A Journey into Hidden History of Kansas

Introduced by Jeff Chapman

Kansas’ storied past is filled with fascinating firsts, humorous coincidences and intriguing characters. Author and historian Adrian Zink digs deep into the Sunflower State’s history to reveal such hidden and overlooked stories as a prank leading to the first woman mayor elected in America, the invention of a dangerous game of automobile polo and the strange tale of the man that shot John Wilkes Booth...and his connection to Kansas.

Adrian Zink is a native Kansan who has worked in the history profession for over fifteen years at a variety of museums, universities, archives and historic sites. Born and raised in Larned, he holds bachelor of arts degrees in history and political science from the University of Kansas, a master’s of library science from the University of Maryland and a master’s in history from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He currently works at the National Archives–Kansas City. He has previously worked at the Kansas Historical Society, UW–Milwaukee Archives, the National Press Club Library and Archives in Washington, D.C., and at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum. Adrian and his two children live in Overland Park, Kansas. His published works include Hidden History of Kansas and Wicked Kansas.