Instructor: Tom Schmiedeler

Tom Schmiedeler
Biography:

Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler is professor emeritus of geography at Washburn University where he taught a variety of geography courses including Kansas Geography, Geography of Europe and World Regional Geography. He was the director of Washburn's Center for Kansas Studies. He has master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Kansas and has published widely on historical geography topics particularly frontier urban planning. He has also researched a variety of topics in European geography, particularly the geography of Scotland.


Classes by this instructor


The Small Town in Kansas: The Interminable Struggle for Survival
The historical geography of small towns reveals that their struggles for economic viability began shortly after settlement. Climatic misconceptions, ineffectual land alienation laws, and the townsite activities of railroads led to over settlement and too many towns. The platting of new towns continued despite depopulation and the abandonment of rail lines. We'll explore the various survival strategies implemented.

Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of geography at Washburn University.

April 21, 2025 to May 5, 2025, Tallgrass Creek Retirement Community In Person
The Small Town in Kansas: The Interminable Struggle for Survival Tallgrass Residents
The historical geography of small towns reveals that their struggles for economic viability began shortly after settlement. Climatic misconceptions, ineffectual land alienation laws, and the townsite activities of railroads led to over settlement and too many towns. The platting of new towns continued despite depopulation and the abandonment of rail lines. We'll explore the various survival strategies implemented.

Instructor Bio: Tom Schmiedeler, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of geography at Washburn University.

April 21, 2025 to May 5, 2025, Tallgrass Creek Retirement Community In Person