PROMOTING KANSAS' MINERAL INDUSTRIES IN 1945
"Thar's gold in them thar hills!"
Well, there's not too much gold in Kansas hills. But there are valuable mineral resources in our state which have been sought after for many years. Often overshadowed by golden wheat fields the Kansas Industrial Development Commission promoted Kansas as a mineral producing state in a 1945 publication, "Wealth in Depth: The Minerals of Kansas."
The introduction of this 48 page booklet states:
"Kansas is generally recognized as an agricultural state, a statement founded on fact; however, raw materials not classified as agricultural have made a notable contribution to the state's economy. Since the time of early statehood their importance has steadily increased with every indication that maximum values will continue to advance for a considerable period. These nonagricultural products, the state's minerals, fall into three general classifications: heat energy sources, metallics, and non-metallics. Any one of these in the quantities present in Kansas would be valuable to the economy of a state but when all three are present in commercial quantities the state takes its place as a leader among the mineral producers of the nation."
The booklet contains information on minerals such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, zinc, lead, aluminum, magnesium, iron pigments, pyrite, salt, gypsum, stone, clay, volcanic ash, sand, gravel, diatomaceous marl, helium, bentonite, etc etc...
Each mineral gets a short summary giving its location, use, production and harvesting techniques. It's an easy read and has maps and great graphics.
You can view this publication within the virtual hallowed halls of the State Library of Kansas' KGI Online Library here:
Wealth in Depth
The Minerals of Kansas
1945