Honoring Our Past and Forging Forward (more on pages 4-5)
Zephyr
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MARKING OUR ANNIVERSARY
Welcome to 2025, the 150th anniversary of the Kansas Historical Society (KSHS)! So much history has been experienced and recorded since a group of newspapermen founded the organization in 1875 “…for the purpose of saving the present and past records of our twenty-one years of eventful history.” Those who guided the Society over the years greatly expanded that scope, working to collect and preserve materials that told the story of this place through time.
To honor the occasion, we are producing a new history of our institution—building upon past works such as Edgar Langsdorf’s “The First Hundred Years of the Kansas State Historical Society,” published in the Kansas Historical Quarterly in 1975, and special issues of Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains in 1984 and 1995 to commemorate the openings of the Kansas Museum of History and Center for Historical Research facilities, respectively. Our goal is to bring this history to the present, add additional historical context when possible, and augment with historic photographs from our vast collections. We will be highlighting some of these historic photographs and snippets throughout the year in Zephyr, beginning with this issue on page four.
This spring, we are also modifying our popular Museum After Hours series to a hybrid format, with both in-person and virtual attendance capabilities. Topics will provide
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Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service 1849 C Street NW, Washington DC 20240. ©2025
Front cover image: Franklin G. Adams (left) was the Historical Society’s second secretary, serving from 1876 to his death in 1899. Zu Adams (back right), his daughter, began as an unpaid teenage assistant in 1876 and eventually worked as a cataloger and librarian for a modest salary. Grace Darlow (second from right) was a stenographer, and George A. Root (right) was the curator of archives. The collections filled every corner of their west wing offices in the Kansas State Capitol, as illustrated in this photograph, circa 1891.
Historical Society
an in-depth look at the history of the Society and the work of the various divisions and departments, beginning March 12 with a special interview with former executive director, Ramon Powers. I can’t wait for this one!
REFLECTING ON FISCAL YEAR 2024
Last fall at the annual meeting of the Kansas Historical Foundation, I provided our usual report of statistics for the state fiscal year, FY 2024, which ended on June 30. While we are halfway through the current fiscal year, I want to share some highlights from this summary. Visitation has always been a standard reporting measurement, and although the museum has been closed the past two years, the statistics for the State Historic Sites were enlightening. Fiscal year 2024 was the first full year reflecting our new free admission policy at the sites, all of which are now open on Sunday afternoons as well. Attendance was generally up across the board, and in some cases, exceeded that of pre-Covid visitation in 2019. Fort Hays State Historic Site in Hays led the way with 6,476 registered visitors in FY 2024. This is up from 4,516 in FY 2023, and even more so from 2019 when it had 3,359 paid attendance. For more statistics, view the complete narrative report at bit.ly/kshsannualreports.
SHAWNEE INDIAN MISSION RESTORATION UPDATES
inscriptions. But what I thought would be a one or two-day job soon developed into a much, much more extensive project. KSHS photographer Benjamin Epps and photography assistant Jennifer Thompson spent 28 days in the east building attic at Shawnee Indian Mission, documenting inscriptions drawn on the plaster of the walls through more than 1,000 photographs. To ensure that even the smallest inscriptions would be legible, Epps shot overlapping images at 150 dpi at a 1:1 scale. By utilizing the highest of resolutions, we were pleased to discover some lightly penciled inscriptions that were otherwise invisible. This project will also allow each wall to be presented as a digital panorama so the inscriptions can be viewed virtually in their original position in the attic. Look for a feature story on this project in the March/April issue of Zephyr.
HONORING SERVICE ACHIEVEMENTS
The last legislative session included $350,000 in additional funding for new wood shingle roofs and other minor repairs at Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site. At the time of writing, new roofs have been installed on the north building (pictured below) and the historic garage outbuilding. Before we could re-roof the east building, we wanted to do everything possible to protect the remaining plaster walls and ceilings of the attic (pictured above left), where Native American boys were housed during the mission school period of the property. A Kansas City company specializing in ornamental plaster and plaster repair was contracted to support the existing plaster and repair and reattach any plaster dislodged by the roofing project. Before applying the special memory foambacked support system (pictured above right), we wanted to properly photo-document the attic, including its historic graffiti
I want to recognize Tim Rues who retired in December after spending more than 40 years preserving and interpreting our state historic sites. Tim began his career with KSHS at Fort Hays in 1982, then shifted to First Territorial Capitol in 1984. He became the first site administrator at Constitution Hall in 1995, holding that role for nearly 30 years. I honored Tim with a certificate for his distinguished service during the Christmas Vespers program held at Territorial Capital Museum in Lecompton in December. Acknowledgments followed from Lecompton Historical Society President Paul Bahnmeier, Senator Marci Francisco (pictured at right with Tim), Representative Mike Amyx, and Douglas County Commissioner Karen Willey. We thank Tim for his remarkable contributions and wish him well in retirement.
