News, Events & County History

The Depot located on the grounds of the Kearny County Museum is closed to visitors at present. Crews have been on sight making repairs and scraping in preparation for painting the 137-year-old structure. Lakin’s depot was built on south Main Street in 1882 and served this community for 100 years, its value to the growth and economy of Lakin immeasurable. When the railroad closed the depot in 1982, the Kearny County Historical Society purchased the historic building and moved it to the museum grounds. Railroad enthusiasts have been admiring the depot and its contents ever since. In addition to railroad memorabilia and equipment, the depot also houses the museum’s extensive collection of insulators, most of which were graciously donated from the collections of Jim Thomas and Web and Velma Cox. Stay tuned for updates on when the depot will be open again and until then, enjoy these photos of moving day in October 1982.

What a great turnout we had for our annual ice cream social on July 13! Cowboys, cowgirls, young and young at heart came to enjoy a cool treat on  us and check out the museum. After the social, the Kearny County Saddle Club hosted a bicycle rodeo for the wee ones. There were some fearless competitors in the pole bending and barrel racing. Fun, fun and more fun in the hot July sun!

Parents and grandparents, grab your children and head to the museum to participate in our summer scavenger hunts. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult who can assist them, but any child up to age 17 is eligible to participate. Participants are given a sheet of clues. All of the answers can be found in the museum with careful observation and reading of informational signs. Children who complete the hunt receive an old-fashioned candy stick. If all of their answers are correct, they are entered into a drawing to receive a special prize at summer’s end. Children may participate in the hunt three times. A different set of clues is given each time.

There is no fee, just a lot of fun!

The Kearny County Historical Society will have its 61st Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 27, at the Veteran’s Memorial Building in Lakin. Dr. Sara Richter, Panhandle State University’s Dean of Liberal Arts, will be our guest speaker. Dr. Richter was born in Kansas and moved to Oklahoma with her family when she was in sixth grade. A published author, she holds master degrees in both history and English. Her Powerpoint presentation will be, “Gettin’ by by makin’ do: depression era women.”

The evening will start at 6 p.m. with a catered meal, followed by a short business meeting and election of board members. The dinner and program is by donation, but advance reservations are required. We are limited to the number of guests so the sooner you make your reservation the better. Deadline for reservations is 4 p.m. Thursday, April 18. There will be no exceptions! Call the museum at 620-355-7448 to place yours!

For the past several years, Lakin second graders have been our special guests on Kansas Day, January 29 . Students learn about the history of Kansas Day and Kearny County including the Santa Fe Trail, the first inhabitants, how the pioneers lived, one-room schools, and early businesses. Last year the museum began a coloring contest in conjunction with the visit, and one student in each home room was awarded the top prize of a special “Kansas Tornado.” It was so successful that the tradition continued in 2019. This year’s winners were: Chloe Stahlecker, Ariel Carrizales and Tomasa Hernandez. All of the pictures colored by the classes will be on display in the museum lobby during the month of February. We encourage you to stop in and check them out. Our hours are  9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and there is no admission. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Patricia “Pat” Heath was inducted into the Santa Fe Trail Association’s Hall of Fame at the organization’s 2018 Rendezvous in September. Pat became interested in history as an adult, taking her children to many museums and historical sites. She moved from Edmond, OK, to Lakin in 1982 to be near her grandchildren. She became interested in local history, particularly the Santa Fe Trail, while working at the Kearny County Library.  In 1986, she attended a SFT workshop and became a charter member of the SFTA. She attended every SFTA Symposium and Rendezvous through 2004 and was named Santa Fe Trail Ambassador in 1997. Pat was also hostess to the SFT Bicycle Treks from 1995-2004.

Pat became a member of the Kearny County Historical Society in 1986 and was elected to the board at the 1987 Annual Meeting. She was chosen as board secretary that April. Beginning in 1991, Pat served as director of the Kearny County Museum for 14 years, and she received a distinguished service award for community service from the Kansas Museum Association in 2005. Pat died the following year, but her love for the Trail lives on through her daughter, Linda Peters, who serves on the board of directors for the SFTA, is president of the Wagon Bed Springs Chapter and president of the Kearny County Historical Society.

Congratulations to Richard and Connie Braun of Deerfield for being selected as this year’s

Kearny County Historical Society’s King and Queen!

Beginning in May of 2000, people, armed with a GPSr and a sense of adventure, have been traveling the world looking for geocaches. Geocache is derived from GEO, the prefix for earth, and CACHE as a hiding place used to store items. Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers called “geocaches” or “caches” at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world.

Today there are over 3 million geocaches hidden around the world and over 13 thousand in Kansas alone. They are deep in the woods, underwater, or even stuck to the underside of park benches. Geocaching has become a hobby for individuals, friends and families.

Has your interest been piqued?? Here’s your chance to find out more. Come join geocacher, Ryan Semmels as he shares his knowledge and experiences, and assists you on beginning your adventures. The presentation will take place at the Kearny County Museum, 111 S. Buffalo in Lakin, on November 13 at 7 p.m.

This presentation is sponsored by the Wagon Bed Springs Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association. The Chapter is always looking for new members to help promote and preserve the Santa Fe Trail in Southwest Kansas. The Chapter will have meetings throughout the year with tours, speakers or other activities related to the Trail. The organization maintains SFT sites and signs, DAR markers and geocaches along the Trail.

For more information contact Linda Peters, Chapter President, at 620-640-3155 or Julie McCombs, Museum Director, at 355-7448.