In the process of my passing the wabash cannonball on to you, we might enjoy a little railroad history together, perhaps a sort of baseball story, and even a bit of economic history from the 1890s. With a history like no other, and a firm grasp on tradition, the wabash cannonball may be known as a second fight song to the k state contingent. Welcome to the proudest tradition in kansas state sports. Kansas state university band playing wabash canonball. What was the only piece of music to survive a fire on the campus in 1968. The corporate saga of the wabash involved the efforts of strongwilled and creative leaders, but this book provides more than traditional business history. This is the official facebook page for the kansas state history website located at. Traveling through the jungle on the wabash cannonball. Composed in 1933 as a folk ballad saluting the nations railriding hobos, wabash cannonball was first performed for an athletic event at k state on december 16, 1968. Primarily focused on ncaa football, discussion is welcome on any collegiate league, teams, and players. Written to enlighten general readers within and well beyond the state s borders, it offers coverage not found in previous histories. When nichols gym burned in december 1968, the fire destroyed most of the kstate bands instruments and sheet music. With a history like no other, and a firm grasp on tradition, the wabash cannonball may be known as a second fight song to the kstate contingent.
The only music that survived was the wabash cannonball, which the band used to pump up a home. That included a piece of music titled the wabash cannonball. Espn names kansas states wabash cannonball best pregame. In the end, the prr largely stayed out of wabash affairs enabling its prominent rise into an important and profitable midwestern bridge line. Cannonball green, the cannonball stage line connected the railroad to towns across southwestern kansas and into the untamed red lands of oklahoma. Kstates second fight song is a staple of the game day experience, complete. A student claps while turning first to the left, and then the right, then bobs his or her torso forward. In his legendary tome art of war, ancient chinese military general sun tzu said a successful army must know its enemies. Kansas state university students, fans and alumni have been doing the wabash cannonball at athletic events and university gatherings for decades. Jun 10, 2014 explore niki1970s board kansas state emaw. First leadership team meeting for our 2020 season is in the books. The name of this legendary train became famous with the 1904 revision of an 1882 song about the great rock island route.
Wabash cannonball by the kansas state pride of wildcatland. Jun 08, 2016 heres a story just about every kansas state football fan will agree with. It was the only piece of sheet music rescued from the ksu music department in the nichols hall fire of 1968, 10 and grew in popularity with students and fans. Espn college football writers think the wabash cannonball is the best pregame tradition in the big 12. Yet the name was never borne by a real train until the wabash railroad christened its detroitst. The wabash cannonball has played a vital part in kstate spirit, dating back to december 1968 when. According to the kstate marching bands history, the tradition dates to 1968 when the wabash cannonball was the only piece of sheet music to survive a building fire. Nevertheless, i shall press onward, because the state of scholarship on cannonball is not adequate, at least so far as i can find. Kansas history the history of kansas state the us50. If you are from indiana, you might know wabash cannonball because of its reference to a wellknown river in the hoosier state. Official twitter account for the kansas state marching band.
They were followed for centuries by many different tribes making the history of kansas entwined with the first americans. Top secret drum corps of basel meets the blue devil percussion team of concorde california duration. Written to enlighten general readers within and well beyond the states borders, it offers coverage not found in previous histories. Hidden history of kansas by adrian zink, soldiers in the army of freedom. The wabash cannonball, a rollicking brassheavy rendition of a folk song that dates back to the early 1900s. Manhattan native tom bookwalter, in cooperation with head coach bill snyder. Apr 4, 2019 proudly showcasing kansas state universitys rich history and beautiful. The wabash railroad reporting mark wab was a class i railroad that operated in the midcentral united states. See more ideas about kansas state university, kansas and kansas state wildcats.
The ring tells the story of kstate and connects students and alumni. The name wabash railroad or wabash railway may refer to various corporate entities formed over the years using one or the other of these two names. Kansas state university, comic books, comics, cover, fictional characters. It was also used as the theme song by the uss wabash aor5.
Hear the mighty rush of the engine hear those lonesome hoboes call. The wabash cannonball arranged by joel leach is known as the unofficial second fight song of kansas state university, having been played since the late 1960s. Title wabash cannonball, the contributor names todd, charles l. In 2016 the wabash cannonball was recognized by espn as the. Kansas state band plays wabash cannonball after pickup.
Heres a story just about every kansas state football fan will agree with. Sep 20, 2016 kansas state university band playing wabash canonball. Tom bookwalter, a native of summerfield, kansas, created the new contemporary logo. It celebrates a train that went past my house at the southern edge of decatur, illinois, throughout my childhood. Wabash cannonball a proud tradition for kansas state. Historians have reported that native americans were living in kansas as early as 12,000 b. Since then, the kansas state marching band, also known as the. As she glides along the woodland oer the hills and by the shore. On october 26 and 27, 20, fort wayne railroad historical societys nickel plate. The new train, containing four dome cars in its sixcar consist, was put into service and offered passengers a new view of wabash railroad territory. The kstate marching band is stepping up its efforts to stop the vulgar chant thats broken out sporadically during its performances of one of the schools traditional pep songs, wabash. A group of kstate students have gone viral for playing the wabash cannonball in the back of a pickup truck on the side of the road after they. Cannonball stage route legends of kansas history, tales.