Patrick Zollner EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER
REFLECTING ON OUR 150-YEAR HISTORY:
1875-1899
By Bobbie Athon, MS, Director of Communications
Organized by the Editors and Publishers of Kansas in 1875, the Kansas Historical Society’s first headquarters were in the state auditor’s office on the first floor of the Kansas State Capitol where only the east wing had been completed.
This sheet of paper currency with four bills—two $1, one $2, and one $3—was printed by W.L. Ormsby, New York, and issued in Kansas Territory by the City Bank of Leavenworth, a private bank opened in 1856. It issued large amounts of unsecured paper money before failing in the Panic of 1857. This currency was one of the first objects added to the museum collections in 1877. Other early accessions included pioneer items, objects with ties to famous Kansans, and Civil War souvenirs.
The Historical Society had more than filled its office by 1882, and the Kansas Legislature assigned new space on the first floor of the newly-opened west wing. With the original focus of collecting archival materials, the newspaper collections grew rapidly, illustrated by the filing room in 1890.
After the Society filled its space in the west wing (depicted on the front cover), it welcomed the addition of three rooms on the first floor of the newly opened south wing in 1893. It also maintained a portrait gallery on the east side of the top floor.
Prominent Kansans recorded readings for the collections on Edison wax cylinders beginning in 1894. Franklin Adams was eager to incorporate this early form of oral history, including four governors and the chief supreme court justice among 17 cylinder recordings.
Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site was the first assigned to the Historical Society’s care, deeded to the state in 1899. Accepted as part of the formal dedication in 1901, it was believed to be the site where explorer Zebulon Pike raised the American flag. Research later confirmed that place to be to the north in Nebraska. The designation as a site preserved the land from tillage and allowed archeologists to work with the Pawnee Nation to reveal more of the story of this Kitkehahki or Republican settlement from around 1770 until about 1820. Pictured are members of the Pawnee Nation attending an event at the site in 1935.
During this time, the public could visit exhibits in the west wing that displayed a wide range of antiquities beyond Kansas history, including a reindeer, which did not remain in the collections, and a velocipede or high-wheeled bicycle or penny-farthing, which did.
COMMEMORATE KANSAS DAY WITH THESE IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES
This year the Kansas Historical Society has planned several in-person activities for residents and travelers to celebrate Kansas Day. While some of these special events will take place on Wednesday, January 29, 2025—the 164th anniversary of Kansas statehood— other activities are available to enjoy throughout the winter season.
Rebel Women Mural Dedication
12-1 p.m. Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Kansas State Capitol first-floor rotunda (Topeka)
Included among the festivities for the 164th birthday of Kansas is the unveiling of a new mural at the Kansas State Capitol honoring woman’s suffrage. Kansas women began working toward full voting rights from the territorial period, finally achieving that goal with the passage of the suffrage amendment in 1912. Cohosted by the Kansas Suffragist Memorial Committee, this special event will begin at 12 p.m. on the first-floor rotunda. KSHS Executive Director Patrick Zollner will lead the program, which will include remarks from artist Phyllis J. Garibary-Coon, Governor Laura Kelly, Senator Elaine Bowers, and committee co-chairs Marlene Merrill and Cille King. Following songs, the mural unveiling, and presentation of a special Kansas Day cake, guests can enjoy a slice donated by Dillon’s on the ground level. For more details, visit bit.ly/kssuffragistsmural
“Happy Birthday, Kansas!” Celebration
3-5 p.m. Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Kansas Children’s Discovery Center (Topeka)
The Kansas Historical Society’s education team is partnering with the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center to host a special afternoon of Kansas Day-themed activities. Young ones can join us for this celebration to learn about Kansas state symbols through a dance set to “Home on the Range,” partake in Kansas-themed make and take activities, and interact with hands-on items from our past. Attendees can also explore the educational exhibits offered in the 15,000 square feet Discovery Center. Regular admission fees will apply. Learn more at bit.ly/kscdchbks2025.
