Editing Wabaunsee County, Kansas (section)

===20th century===
A massive drought beginning in 1930 resulted in a series of [[dust storm]]s that lasted until 1941. The drought combined with the onset of the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]], forced farmers off the land. This ecological disaster caused an exodus of many farmers to escape from the hostile environment of Kansas.<ref>Timothy Eagan, ''The Worst Hard Tim : the Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl'' (Houghton Mifflin, 2006)</ref><ref>Craig Miner,''Next Year Country: Dust to Dust in Western Kansas, 1890-1940'' (2007)</ref> As the world demand for wheat plummeted, rural Kansas became poverty-stricken. The state became an eager participant in such major New Deal relief programs as the [[Civil Works Administration]], the [[Federal Emergency Relief Administration]], the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]], the [[Works Progress Administration]], which put tens of thousands of Kansans to work as unskilled labor.<ref>Peter Fearon, "Kansas History and the New Deal Era," ''Kansas History,'' Autumn 2007, Vol. 30 Issue 3, pp 192-223</ref> Republican Governor [[Alf Landon]] also employed emergency measures, including a moratorium on mortgage foreclosures and a balanced budget initiative.<ref>Donald R. McCoy, ''Landon of Kansas'' (1966)</ref> The [[Agricultural Adjustment Administration]] succeeded in raising wheat prices after 1933, thus alleviating the most serious distress.<ref>Peter Fearon, "Regulation and Response: Kansas Wheat Farmers and the New Deal," ''Rural History,'' Oct 2007, Vol. 18 Issue 2, pp 245-264</ref>

During World War II, the U.S. Army located a German prisoner of war camp at [[Lake Wabaunsee]], near Eskridge. It was believed that the prisoners would be less of a security risk in North America, where there were fewer Nazi sympathizers, than they would be in Europe. The prisoners were paid $0.40 per hour and granted a daily noon lunch, in exchange for their help on farms and bridges throughout the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lakewabaunsee.com/german-powwii-camp|title=Lake Wabaunsee|website=Lake Wabaunsee|access-date=September 12, 2017}}</ref>