Something Old: Franklin County Wedding Dresses, 1848-1971 Saturday, June 22, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Carnegie Cultural Arts Center, 501 South Main, Ottawa, Kansas Tickets: $23 in advance, $25 at the door. Click here to purchase tickets online Ottawa, Kansas— On June 22, the Franklin County Historical Society will host a one-day exhibit of more than 120 years of bridalwear history to raise funds for the care and management of the historical society’s collection. “Something Old: Franklin County Wedding Dresses, 1848-1971” will be on exhibit at the Carnegie Cultural…
Read MoreTag: History
2019 Pioneer Days Summer Day Camp: On the Trail!
On The Trail Pioneer Days 2019 Summer Day Camp Kids ages 7 to 12 Session 1: May 29, 30, 31 (WThF) Registration Deadline Extended! Session 2: June 3, 4, 5 (MTW) Registration Deadline Extended! Session 3: June 11, 12, 13 (TWTh) $45 per child for non-FCHS members; $40 per child for FCHS members Take a trip back in time… and learn what it was like to be a pioneer on the trail. Make decisions about what to pack and try your hand at loading a wagon! You’ll even build your…
Read MoreMay 9 & May 15: Homeschool Days at One-Room School
Homeschool Days at One-Room School May 9, 2019 -or- May 15, 2019 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Old Depot Museum Homeschool students are invited to take a trip back in time to discover what a school day was like in 1910! Your day will include classroom instruction and experiencing how students behaved, dressed, and played. Children ages 7 to 13 are welcome! Registration information: $4.00 per student (nonrefundable after registration deadline) Register by April 25 for the May 9 class Register by May 1 for the May 15 class Register…
Read More2019 Dietrich Cabin Hours Announced
Dietrich Cabin, the 1859 cabin located in Ottawa’s City Park, will be open on the following days: Saturday, April 13, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 14, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 18, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 19, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, August 17, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, August 18, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 14, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday,…
Read MoreSaturday, April 13: The Victory Garden Movement
The Victory Garden Movement Saturday, April 13, 2 p.m. Neosho County Community College, 900 E Logan, Ottawa, KS Free Event “Victory Gardens” were home and community gardens used to grow fruits and vegetables at a time when food, fuel, transportation, and labor were in short supply. Though these gardens have their roots in the Home Front efforts of World War I and World War II, the concept of Victory Gardening can be applied today. Loretta Craig will present a history of Victory Gardens, including why they were so important…
Read MoreKansas and the 1918 Flu Epidemic, featuring historian Tyler Johnson
Neosho County Community College, 900 E Logan, Ottawa, KS Sunday, November 4, 2018, 2 p.m. In 1918, an influenza epidemic killed millions of people around the world. One hundred years later, scientists and historians are still working to understand how it started. Historian Tyler Johnson will present the story of the 1918 Influenza outbreak’s start in Western Kansas, the national outbreak, Kansas’s battle against the flu, and how Ottawa fared during the outbreak. He will also discuss death tolls and theories of how the pandemic started. This program is free…
Read MoreDiary of Reuben Smith, Kansas Settler and Civil War Soldier, presented by author Lana Wirt Myers October 21
Neosho County Community College, 900 E Logan, Ottawa, KS Sunday, October 21, 2018, 2 p.m. In 1854, after recently arriving from England, twenty-two-year-old Reuben Smith traveled west, eventually making his way to Kansas Territory. There he found himself in the midst of a bloody prelude to the Civil War, as Free Staters and defenders of slavery battled to stake their claim. For fifty years, Smith wrote fascinating narratives about all he observed and experienced during territorial days, the border war, civil war, and early Kansas politics (he served three terms…
Read MoreHistoric sign lights up Old Depot Museum
Rick Hamman of Coffelt Sign Company puts the final touches on the newly restored 1962 Ottawa sign in the Model Railroad Room at the Old Depot Museum in Ottwa, Kansas. The sign is one of a pair that once served as a beacon for trains arriving at Ottawa’s fifth and final Santa Fe depot, which opened in 1962. Passenger service ended in 1971. Restoration and installation was completed by Coffelt Sign Company of Emporia, Kansas, and funded in part by a grant from the Caroline E. Hewitt Trust.
Read MoreDietrich Cabin Fall 2018 Hours Announced
Step back in time at the 1859 Dietrich Cabin! Learn about life in 19th-Century Franklin County. Dietrich Cabin is located in City Park at 5th and Main streets in Ottawa, Kansas. Kids are always welcome! Admission is free, but donations to help FCHS maintain the cabin are always appreciated. Fall2018 Dietrich Cabin Hours Sunday, August 26, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 15, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, September 23, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 28, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Read MoreFranklin County Museum Hopper Weekend August 4-5, 2018
This August, four Franklin County museums are partnering to promote local history. Appanoose Museum, the Old Depot Museum, Richmond Community Museum, and the Wellsville Historical Society are launching a first-ever Museum Hopper Weekend on August 4 and 5 to encourage visitors to explore the rich history of Franklin County. “What’s amazing about our community museums is that each museum reflects the stories of the people in the community it serves,” said Diana Staresinic-Deane, Franklin County Historical Society executive director. “By visiting each of these museums, visitors can really appreciate how…
Read More