Kansas State Capitol Tours
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday to Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday Kansas State Capitol Visitor Center (Topeka)
While searching for indoor activities this winter, look no further than the Kansas State Capitol! Completed in 1903, the statehouse is considered Kansas’ most important architectural treasure, featuring a dramatic array of art, sculpture, and
colorful history. Guests can enjoy a guided historic tour highlighting the architectural features and events that happened on each of the five floors, or take the popular dome tour, an experience few other state capitols offer, which requires a breathtaking 296 steps to the top and includes close-up views of the inner and outer domes. Visitors are also welcome to wander through the statehouse at their own pace, exploring its unique features with the help of an orientation video and self-guided tour brochure. For more information and guided tour times, visit bit.ly/kshscapitol
Year-Round Kansas State Historic Sites
Constitution Hall (Lecompton) | Fort Hays (Hays) | Kaw Mission and Last Chance Store (Council Grove) 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday | 1-5 p.m. Sunday KSHS administers historic sites in many different locations around the state, including three that are operated year-round. The site administrators of Constitution Hall, Fort Hays, and Kaw Mission and Last Chance Store are eager to welcome visitors on Kansas Day, provide historical tours this winter, and host school groups throughout the spring semester. With historical ties to Native American history and forts and trails, as well as Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War, there are options to suit a variety of historical interests and meet curriculum needs. Navigate to the sites’ web pages to consider locations to explore on Kansas Day or visit this spring: bit.ly/kshistoricsites
Zephyr Kansas Historical Society
A non-profit supporting and promoting the work of the Historical Society through fund raising, fund management, membership, and retail.
Highlights from the 149TH ANNUAL MEETING
We thank our board of directors and other special guests who made our annual meeting on Friday, November 1, such a memorable event! Your presence and enthusiasm were essential to its success, and we are grateful for the time and ideas you contributed. We hope you enjoyed the presentations, discussions, and opportunities to connect with one another. Our success is largely due to the dedication of individuals like you, and we look forward to building on the ideas and momentum from this year’s meeting. Thank you again for your continued commitment and support.
Warm regards,
Gaye Leonard CEO and Development Director
PILLAR OF PHILANTHROPY
We are incredibly appreciative for the unwavering support of our Capitol Campaign. These foundations that comprise the Cornerstone Club have made a substantial difference and solidified their roles as pillars of philanthropy within our community. Because of their commitment, we are well on our way to preserving and enhancing our cherished history for generations to come.
MEMBERSHIP MADE EASY
Our membership levels have changed—and for the better! Now, all members, regardless of their level, will receive a copy of Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains. Scan the QR code or visit bit.ly/kshsjoin to sign up or renew your membership today!
Middle: Board members received an exclusive look at behind-thescenes areas, including the museum, archives, and archeology collections. Recent musical acquisitions were highlighted by Michael Church (center), State Archives Division director.
Bottom: By gathering and engaging in the meeting activities, the board demonstrated its commitment, camaraderie, and support for our mission. Dr. Walt Menninger and Jay Price are seen here discussing their shared vision for our future.
Top: Incoming president Gennifer Golden-House (front row, second from right) and new members Laura Lutz (second row, second from left) and Vance Kelley (second row, third from right) were warmly welcomed by the group at large.
Linda Jeffrey (far left), 2023-2024 president, delivered her address, then Dr. Jennifer Gordon (above) presented, “The Dunlap Exodusters Settlement: One Descendant’s Story.”
Members and contributors, including Paul Stuewe (above right), received awards for their dedication and outstanding achievements.
ARCHEOLOGY
Protecting and understanding the archeological resources of Kansas— working with local, state, and tribal entities, offering educational programming, and conducting and sharing research.
NAGPRA UPDATES: NEW REGULATIONS AND SUMMARY COMPLETION
By Nikki Klarmann, PhD, State Archeologist
In the November/December 2023 issue of Zephyr I announced the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation (NAGPRA) grant we were awarded in August 2023. Through the grant we hired Anna Romans as our NAGPRA coordinator, who is featured in the adjacent staff spotlight. Anna is responsible for handling information related to human remains and associated funerary objects in the care of the Kansas Historical Society (KSHS). Designated as the statutory entity responsible for safekeeping human remains by the Kansas Unmarked Burial Sites Preservation Act, remains come into our custody each year, which are subject to NAGPRA.
