The Quivira Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association will host John Burchill for a presentation and discussion of “People, Places, and Politics in 1800s Kansas,” at 7p.m. on Aug. 24, at the Barton County Historical Society Museum, 85 S. Highway 281, Great Bend. The program is made possible by Humanities Kansas and is free to attend.

Pioneer James R. Mead was a man of his times. Interested in commerce, politics and conservation, he settled in the Kansas Territory in the 1850s. Known now as one of Wichita’s founding fathers, Mead was also influential as a trails outfitter, statesman, and railroad booster. What can be learned from Mead’s influence on the state’s early development?

John Burchill is a Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice at Kansas Wesleyan University. He authored the book Bullets, Badges, and Bridles – Horse Thieves and the Societies That Pursued Them. He has master’s degrees in criminal justice and from Wichita State University and in Rehabilitation Counseling from Emporia State University.

“People, Places, and Politics in the 1800s Kansas” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.