The community of Kill Creek is internationally famous as the setting for the classic American book "Sod-House Days: Letters of a Kansas Homesteader 1877–1878", which was first published in 1937 posthumously by Howard Ruede (1852–1925), who lived in the community from 1877 to 1901. Based on letters that Howard wrote from his Kill Creek homestead back to his family in Pennsylvania, the book is sold in some 24 countries around the world and is used as a textbook by over 40 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada. The book celebrated its 75th year in publication in 2012. A 31.5 mile, 27-stop self-guided auto & bicycle tour of the sites made famous in the book, The Rediscovering "Sod-House Days" Heritage Backway is now open to the public and is featured in the book "Osborne County Kansas Scenic & Heritage Backways" (2013).