On January 12, 2024, new NAGPRA regulations went into effect, which provide additional guidance for institutions to comply with the law and outline pathways for holding institutions accountable. These regulations also give deference to Native American Tribes for establishing cultural affiliation and identifying cultural items, defined as funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony by NAGPRA. According to the new duty of care provision, museums and institutions must obtain free, prior, and informed consent from lineal descendants and Native American Tribes before allowing exhibition of, access to, or research on human remains or cultural items. In early 2024 we began pulling items from our displays and recalling items loaned to other institutions to assess our compliance with this provision.
The regulations also outline deadlines for meeting NAGPRA compliance. Having never completed a
comprehensive summary of cultural items in our care, we rapidly yet diligently worked to summarize these.
“ Thanks to the dedication of our archeology staff members, who devoted more than one thousand hours to this project, we successfully developed a comprehensive summary of all Native American items in our care by the July 12, 2024, deadline. This summary was then shared with 258 Native American Tribes on August 12, 2024.”
While waiting for responses to the summary, our focus has shifted back to the itemized lists Anna had prepared of Native American remains and associated funerary objects in our care. These lists provide simple documentation of remains and objects for each Tribal Nation with potential cultural affiliation. At the outset, affiliation is determined by geographic location. Remains and objects can be further identified through consultation with Tribal Nations. These lists will be sent to Tribes by the time this article is published. Consultation with Tribal Nations is ongoing and we look forward to continue building relationships with these groups through this process. While we recognize there is still a lot of work to do, we hope these steps demonstrate that KSHS is prioritizing NAGPRA compliance and actively working with Native American Tribes to respectfully return human remains and cultural items to their communities.
Information about human remains and associated funerary objects are detailed in itemized lists for the eventual completion of an inventory. Information about cultural items (unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony) are included in summaries. Find definitions of terms and learn more about the regulations from the national NAGPRA website: bit.ly/npsnagpra
UPCOMING EVENTS
Register Now: Certification Seminar February 22-23, 2025 | 8:15 a.m. – 12 p.m., 1-5 p.m. daily KSHS Pottawatomi Mission - Topeka
Enroll now for the Kansas Anthropological Association (KAA) seminar, “Historical Archeology: It’s All Archeology,” led by Lab Director Julie Sebanc-Butler and co-instructed by other KSHS staff members. This free class is limited to 25 KAA members; participants must attend both days for certification credit. Reservations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis through February 15, 2025. Find more event details at bit.ly/kshskaaseminar or the KAA membership form at bit.ly/kaamember. Email Pauline Hinz to enroll: phintz.email@gmail.com.
Save the Date: 2025 Archeology Field School June 6-15, 2025 | Lecompton
Take part in one or all 10 days of this year’s Kansas Archeology Training Program field school! Participants will be engaged in a hands-on learning experience at a historical site dating back to the territorial period, with opportunities to help conduct archeological surveys and excavations and process and catalog artifacts in the lab. Registration opens March 1, 2025. Find more details at bit.ly/KATP2025 or contact Project and Outreach Coordinator Paige Bump with questions: paige.bump@ks.gov; 785-272-8681, ext. 267.
Introducing NAGPRA Coordinator, Anna Romans
Anna Romans joined KSHS as the NAGPRA coordinator in January 2024, hired through the NAGPRA Documentation/ Consultation grant awarded in 2023. Working remotely from Shawnee, Kansas, Anna manages much of the data preparation and documentation for the archelogy department’s ongoing consultations with Tribal Nations. Anna is passionate about this work and hopes
to provide the utmost support to Tribal Nations during this challenging process.
With degrees in anthropology and sociology, Anna spent many years working in healthcare research and analytics while living in Texas, Massachusetts, and Michigan. She happily returned to her home state of Kansas six years ago and is thrilled to have a position directly tied to her education after 15 years. Anna enjoys working with the archeology team and has learned more Kansas and U.S. history in the past year than she imagined possible.
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE (SHPO)
Preserving and protecting the state’s historic buildings, structures, and sites through financial assistance programs, technical guidance, and regulations; working with federal, state, and local communities and partners to interpret and preserve these resources.
STATE REGISTER LISTINGS
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of historically significant properties. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) at the Kansas Historical Society administers this and the Register of Historic Kansas Places. In October the Historic Sites Board of Review met in Wichita to review 12 nominations for the the Register of Historic Kansas Places. The board approved a new Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF) and listed all 11 properties in the state register, recommending 11 of these items (denoted with an *) be forwarded to the Office of the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.
