FCHS and OMA are partnering to offer you the opportunity to investigate the haunted century-old Ottawa Memorial Auditorium! Click here for October 25 Stage Fright Tickets Click here for October 26 Boos and Brews Tickets Stories of otherworldly activities have haunted the century-old auditorium for decades. This October, ghost hunters will have the opportunity to investigate the rumors themselves. Ottawa Memorial Auditorium and the Franklin County Historical Society are partnering to take investigators behind the scenes at OMA to confirm or refute stories of ghosts in the historic auditorium. Stage…
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July 20: Morning at the Mission: A Program and Tour at the Historic Ottawa Indian Mission & Burying Ground
Morning at the Mission: A Program and Tour at the Historic Ottawa Indian Mission & Burying Ground featuring Kalisha Dixon Pheasant, Chief of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma John Mark Lambertson, Historian Saturday, July 20, 2024, 9 a.m. 3375 Osborne Terrace, Ottawa, Kansas, 66067 Tickets: $25 in Advance; $30 at the Gate Current Ottawa University students free with student ID at the gate Founded by Jotham Meeker after the 1844 flood destroyed much of the original 1837 mission site, the Ottawa Indian Mission was home to the Ottawa of Blanchard’s Fork…
Read MoreJune 3: Reid-Duderstadt Historic House Tour: Renewed, Reused, Restored
Reid-Duderstadt Historic House Tour Renewed, Reused, Restored Saturday, June 3, 2023 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 306 South Elm, Ottawa, Kansas 66067 Tickets: $17 in advance, $20 at the door About the tour: Built for $18,000 by Lyman and Ida Reid in 1899, the 6,000-square-foot house at 306 South Elm was at risk of being torn down until Cathy and Wayne Duderstadt, who had long admired the home, decided to save it. This 45-minute tour will include a history of the house, discussion about the challenges and decisions the Duderstadts faced…
Read MorePresentation, exhibits explore Women’s Suffrage in Kansas and Franklin County
The Franklin County Historical Society will host a presentation and outdoor and indoor exhibits to commemorate the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote. On August 18, 7 p.m., FCHS will host “The Long Road to Women’s Suffrage in Kansas,” a presentation and discussion by Diane Eickhoff. The free program will be offered via Facebook Live at facebook.com/olddepotmuseum. The program is made possible by Humanities Kansas. Kansas was historically a leader in women’s rights, yet the campaign for voting rights in Kansas…
Read MoreNow through December: New museum exhibit explores history of hotels in Franklin County
The Old Depot Museum’s newest exhibit explores the first century of Franklin County’s Hotels and how they reflect the needs of the towns they served. “Rooms For Rent” includes photographs and artifacts from twenty Franklin County hotels, including hotels that once served Richmond, Williamsburg, Rantoul, Lane, Wellsville, Princeton, and Ottawa. When new towns were established on the prairie, hotels were among the first structures built, said Diana Staresinic-Deane, FCHS Executive Director. Those early hotels served as accommodations for travelers and residents building businesses and homes, community dining halls, meeting rooms,…
Read MoreCANCELED March 13: Pi Kappa Delta Centennial Exhibit Grand Opening Reception
Pi Kappa Delta: The Art of Persuasion: from Ottawa to the World 1913-2020 Exhibit Grand Opening Reception Friday, March 13, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Old Depot Museum In order to protect our staff, volunteers, researchers, and visitors, the Franklin County Historical Society is closing our facilities to the public and canceling events through March 29. The Pi Kappa Delta grand opening has been canceled, but the exhibit will open to the public at a later date. For more information, click here. Pi Kappa Delta, the oldest comprehensive intercollegiate…
Read MoreJanuary 26: Franklin County’s Civil Conservation Corps topic of this year’s historical society annual meeting
From 1933 until 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps employed millions of young, unmarried men in jobs related to conservation and natural resource development as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Tod Bevitt will explore how the C.C.C. impacted Kansas and Franklin County during their presentation at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Members of the Franklin County Historical Society on Sunday, January 26, 2 p.m. at Neosho County Community College in Ottawa, Kansas. The Civilian Conservation Corps was arguably one of Roosevelt’s most successful New Deal programs. The…
Read MoreDecember 9: Christmas Storytime at the Old Depot Museum
Old Depot Museum, Ottawa, Kansas Monday, December 9, 10 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. Free admission, Family Friendly The Old Depot Museum and Ottawa Library are partnering to bring Christmas Storytime to the Old Depot Museum! Join us for an a reading of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, crafts, and a tour of the museum! This program will be offered twice: 10 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. This free event is perfect for the whole family!
Read MoreFranklin County Museum Hopper Weekend returns August 3-4, 2019
Four Franklin County museums are partnering to promote local history on August 3 and 4. Appanoose Museum, the Old Depot Museum, and Richmond Community Museum are returning for the second annual Museum Hopper Weekend to encourage visitors to explore the rich history of Franklin County. New to the event this year is Williamsburg Community Museum. Admission to all four museums is free during Museum Hopper Weekend. Some participating museums are also offering giveaways and refreshments. Hours, locations, and featured exhibits include Appanoose Museum: 600 Shawnee Road, Pomona (from Pomona, turn…
Read MoreJune 22: One-day exhibit features more than a century of Franklin County wedding dresses
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…
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