Home on the Range

"Home on the Range" is a classic western song, sometimes called the "unofficial anthem" of the American West. The lyrics were originally written by Dr. Brewster M. Higley of Smith County, Kansas in a poem entitled "My Western Home" in the early 1870s. In 1947, it became the state song of the American state of Kansas. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

History

The poem was first published in a December 1873 issue of the Smith County Pioneer under the title "My Western Home". The music was written by a friend of Higley, Daniel E. Kelley (1845–1905). Higley's original words are similar to those of the song today, but not identical; the original did not contain the words "on the range". The song was adopted by settlers, cowboys, and others and spread across the United States in various forms. During the early 20th century, it was arranged by Texas composer David W. Guion (1892–1981), who occasionally was credited as the composer. The song has gone under various names the most common are "Home on the Range" and "Western Home". It was officially adopted as the state song of Kansas on June 30, 1947, and is commonly regarded as the unofficial anthem of the American West.

Home

A home is a dwelling-place used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for an individual, family, household or several families in a tribe. It is often a house, apartment, or other building, or alternatively a mobile home, houseboat, yurt or any other portable shelter. Homes typically provide areas and facilities for sleeping, preparing food, eating and hygiene. Larger groups may live in a nursing home, children's home, convent or any similar institution. A homestead also includes agricultural land and facilities for domesticated animals. Where more secure dwellings are not available, people may live in the informal and sometimes illegal shacks found in slums and shanty towns. More generally, "home" may be considered to be a geographic area, such as a town, village, suburb, city, or country.

Transitory accommodation in a treatment facility for a few weeks is not normally considered permanent enough to replace a more stable location as 'home'. In 2005, 100 million people worldwide were estimated to be homeless.

Range

Range may refer to:

Mathematics, science, technology, and music

In mathematics

In science

In technology

The Range

The Range is part of the original grounds of the University of Virginia as designed by Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. The Range buildings run parallel to and face away from the Lawn, and are separated from the Lawn by a series of ten gardens (five per side).

There are six "hotels" on the Range, three on each side. Originally used as dining facilities, the hotels today include a number of administrative office spaces as well as the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society.

The Range rooms serve as student housing for accomplished graduate students. They are furnished identically to undergraduate Lawn rooms, but are larger area-wise. Previous well-known Range residents include Edgar Allan Poe (13 West Range) and Woodrow Wilson (31 West Range). During his residence in 13 West Range, Poe allegedly etched his initials into a pane of window glass – a pane that has since been shattered. Visitors to the West Range can peer inside Poe's room, which is furnished in the style of his era and maintained by the Raven Society, and listen to a brief recording that describes Poe's time at the University. A glass doorway preserves the historic quality of the room. Thirteen West Range is open to the public once each year during Historic Garden Week.