James and Pearl Malin House in Lawrence, Douglas County*
The James and Pearl Malin House completed in 1937 was the first International style residence designed and constructed in Lawrence. James C. Malin, a native Kansan and a University of Kansas history professor, claimed he designed the house and that F. A. Preyer signed the architectural drawings. Malin and his family attended A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago’s World Fair, in 1933 where the Art Deco/Streamline Moderne style was exhibited. His exposure to that style may have influenced his design, in addition to the Moderne style largely promoted in the 1930s. With a T-shaped design plan, the James and Pearl Malin house is an asymmetrical two-story concrete block house covered in white stucco with a flat roof. The house is nominated for its architectural significance and association with Malin as part of the Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County Multiple Property Context.
Friends’ Place, Douglas County*
The Friends’ Place in Lawrence, initially called the Hendry Estate after owner James Hendry, was characterized by an 1870 National Folk style I-House. Little is known about the estate following Hendry’s death in 1895 until it was purchased in 1917 by Lawrence resident Warren Henley, who built the Craftsman Bungalow we see today. Two years later, Henley sold the home to Carl Friend, the 28th lieutenant governor of Kansas who lived there with his wife for 35 years. The Friends’ Place is described as the “ultimate bungalow” with a two-story height, full-width porch, and intersecting roof planes. The structure has a Jerkinhead roof style, stucco siding, and some Tudor Revival details. The Friends’ Place is nominated for its Bungalow/Craftsman and National Folk architectural styles as part of the Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County Multiple Property Context.
Sears Roebuck
Building, Finney County*
The Sears Roebuck Building in Garden City opened on February 22, 1951, as one of the first 250 Sears stores in the Midwest. Built by Boyd Stehwein of Garden City, it was considered one of the most modern and complete buildings in western Kansas. The now painted tan brick façade had two entrances and a flat roof extending 150 feet, with windows spanning the length of the building. The 1993 restructuring of the Sears company led to the closure of 113 stores, including the Garden City location on March 26. The building was repurposed many times over the years, but still retains much integrity of the original structure. As the city’s first purpose-built department store and last national retail chain, the Sears Roebuck Building is nominated for its local commercial history in Garden City.
West Elementary, Miami County*
After a rejected proposal the year before, the Osawatomie board of education approved construction of a new elementary school in 1955 to remedy overcrowding in the existing schools. West Elementary was built in 1956, just in time for the 1956-1957 school year. The Mid-Century
Top: James and Pearl Malin House Bottom: Friends’ Place
Megan Maize, MS, SHPO Survey and Outreach Coordinator
Sears Roebuck Building
Modern style building with steel structure, concrete masonry walls, buff bricks, and large ribbon windows served as an elementary school until 1998 when a new grade school opened. Renamed Swenson Early Childhood Education Center in honor of Osawatomie educator Ernest L. Swenson, it served pre-K and Kindergarten students for 15 years before becoming vacant in 2013. West Elementary is nominated as part of the Historic Public Schools of Kansas Multiple Property Context for its local historical significance in education and architecture.
Dawson Farmstead, Sedgwick County*
The Dawson Farmstead was established during the Great Depression, when only two percent of plains farmers were self-sufficient and most had to sell their property to larger corporate farms. After the depression, more structures were added to the site, making it more reminiscent of farms established in the post-World War II era. The Dawson Farmstead contains 12 cultural resources, with 10 contributing to this nomination—the garage, dairy hands house, gambrel roof barn, two grain bins, silo, corn crib, two outbuildings, chicken house, pavilion, and cabin. The farmhouse and gable roof barn are noncontributing resources. The farmstead is being nominated for its architectural and agricultural significance as part of the Historic Agricultural Resources in Kansas Multiple Property Listing.
J. G. Edwards Building, Pawnee County
The J. G. Edwards building completed in 1910 was named after John Griffith Edwards, an early Larned settler and businessman. Edwards envisioned adding an upscale commercial office building to the downtown and hired his nephew W. C. Edwards, Jr., to design a two-business storefront with offices on the upper floor. The upper offices were eventually converted into apartments, and spaces for two more businesses were added to the basement. This two-story brick façade with a stone cornice inscribed “Edwards” has cultivated an entrepreneurial spirit for more than 100 years. It is nominated for its local commercial history and architectural significance as a Commercial style structure with Classical detailing.
