Here is a letter I received this week:

Hi Eric -- Since your next column will be on Kansas Day, would you please have an informative column about the state of Kansas? It would be nice if it was an annual column for Kansas Day each year. Thank you, A Reader.

The following is an updated column that ran in late January 2008.

Let's start with it, and if you can think of any other specific questions, we can rework it each year.

Here are some questions:

What is the meaning of the word "Kansas"?

Apparently, the Kansas River was named much earlier by French explorers and when the Kansas-Nebraska Act was being penned in 1854, the author of the legislation, Sen. Stephen Douglas of Illinois, needed a name for part of the new territory and simply used the name of the river that was on a map.

Some historians believe "Kansas" means "winds" or "wind people" from the language of the Kaw tribe who lived in the region. One historian, George Morehouse, contended it is from the Spanish words cansar ("to molest or harass') or cansado ("troublesome fellow") but I have no idea why. There is a great little book in our collection called "1001 Kansas Place Names" you should check out.

Was the state Capitol always in Topeka?

Topeka has been the capitol since Jan. 29, 1861. However, there were several territorial capitols in the seven years of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, including Fort Leavenworth, Shawnee Mission, Pawnee, Lecompton, Minneola and Lawrence.

What are the highest and lowest elevations in Kansas?

Highest: Mount Sunflower in western Kansas at 4,039 feet. Lowest: Verdigris River in southeast Kansas at 680 feet.

Who was the first governor of Kansas? How many governors have there been for Kansas?

The first governor of the state was Lawrence physician Charles Robinson, who served from 1861 to 1863. Mark Parkinson is the 45th governor of the state. There were also 10 territorial governors.

The state flower, insect, bird -- is there a reason why these were chosen?

A portion of the 1903 legislation that officially made the sunflower the state flower reads, "This flower has to all Kansans a historic symbolism which speaks of frontier days, winding trails, pathless prairies, and is full of the life and glory of the past, the pride of the present, and richly emblematic of the majesty of a golden future."

Kansas students chose the western meadowlark for the state bird during a contest by the Audubon society in 1925, and the honeybee became the state insect in 1976 after fifth-grade students in Coffeyville suggested it to the Legislature.

Also the Kansas seal -- is there a story or representation from the picture and motto?

This should be a column of its own. The whole scene is indicative of the very nature of this region and the people who call this part of the world home.

As for the state motto, "Ad astra per aspera" ("to the stars through difficulties"), it "refers not only to the pioneering spirit of the early settlers, but also the difficult times Kansas went through before becoming a state. The anti-slavery forces and slavery proponents waged battles in the electoral process as well as on the battle field. Kansas earned the nickname 'Bloody Kansas' because of the war regarding slavery, much of which was fought on Kansas' soil."

The quote is from the office of the governor's Web site (www.governor.ks.gov).

Eric Norris is the adult department librarian at the Hays Public Library. "Ask Eric" questions can be mailed to 1205 Main, Hays, KS, 67601, submitted through www.hayspublib.org at the "Ask Eric" link or e-mailed to enorris@hayspublib.org.