Near Belle Plaine in Sumner County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Wheat Capital of the World
| — | Tour the Turnpike - Belle Plaine | — |
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 2, 2016
1. Wheat Capital of the World Marker
Wheat Capital of the World
Tour the Turnpike
Belle Plaine
Like waves across an ocean of grain, wind ripples through acre after acre of wheat in Sumner County. This area produces more hard red winter wheat than any other in the United States.
Mennonites who emigrated from Europe in the 1870's planted the first crops of wheat while isolated in the vast, open spaces of the grasslands.
The courage and persistence of the pioneers has left a legacy that continues to influence America's entire agricultural industry.
Known primarily for its production of wheat, Kansas is also a leading producer of sorghum, sunflower seeds, and corn.
West Side
Flying High
Tour the Turnpike
Belle Plaine
Kansas sometimes seems to have more sky than ground. So much sky that people walk outside and naturally look up. So much sky that it seems at times to overtake the ground. So much sky that it almost seems to invite dreamers and explorers to test the limits. - Anonymous from Bourne on the South Wind
Maybe it's because Kansas has so much sky, but once the Longren Flyer built in Tokea in 1910 proved
this page online
In the 1940s, the population of Wichita nearly doubled as 60,000 people arrived to work in the aircraft industry during World War II. The Cessna and Beech aircraft companies supported the war effort by building thousands of training planes, while Boeing played a major role in production of the B-29 Stratofortress.
Today, Kansas builds more than half of the world's general aviation aircraft through manufacturers such as Boeing, Cessna, Raytheon, Bombardier and others.
Captions: Amelia Earhart, Kansas native 1898-1937, first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic
Want to spread your wings? (Kansas map of air museums)
Erected by Kansas Turnpike Authority.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Air & Space • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location. 37° 22′ N, 97° 19.349′ W. Marker is near Belle Plaine, Kansas, in Sumner County. It can be reached from Interstate 35 (Interstate 35 at milepost 26), in the median. Located in the Kansas Travel Information Center Rest Area
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 2, 2016
2. Marker located in Turnpike rest area.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Kansas and in Greater Wichita. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Chisholm Trail in Sumner County (here, next to this marker); Bronze Field Guns (approx. 8.1 miles away); Garrett Homestead (approx. 12 miles away); El Paso Cemetery (approx. 12˝ miles away); Arkansas River Crossing (approx. 12˝ miles away); Lauber Farm & Silo (approx. 12.6 miles away); El Paso Business District (approx. 12.7 miles away); Derby Public School & Museum (approx. 12.7 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 10, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,035 times since then and 92 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 10, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of the marker's west side, entitled "High Flying". • Can you help?