NATIONAL REGISTER LISTINGS
Megan Maize, MS, SHPO Survey and Outreach Coordinator
These Kansas properties were recently evaluated by the Office of the Keeper in Washington, D.C., and approved for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
Ninth Street Missionary Baptist Church
Lawrence, Douglas County, listed July 19, 2024 (Featured in background photo)
Mount Vernon Cemetery
Atchison, Atchison County, listed July 29, 2024
Transcontinental Airway System Beacon
Anthony, Harper County, listed July 29, 2024
Prairie Oil and Gas Company Building
Independence, Montgomery County, listed August 5, 2024
Fort Dodge – Junior Officers’ Quarters
Santa Fe Trail Multiple Property Context
Fort Dodge, Ford County, listed August 6, 2024
Pearl Opera House
Historic Theaters and Opera Houses of Kansas Multiple Property Context
Alta Vista, Wabaunsee County, listed August 9, 2024
Abraham Brien House
White Cloud vicinity, Brown County, listed August 21, 2024
William and Augusta Guild House
Hiawatha, Brown County, listed August 23, 2024
First Methodist Church of Eudora
Eudora, Douglas County, listed September 3, 2024
University of Kansas Historic District
(Additional Documentation)
Lawrence, Douglas County, documentation approved September 4, 2024
Tauy Baptist Church
Ottawa, Franklin County, listed October 15, 2024
Top: West Elementary; Middle: Dawson Farmstead Bottom: J. G. Edwards Building
With the approval of five nominations and an MPDF dedicated to African American cultural resources, we can highlight six efforts to preserve Kansas’ Black heritage in celebration of Black History Month this February.
African
American
Resources of Topeka*
This Multiple Property Documentation Context covers a historic period of African American life in Topeka from the 1850s to the 1970s. This historic context identifies property types such as churches, schools, neighborhoods, commercial buildings, and other places associated with Topeka’s invaluable African American history.
Mac Wesley Chapel, Montgomery County*
The Mac Wesley Chapel, built seven miles north of Coffeyville in 1927, served a congregation formed in 1877 by Black Exodusters. The chapel was named after Mac Wesley, who became a prominent leader in the Coffeyville Exoduster colony after his family’s wagon broke down journeying from Texas to Nicodemus in the 1870s. The original chapel, with terracotta blocks painted white and an asphalt roof, housed twelve pews, a communion bench, and a choir stand/stage. A rectangular pastor’s study with asbestos siding and concrete slab flooring was added to the back in the 1950s. The Mac Wesley Chapel is nominated for its social and ethnic Black history in the local Coffeyville area.
Bernard’s Restaurant and Catering, Reno County*
Bernard’s Restaurant and Catering started in 1958 when Tollette Bernard started catering from her home. She soon gained recognition for her cooking and decided to open a restaurant. Considered a “calculated risk” as a Black woman-
owned business, Tollette and her husband, Sam, struggled to obtain a loan. They overcame that need by building a restaurant with repurposed and salvaged materials in 1973. As popularity of Tollette’s offerings grew, she became the first Black female concessionaire at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, known for her cheesy potatoes still served at the annual fair. Bernard’s Restaurant and Catering is nominated for its local significance in social and Black history as well as for its architecture.
Second Missionary Baptist Church, Shawnee County*
The Second Missionary Baptist Church serves what is believed to be the oldest, continuously active African American congregation in the Redmonsville community of North Topeka. Formed in the 1870s during the Great Migration, the congregation’s first church opened in 1879 on North Taylor and Northeast Railroad Streets. After suffering a fire, the church was reconstructed as a wood frame building in 1904 at its present location on Laurent Street. The current two-story brick building with a hipped roof was erected in 1924 in the Late Gothic Revival style. In addition to being a
Top: Bernard’s Restaurant and Catering Bottom: Second Missionary Baptist Church
Top: African American Resources Bottom: Mac Wesley Chapel
place of worship, the Second Missionary Baptist Church has served as a prominent community center for Black Topekans and local residents. The church is nominated for its Black heritage as part of the African American Resources in Topeka Multiple Property Context.
Mount Auburn Cemetery, Shawnee County*
When it was formally established in 1909, Mount Auburn Cemetery in east Topeka was exclusively for African Americans. It was also the only burial ground that did not impose restrictions on the Black community, as Hope Cemetery allowed African American burials but segregated them to a far corner known as the Carver section. While Mount Auburn began admitting all races a few decades later, it is primarily recognized as a Black cemetery. Notable burials include John Thomas “Topeka Jack” Johnson (1883-1940), a Negro Leagues baseball player and manager turned police officer, and Nick Chiles (1867-1929), a Black newspaper editor and savvy businessman. The burial ground is nominated as part of the African American Resources in Topeka Multiple Property Context for its local Black history and the architectural significance of its Lawn-Park Movement style, which called for landscapes to balance formalism and nature through smaller, more uniform, and less sculptural markers.
