In north-central Kansas, where woodlands are sparse and prairies expansive, rows of creamy-buff, brown-striped stone fence posts grace the landscape. These stately posts are shaped from the native rock known as Fencepost limestone, or simply post rock. Now tourist attractions, the posts are also regional trademarks that bespeak the resourcefulness of early Kansas settlers.

Land of the Post Rock is a story of north-central Kansas and its people, and their relationship to the post rock. The authors weave together regional geology, geography, and economics with local history and...