History

White Castle founders Walt Anderson and Billy Ingram stand next to two automobiles outside of White Castle number 10, located at 318 West Douglas Avenue in Wichita, Kansas. The sign on the building reads: "White Castle System, Inc. No. 10 - Hamburger - Buy 'em by the sack 5¢ Anderson and Ingram." Two employees can be seen posing in the window, which advertises "Good coffee 5¢ Cold drinks."

White Castle Didn’t Just Invent Sliders. The Kansas Chain Created a Playbook for American Fast Food

White Castle began in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, where its ingenious small hamburgers kicked off a national craze and inspired imitators of all shapes and sizes.

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A woman wearing a striped shirt over an orange long sleeve shirt poses in an art gallery setting. Shai Perry is gallery coordinator at the Kansas City Kansas Community College. She is also an artist and is from Tennessee. Photo by Vicky Diaz-Camacho for Flatland.

Black Appalachian Artists Showcased in Kansas City

“Holler If You See Me: Black Appalachia” is on display at Kansas City Kansas Community College until March 31. Artists explored motifs such as identity, displacement, loss and empowerment.

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Landon Laird on the set of “The Buccaneer” with Cecil B. DeMille and, on right, Louise Campbell and Margot Grahame in 1937.

Landon Laird: Remembering Kansas City’s First Film Critic 

Landon Laird served as the Kansas City Star’s film critic for decades, offering a unique local connection to Hollywood.

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Photo of John Lange, the namesake of Kansas City, Missouri's first hospital for African Americans.

Passing the Baton | Sonny Gibson’s Pursuit of Local Black History

Sonny Gibson, a historian and author, has been doggedly documenting the forgotten history of Black Kansas City for decades.

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woman sits in front of a blue background. She has a coffee cup that reads "Kansas City PBS" and a stack of books with a plant next to here.

Q&A with ‘Preserving Our Past’ Producer Catherine Hoffman 

Kansas City PBS producer Catherine Hoffman discusses the process behind the new film, “Preserving Our Past: The Story Continues.”

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Alvin Brooks and members of the AdHoc Group Against Crime.

Passing the Baton | Alvin Brooks on Connecting the Black Community With Police

Alvin Brooks shares the story behind the creation of the AdHoc Group Against Crime, part of the “Passing the Baton” series.

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Hand holding a piece of stained glass window with the name John A McAfee on it.

A 116-Year-Old Memorial Was Stolen, Then Returned, to a Historic Black Church

On Jan. 21, a 116-year-old memorial was taken from Parkville’s historic Black church. A week later, it was returned. This is how the community reacted.

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Jackson Montemayor, Samantha Hake, Adolphus Parker III, Funmi Ogunro, Catherine Hoffman, Sharon Liese, Matthew Parker, Sedoria Parker, Katrina Parker, Ashleigh Parker and Cameron Parker of "Parker" attend the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Program 1 at Prospector Square Theatre Jan. 19 in Park City, Utah.

What’s in a Name? KC Film Documents ‘Black Joy,’ Premieres at Sundance Film Festival

A locally produced film, “Parker,” explores a Black family’s decision to reclaim their name. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

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Image: Martin Luther King Jr. hangs his head with a cigarette hanging in his right hand (left) and Andrew Young in 1966 at the Montgomery, Ala., airport. Credit: Bob Fitch, Stanford University Libraries, Department of Special Collections

A Review of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Impact on Kansas City

Each year, Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy is observed. These are Flatland’s stories in remembrance.

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National WWI Memorial

National WWI Museum and Memorial Curator’s Career in 10 Objects

After close to 33 years as curator at the National WWI Museum and Memorial, some artifacts remain proven conversation pieces for Doran Cart.

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