First African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Wyandotte County*
The First AME Church in Kansas City has a history dating before the Civil War, when Methodist and Baptist families began worshipping inside Ms. Dinah Smith’s residence in 1859. After the two denominations split, the Methodist congregation merged with the AME Association in 1863 to become the St. James AME congregation. The group built its church at the corner of 7th Street and Ann Avenue, on a plot gifted by German Methodists. It then became known as the First AME in 1890 and relocated to 8th and Nebraska Streets five years later. Built in 1906 in the Romanesque Revival style, the First AME Church is a two-story asymmetrical irregular ‘cross’ plan with a red brick exterior and gable roof. As a hub of religious, civic, educational, cultural, and charitable activities, the church has hosted notable gatherings in its 170-year history, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) 14th annual conference in 1924. The First AME is nominated for its significant contributions to the Black social history of Kansas City.
STATE REGISTER DELISTINGS
Megan Maize, MS, SHPO Survey and Outreach Coordinator
During the October meeting, the Historic Sites Board of Review also reviewed and approved three delistings from the Register of Historic Kansas Places and recommended these be forwarded to the Office of the Keeper.
First National Bank Building, Doniphan County
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 2008, the First National Bank Building was demolished in October 2022 after collapsing from structural damage. The loss of this resource was detrimental to its historic integrity, and therefore it is being delisted.
Earl H. Ellis VFW Post No. 1362, Pratt County
The Earl H. Ellis VFW Post No. 1362, listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 12, 2006, was demolished in early 2020 after a Kansas Preservation Law review. The demolition adversely affected its historic integrity, and therefore it is being delisted.
Neodesha City Hall, Wilson County
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 2018, the Neodesha City Hall was demolished on February 22, 2023, after a Kansas Preservation Law review. The loss of this resource negatively impacts its historic integrity, resulting in it being delisted.
Top: Mount Auburn Cemetery; Bottom: First African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church (also featured at the top of page 10)
MUSEUM AND EDUCATION
Using stories from Kansas history to encourage new explorations of the past, understand our present, and appreciate the experiences of others; collecting, preserving, and providing access to the state’s material culture.
MAGAZINES, VIDEOS, AND LESSONS FOR KANSAS DAY AND BEYOND
By Trae Johnson, MA, Assistant Director of Education and Outreach; and Ashley Pheigaru, MA, Education Coordinator
Check Out the KANSAS! Kids Magazine
For more than 75 years, KANSAS! magazine has highlighted the people, places, and spaces of the Sunflower State. This year the Kansas Historical Society has partnered with Kansas Tourism to bring subscribers a special kid-focused edition of the magazine. Featuring Kansas attractions, history, and communities, KANSAS! Kids will highlight locations that kids and their families can explore, inspiring young Kansans to fall in love with their home state.
In this edition, readers can look forward to an article from the Kansas Historical Society explaining the origin of Kansas Day. Kansas is one of few states that celebrates the day it was formally established, with the inception tracing back to an 1882 publication developed by a Kansas schoolteacher. The article also encourages students to participate in the 2025 Kansas Day Edventure Program, a free virtual field trip with presentations led by organizations across the state (which you can learn more about on the next page). And no Kansas Day is complete without a spotlight on our State Capitol! Readers can look forward to information, activities, and videos celebrating our statehouse.
Current subscribers to KANSAS! magazine will receive this complimentary edition along with the regular issue. During the week of January 13, 2025, Kansas schools will receive a shipment of copies for grades four through six. Request a free hard copy of KANSAS!
Kids while supplies last at bit.ly/40s8jZI. To view the digital version of this issue, visit bit.ly/4aBP44o or scan this QR code.