The great rock island route, also known as wabash cannonball, is the title of an american. Its first documented appearance was on sheet music published in 1882, titled the great rock island route and credited to j. Names combining several different indexes of kansas names. Bill snyder puts an end to ksus fuck ku chant during the. The version hewett had, according to lindemuths story, was. Apr 4, 2019 proudly showcasing kansas state universitys rich history and.
Kstate band members whip out instruments and play wabash. Operated by a flamboyant and colorful man named donald r. Visit our ebay store to view other books of interest. The first railroad to use only wabash and no other city in its name was the wabash railway in january 1877 which was a rename of the toledo, wabash and western railway formed on july 1, 1865. Kansas state fight song football season opens in less than 2 weeks. It served a large area, including track in the states of ohio, indiana, illinois, iowa, michigan, and missouri and the province of ontario. Follow the flag offers the first authoritative history of the wabash railroad company, a once vital interregional carrier. Sep, 2019 the kstate marching band is stepping up its efforts to stop the vulgar chant thats broken out sporadically during its performances of one of the schools traditional pep songs, wabash.
The first wabash cannonball gala took place in kansas city in 2007 and since that time the black tie event has expanded to include colorado, houston, texas. It marked the first time in history that dome cars were used between st. When i spotted an article titled wabash cannonball. The term purple pride, which is often used in association with ksu athletics, was. The wabashs major freight traffic advantage was the direct line from kansas city to detroit, without going through st. Currently kansas state is the prime contributing player of the song and most noted with big 12 fans and spectators. Kstate band urges fans to stop the chant during wabash. The black tie gala is always a grand time for wildcats. Aug 02, 2012 student section doing the wabash cannonball pregame. Excelsior springs wabash bbq draws on its tie to railroad. The wabash cannonball is an american folk song about a fictional train, thought to have originated in the late nineteenth century. Check out wabash cannonball by the kansas state pride of wildcatland marching band on amazon music. This textbook written for a seventh grade audience by jennie chinn, kansas historical society executive director, is tied directly to kansas social studies standards.
The birth of the wabash cannonball kstate collegian. Seven gold awards for the kstate global campus always on, always there commercial. Shanklin travels as dean of kansas state universitys graduate school, its not unusual for her to return with a large stack of business cards each card representing a connection shes made with a kstate alumnus during her trip. The video was posted this past weekend by band member trace woods. Bill snyder puts an end to ksus fuck ku chant during. Green started his first stage service in kingman, kansas in 1876, which initially ran through pratt to coldwater and later to greensburg, a town he helped found in 1886 and was named for him. The andreas history of the state of kansas cutler, wm. It was the only piece of sheet music rescued from the ksu music department in the nichols hall fire of 1968, and grew in popularity with students and fans. The program draws its name from the wellloved song wabash cannonball, and this years events will commemorate the 50th anniversary of a significant event in wabash cannonball history. A cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. Most of us know the story of how the song became a staple of the bands repertoire, but here it is again, from the kansas state bands website. On the wabash cannonball if you lived through the great depression, you might remember the wabash cannonball as one of the countrys most resonant songs from that era a spirited ballad about a legendary locomotive. State university, kansas state wildcats, best university, wabash cannonball. Since 1953 the wabash railroad has been considered 100% dieselized for both freight and passenger service.
The dustbowl balladeers grand coulee dam one of several songs he wrote about the largest concrete structure in the united states is a rework of the wabash cannonball. Kstate alumni centers wildcat statue and ksu obelisk. Kansas cityarea kstaters turn out for the wabash cannonball gala event each year to raise money for area high school students who plan to attend k state. Kansas state universityfootball programretrohistoryvintage logossports. Student section doing the wabash cannonball pregame. Tracing its roots back through decades of kstate athletics history, fans are. Wabash cannonball is a lighthearted yet serious countrymusic song. Wabash cannonball, the contributor names todd, charles l. The first wabash cannonball gala took place in kansas city in 2007 and since that time the black tie event has expanded to include colorado, houston, texas, and the north texasarea.
Austin state university lumberjack marching band, the kansas state university marching band, the university of texas longhorn band, and of the indiana state university marching sycamores, as isu is close to the wabash river. Johnny cash wabash cannonball the wabash cannonball is an american folk song about a fictional train, thought to have originated in the late nineteenth century. It earned pop culture status thanks to the folk song the wabash cannonball which eventually led to a train of the same name and flew a legendary logo with the slogan, follow the flag. Wabash cannonball the kansas state pride of wildcatland marching band gameday faves. It started in 1968, when a fire roared through the universitys nichols hall, destroying nearly all of the marching bands sheet music. The kansas historical society offers a number of indexes that can aid in tracing family history as well as other research projects.
They were followed for centuries by many different tribes making the. When nichols gym burned in december 1968, the fire destroyed most. The history of the sunflower state is the first new state history to appear in over twentyfive years and the most thoroughly researched ever published. Its corporate history was a rollercoaster affair of prosperity and struggle. Well carry him home to dixie on the wabash cannonball. Places including counties, townships, dead towns, post offices, cemeteries. While it was only a midwestern bridge line the wabash railroad carried a fascinating heritage.
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