January 29, 2014
The cornerstone of the Kansas state capitol building was laid in 1866 and the building was completed in 1903. The renovation of the building took thirteen years and on this Kansas Day* the building would be dedicated. Evidently, it was never dedicated back in 1903 (something about the embarrassment of how long it took to build and how much it cost) so this would be a chance to do things right and proper.
* Kansas became a state on January 29,1861.
Kansas
For this iteration, the copper has been coated, so it won't ever turn green as it once was. I suppose in a hundred years we'll know how that works out.
Lots of Kansas dignitaries were there in addition to most of the legislators. The local television stations had their crews setting up.
After several speakers, the governor closed out the ceremony...
...And then we all sang "Home on the Range", the Kansas state song. Quite a few cakes were ready to be cut.
Murals on the walls.
Looking up at the dome.
They did a terrific job with this restoration.
What? More cake? Very well; yes, I'll have some. Thank you.
John Steuart Curry's "Tragic Prelude." That's John Brown holding a rifle and a bible.
The governor's office. More cake and cookies?
A local school chorus.
This John Curry mural was criticized for the cow being "not quite right." Poor Curry received so much criticism from legislators that he refused to sign his work, and did not complete all the planned murals (a huge loss to Kansas and the art world).
The house of representatives.
The senate chambers.
A guest room with a wash basin in the corner.
The capitol library.
The basement has quite a few artifacts.
Actual voting slips used when the issue of including (or not including) the acceptance of slavery into the Kansas constitution was being decided. Kansas entered the union as a free state.
