Home on the Range

This article is about the song. For other uses, see Home on the Range (disambiguation).
"Home on the Range"
Song
GenreWestern folk song
Composer(s)Daniel E. Kelley
Lyricist(s)Brewster M. Higley
Home on the Range
Regional anthem of Kansas
LyricsBrewster M. Higley
MusicDaniel E. Kelley
Publishedbefore 1874
AdoptedJune 30, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-06-30)
Home on the Range
Fight song anthem of The University of Kansas
LyricsBrewster M. Higley
MusicDaniel E. Kelley
Publishedbefore 1874
AdoptedMarch 21, 1950; 74 years ago (1950-03-21)

"Home on the Range" (Roud No. 3599) is an American folk song, sometimes called the "unofficial anthem" of the American West.[1] Dr. Brewster M. Higley (also spelled Highley)[2][3] of Smith County, Kansas, wrote the lyrics as the poem "My Western Home" in 1872 or 1873,[4][5][6][7][8] with at least one source indicating it was written as early as 1871.[1]

On June 30, 1947, "Home on the Range" became the Kansas state song.[9] In 2010, members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 western songs of all time.[10]

A rendition of the song is one of the seven fight songs of the University of Kansas, and is traditionally played by the Marching Jayhawks university band at the end of every home athletic event. [11]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Kansas Memory: Dan Kelley". Kansas State Historical Society. KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 212750. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  3. ^ "Kansas Memory: Dan Kelley". Kansas State Historical Association. KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 212751. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  4. ^ Nelson, William Horace (February 19, 1914). "Old Smith County Song". Smith County Pioneer (digitized microfiche image). Vol. 42, no. 21. Smith Center, KS: Nelson, Headley and Nelson. Newspapers.com image 379058668. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  5. ^ "Home on the Range - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society". Kshs.org. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  6. ^ Woertendyke, Howard P. (September 1955). "'Home on the Range' to Stay". The Rotarian. 87 (3): 40.
  7. ^ Moanfeldt, Samuel (May 1935). "Report of Samuel Moanfeldt of His Investigation [to the Music Publishers Protection Association]." Reprinted in Mechem, Kirke, "The Story of Home on the Range" (pp. 313-339), Kansas Historical Quarterly, 17(4), pp. 332-339, November 1949. https://www.kshs.org/publicat/khq/1949/1949november_mechem.pdf#page=24
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Home on the Range - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society". www.kshs.org. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  10. ^ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
  11. ^ "Sights & Sounds".