03/19/2026
Across Kansas in 1935, drought conditions forced farmers to watch the skies carefully for signs of rain. In the middle of a dry field, one farmer pauses from his work and rests both hands on the top of his shovel. Above him, clouds drift slowly across the wide prairie sky. The soil beneath his boots remains cracked and pale from months without moisture. Farmers often studied the movement of clouds with cautious hope. A single rainstorm could bring relief to crops struggling under the long stretch of dry weather.