28 June 2023
WINFIELD, Kan. (KSNW) — A couple of weeks ago, KSN packed up our cars and hit the road to take a tour across the state. An author from Goodland has been crisscrossing the state since mid-April, giving historical Kansas presentations and sharing Kansas secrets.
Roxie Yonkey, whose social media moniker is Roxie On The Road, has visited every corner of the Sunflower State to promote her latest book, “Secret Kansas – A Guide To The Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.” She’s also written, “100 Things To Do In Kansas Before You Die“. It’s more of a bucket list, and “Secret Kansas” accompanies it as a reference.
“Secret Kansas – A Guide To The Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” by Roxie Yonkey (KSN Photo)
100 Things To Do In Kansas Before You Die” by Roxie Yonkey (KSN Photo)
KSN caught up with Roxie On The Road Tuesday night in Winfield.
Inside the Winfield Public Library, Roxie On The Road is ready to educate and inspire.
“Oh my gosh, I’ve lost track of how many stops I’ve made on my book tour,” she said.
Her presentation begins with what the history of and the singing of “Home On The Range.” The song is followed by its back story and the Home On The Range Cabin near Smith Center.
Then she gets into her new book, which begins with the story of Father Emil Kapaun.
“What more rare and wonderful can you get than a man who is a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and on the path to become a saint,” asked Roxie.
Yonkey enjoys finding little stories that most people don’t know about.
“Well, I learned that a 13-year-old kid from Cherryvale named Frank Bellamy wrote the Pledge of Allegiance, and a man named Francis Bellamy stole the authorship credit,” she said.
“Secret Kansas” is packed with so many origin stories. Did you know mentholatum was born in Wichita?
“Yeah, who knew? I didn’t know that,” admitted Roxie.
A few more highlights from “Secret Kansas”. Roxie includes stories about such things as a huge mural on a grain elevator here in Wichita. Titled “The Original Dream,” by Armando Minjarez, it’s in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest acrylic mural painted by a single artist.
Just down the river from the Keeper of the Plains is a seven-foot-tall troll caged below a metal grate. It’s located on a sidewalk across the Arkansas River from Exploration Place.
“Like here’s this troll. When I got to ‘Secret Kansas’, what is more, secret than a sculpture underneath the ground, and you can only see it through a grate, and nobody really tells you where he is,” said Roxie.
Then there’s the story of Great Bend’s Jack Kilby, who is credited with inventing the integrated circuit, or the microchip.
“Yeah, changed the world,” said Roxie.
So, what is so inspiring about Kansas?
“Well, Kansas is kind of like an onion. You’ve got the onion. You peel off the paper, and you keep peeling. There’s more and more and more and more layers. Now, sometimes they make you cry. Sometimes Kansas makes you cry from tears of joy. KU wins again? Or sadness? Tornadoes, grasshopper plagues, drought, Bleeding Kansas, you name it. We’ve had it. But we still power through. Ad Astra per Aspera,” said Roxie.
Roxie has three more books on deck. “Historic Kansas Roadsides” will be out in October. “Amazing Kansas” is due next April. She’s also planning to write a book about 34 Kansas Women. Why 34? Kansas was the 34th state to enter the Union, and Dwight D. Eisenhower was our 34th U.S. President.
You can follow Roxie and read more of her stories online at roxieontheroad.com. You can also shop for her books on the website under the “Boutique Shop” tab.