by Rose Ann Findlen (Author)
This first, comprehensive, book-length biography of Kansas City pioneer, Mattie Lykins Bingham, makes available two never-before published portraits, extensive use of rarely viewed excerpts from her scrapbook and her journal, "Recollections of Old Times in Kansas City," written between 1883-1890.
Author Biography
Rose Ann Findlen grew up on a farm in the Missouri-Kansas Borderland hardly aware of the rich heritage right at her doorstep. Following her graduation from Northwest Missouri State University, she moved to Lawrence, Kansas, to pursue graduate study at the University of Kansas. There she had her first glimpse of the border conflicts between Missouri and Kansas pioneers which so deeply marked their descendants' cultural values for generations to come. Following careers in higher education teaching and administration, she turned to writing. Through her research on the people and events described in Borderland Families Always On the Edge, Findlen first became acquainted with the intrepid Kansas City pioneer, Martha "Mattie" Lykins Bingham, and admired her compassion, tenacity and courage. Here was a woman worthy of memorializing! David W. Jackson, archivist for the Jackson County Historical Society, agreed and so their collaboration began on bringing Mattie to life through this biography, Missouri Star.