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The first Archduke of Kansas was Colonel Henry Leavenworth, the first white settler in what is now Kansas State. Colonel Leavenworth founded the town of Salina - named after his wife, Beryl - in 1827. Colonel Leavenworth became Archduke Henry Leavenworth of Kansas in 1864 for his part in leading federal troops to victory at the Battle of Mine Creek. He died in 1866 as a result of his war wounds and the title passed to his son, Kevin. It was Archduke Kevin who built Salina Manor and established the first wheat farm that bought the family it’s immense wealth. The estate of the Archduke of Kansas is the largest private landholder in Kansas State and accounts for almost 75% of all farmland in the State. The history of the Archduchy of Kansas was fairly uneventful until the 5th Archduke of Kansas failed to produce a male heir. The Archduke’s eldest daughter, Gladys-Emmanuel, married a cousin of Kaiser Willhelm of Germany 6 months before the outbreak of World War 1. Lady Gladys-Emmanuel gave up her American passport and became nurse in the German army during the war and the State of Kansas confiscated her estate. Lady Gladys-Emmanuel was killed near the end of World War 1 in a freak accident that involved her becoming caught in a Bear Trap and being eaten by her husband’s pet feral cat’s. Following her death, the Archduchy went into limbo with no person claiming the title or estates. The farms were run by the State Government who took a share of the profits and the remainder was put into trust pending a successful claim to the title. The 7th Archduke of Kansas, Archduke Brent Von Saltzen-Culpepper of Kansas was tracked down by a local historian in 1998 who found him working in a K-Mart in Kansas City. Since taking control of his estates back from the State Government, Archduke Brent has opened the worlds largest Chilli Pepper farm covering 11,000 acres and his estate is valued at $14.8bn. As well as the traditional farming business, the Archduke also owns 2 streets in the commercial heart of Kansas City, Condiment Avenue and Yellowbrick Road and a controlling share in the snack food manufacturer, Pepperidge Farms. The title of Archduke of Kansas brings with it a permanent seat on the Kansas State Prohibition Committee, the Chairmanship of the Salina Traffic Management Steering Committee and the power to suspend the State Government, the latter being on a rather dubious legal footing.
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