News, Events & County History

The 60th Annual Meeting of the Kearny County Historical Society was held Saturday, April 14, 2018, at the Deerfield Community Building. Despite Mother Nature’s nastiness, a large crowd braved the high winds and attended the grand event. Pulled pork, cowboy beans, hash brown casserole, cole slaw, homemade bread, assorted fruit cobblers and ice cream were served for supper. This was followed up with a short business meeting. Next on the agenda was voting for board members. Dave Horner, Cary Henderson, Joe Eskelund, Karen Burden and John White were reinstated for two-year terms. They are joined by newbies Bob  Price and Judy Scott.

The program for the evening was provided by Ken Weidner, a living historian from Copeland, Ks. Weidner is a farmer and rancher, but his true passion is history and the American Indian in particular. His interest in history began at a young age and in the 1980s he became involved in historical re-enactments by participating in fur trade rendezvous. Eventually Ken began portraying a Plains Indian from the 1860s and became fully immersed in the Native American way of life. He handcrafts Native American replicas using the Plain’s tribal methods to tan hides, do beadwork, make tepees, saddles, tools and more. His work is widely recognized because of his discipline and attention to detail. His artistry has been on display in historic sites and museums across the country, including Little Big Horn Battle Site, Fort Larned Historic Site and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Weidner brought with him many of his re-creations which he passed around for the audience to see up close. He gave a very informative and appreciated talk.

The evening ended with the drawing of door prizes. Thank you to all those who attended, to everyone who cooked and helped serve, and to our guest speaker.

We are no longer taking reservations for our Annual Meeting. Food and supplies have already been purchased. If you failed to RSVP, we apologize and certainly hope you will make your reservations next year. If you did make a reservation and will not be able to attend, please notify our office by 3:30 p.m. today. Thank you for your consideration.

 

For the past 30 years, Ken Weidner has been donning Native American garments and participating in various living history camps from Wyoming to Texas. The Copeland farmer and rancher is also an artist, replicating tanned hides, beadwork, saddles and tools of the Indians. Weidner’s items have been displayed at museums and historical sites across the country including the National Museum of the American Indian (part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.) and the Gene Autry Museum in Oklahoma. As part of the Kearny County Historical Society’s 60th Annual Meeting, Ken will present a program focusing on how the lives of the Plains Indians were influenced by trading with the white man. Ken is also planning to bring many of his creations and artifacts with him.

This event will be Saturday, April 14, at the Deerfield Community Building. Doors open at 6 p.m., and at 6:30 we will begin the evening with a meal of pulled pork and all the trimmings. The evening’s agenda also includes a short business meeting and election of board members.

The dinner is by donation, but reservations are required. If you would like to join us at our annual meeting, you will need to call the museum and place your reservation by 4 p.m. on Monday, April 9.

 

Happy 157^th Birthday, Kansas!!

Although Kansas was admitted to the Union in 1861, Kansas Day was not celebrated until 1877. After two weeks of gathering information on the geography, history and resources of Kansas, Paola public school students spent the afternoon of Jan. 29, 1877, making presentations and sharing maps and drawings with parents, friends and residents of their community. Alexander Le Grande Copley, was the teacher at Paola that year. In 1879 he became superintendent of the Wichita schools, and Kansas Day was then observed there. Copley attended county teachers’ institutes and state teachers’ association meetings and encouraged the teachers to celebrate Kansas Day. In 1882 at the first meeting of the Northwestern Teachers Association, it was decided that a small pamphlet should be published including information about Kansas, its songs and sample speeches suitable for the observance of Kansas Day. The 32-page booklet was simply called, “Kansas Day.” At the next State Teachers Association meeting in Topeka, every teacher took home one or more copies. Purchased copies went to 65 Kansas counties, and for a short time the booklet was used as a textbook in the state normal school at Emporia. The popularity of Kansas Day continued to grow and is celebrated by teachers and students across the state today.

Last Friday, Lakin second graders visited the museum to celebrate Kansas Day. They learned about the history of Kansas Day, some of the first inhabitants of this part of the state, the Santa Fe Trail, how Lakin got its start, how the pioneers lived, the schools they attended and the first businesses here. In conjunction with the event, the museum sponsored a coloring contest for the second graders and awarded one child from each class with a special gift. Congratulations to our winners: Desi White, Claire Barnhardt, and Idaly Martinez! All of the second graders’ coloring pages will be displayed at the museum during the month of February.

Kearny Countians Fred and Billie Urie were avid collectors of Native American artifacts. Sunday afternoons were spent exploring Kearny County with their children: Harold, Sandra, Norman, Dennis and Margaret. They discovered many Indian campsites while on their adventures. Fred passed away in 1993, and upon Billie’s death in 2005, the Urie’s children graciously donated many of the family’s Native American artifacts. Recently Chad Myers, a Wichita State University graduate student in archeology, offered his services to sort and date the many Indian artifacts. He identified arrowheads, blades, drills, scrapers and knives and determined some artifacts date back to the Clovis Culture which is often thought to be the first civilization in North America. Those particular artifacts are between 13,800 to 10,000 years old. An additional case was needed to house the vast collection. We are  happy to report that  the Urie Collection is back on display for the enjoyment of our visitors. Please stop in to the Museum and check it out!

 

The Museum Annex is temporarily closed to the public as work is in progress on a much anticipated improvement. For years, museum staff and board have longed for air conditioning to be installed in the annex. In the summer months, being in the annex can be unbearable for our guests. Temperatures in the balcony reach well over 100 degrees. The extreme temperature is not only uncomfortable, but extremely hard on our artifacts. Museum professionals advise that fluctuating temperatures and humidity cause the most stress on artifacts, particularly textiles. In 2010, the American Institution of Conservation established that most cultural institutions should strive for a set point in the range of 45-55% relative humidity and a temperature range of 59-77 degrees Fahrenheit. Ramos Heating and Air Conditioning began work this week removing the old tube heater and installing a new AC/heating system. Next week Danny Crist will be here to plumb for natural gas, and we also anticipate the electricians to be here updating our system to handle the heavier load. We ask that you be patient during this process. We are very excited that this dream is coming to fruition for our visitors AND for the precious artifacts that we have been entrusted with.

 

Oh what a difference a fresh coat of paint makes!! The Great White House on the museum grounds is finally white again! The painters just recently finished this project which is one of many that have been on the to-do list for the oldest house in Lakin. A new roof was added last year, and the year before that work was done on the foundation to prevent future settling and cracks. There are some minor repairs still to come on the historic structure, but the old gal is looking pretty sweet! The White House is over 140 years old and was the home of Alonzo Boylan and his family. Boylan was the first railroad agent for Lakin. In 1916, the house was acquired by the O’Loughlin family and moved from its original location on the railroad right-of-way to Buffalo Street. In 1974, the house and the 1/2 block property it sits on were donated by the O’Loughlins to the Kearny County Historical Society. The pictures here show the finished project as well as what the house looked like prior to her new paint job. Doesn’t she look pretty?

One hundred years ago this week, the community of Deerfield bid farewell to some of its favorite sons who left to join Uncle Sam’s Army and put an end to World War I. The adieu included an open air dance with live music from the Deerfield Orchestra on the evening of August 2, 1917. The next morning the soldier boys of Deerfield Company F, led by Lt. Roy Thornbrough, met on Main Street Deerfield where “Rev. Gibbons of Lakin, made a very appropriate and fitting talk, in farewell to the boys.” A few more good-byes were spoken by friends and families, and then 10 of Deerfield’s finest citizens drove the boys to Larned where a reception was given to them upon their arrival.