel-D-ring, and wide adjustable fenders on both sides.
Kansas Memory
Find samples in our online digital archives
How to Access This Collection
Kansas Memory, our online digital archives, contains more than 23,000 photographs from the collections. New entries are continually being added.
These collections are not open to the general public. Researchers can access the collections through scheduled appointments. Please use this request form.
Find descriptions of the object collection in the Museum Catalog.
No online catalog is available for the ethnographic collection.
How to Purchase Images of Items in This Collection
Prints of most digitized objects in our collection can be purchased.
Please use this online order form.
How to Donate to This Collection
We appreciate the donation of objects to the collections that reflect the history of Kansas from early to current days. We are unable to provide appraisals. This form can be used to provide information about an item to be considered for donation.
