It was preceded by an organization known as the Veteran Brotherhood (and Union Brotherhood), State of Kansas organized in December 1865.
The Department of Kansas was permanently reorganized on March 16, 1880, after several years of disorganization.
The first statewide encampment was held in Topeka in 1882.
The last state encampment was held in Emporia in 1943.
[1] Over 28,000 Civil War veterans lived in Kansas after 1865; the overwhelming number of these men were Union veterans.