Tune Into the Edventure Program
Celebrate Kansas’ 164th birthday on January 29, 2025, by participating in the Edventure series, a free virtual field trip organized by Wichita Public Schools (USD 259). Developed for preKindergarten through eighth grade students, these prerecorded and 30-minute live programs will include presentations from the Kansas Historical Society and other organizations around the state. Staff members from our education and state archives teams look forward to hosting four live sessions and have curated a list of on-demand videos:
– 9:30-10 a.m.: “Kansas State Symbols,” for preKindergarten through third grade students
– 10:30-11 a.m.: “Who Was John Brown?” for fourth through eighth grade students
– 1-1:30 p.m.: “History Through Documents with the State Archives,” for fifth through eighth grade students
– 2-2:30 p.m.: “Made by Kansans,” for third through eighth grade students
To view the complete 2025 schedule and participate, visit bit.ly/2025edventure. Watch last year’s programs at bit.ly/2024edventure
Use Read Kansas! Lessons
Few are aware the Kansas Historical Society can provide free lesson plans to educators statewide. Read Kansas, our award-winning curriculum, offers readyto-use-materials tied to the new Kansas College and Career Ready Standards and the 2013 Kansas History, Government, and Social Studies Standards. Each lesson is comprised of informative text designed to help students develop critical thinking skills, as well as primary sources to learn how to source materials, consider multiple perspectives, and interpret complex text. PDF and audio recordings of each lesson can be accessed from our website: bit. ly/kshsreadks. Hard copies are available for free while in stock. To request printed lesson plans, complete the order form at bit. ly/kshsorderreadks and email it to kshs. education@ks.gov.
Watch the KSHS Education YouTube Channel
The Kansas Historical Society Education YouTube channel is a carefully crafted source Kansas educators and history enthusiasts can look to for reliable, well-researched, and engaging videos. While these are created with educators in mind and adhere to Kansas history, government, and social studies state standards, viewers of any age can enjoy experiencing our state’s history through visual storytelling. Topics range from the Kansas State Capitol and museum renovation updates to Bleeding Kansas and Native American history! Find a series or standalone video that aligns with your interests at bit.ly/ksedutube, and check out the video description for additional resources, related content, and lesson plans!
STATE ARCHIVES
Collecting, preserving, and providing access to the state’s history through unpublished materials, personal papers, audio-visual materials, and government, organization, and business records.
PREPARE FOR HISTORY DAY AT THE STATE ARCHIVES
Adam Hodge, PhD, Head of Reference
The Kansas State Archives offer many great resources that teachers and students can use for National History Day 2025. Many of our collections include materials that relate to this year’s theme, Rights and Responsibilities in History Archives staff members are ready to assist those interested in discovering and utilizing these items.
National History Day in Kansas is an opportunity for students in grades six through 12 to explore historical topics of interest.
Upon choosing a topic, students conduct research using primary sources (like historical documents and photographs) and secondary sources (literature about history) to complete projects that showcase their research, critical thinking, and communication skills. Students can earn classroom credit for these projects and enter into a formal competition within Kansas beginning at the district level. Competition submissions are judged by volunteers that include historians and educators. The first, second, and third place winners of each category are eligible to compete in the state competition held at Washburn University in Topeka. Students that place first and second at the state competition can participate in the National History Day contest held in June in College Park, Maryland.
Rights and Responsibilities in History is a broad theme that allows students to choose topics ranging from local ones, such as family and community histories, to national or international topics. The National History Day guide (bit.ly/NHD2025) emphasizes that students must bring together both rights and responsibilities, but this can be easily achieved with such expansive subjects. Rights can include civil, political, social, economic, and human rights, whereas responsibilities can be legal, civic, social, or ethical. While students can choose topics relating to any geographical area, we encourage them to pick a Kansas or local history subject to learn more about their community and take advantage of the wealth of resources available in the State Archives.
The archives’ physical and digital collections include materials that illuminate a number of intersections of rights and responsibilities in Kansas history. Those range from individuals to private organizations to government entities. Our collections highlighted in the adjacent column provide some examples, but many stories involve rights and responsibilities in the Sunflower State:
▶ Records and oral histories of Kansans involved in the landmark court case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which highlight the interplay between civil rights and social and ethical responsibilities.
▶ Materials on Kansans’ fight for women’s suffrage illustrate the intersection of political rights and civic responsibilities.
▶ World War II posters offer a great opportunity to analyze the confluence of political and economic rights with civic and social responsibilities.
▶ Diaries and documents on Carry Nation’s battle against alcohol in Kansas illustrate the convergence of civil and political rights with civic, social, and ethical responsibilities.
▶ Resources on the Great Exodus of Black families to Kansas illuminate the overlap between social and economic rights with social and ethical responsibilities.
▶ Records of government agencies, like the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, demonstrate its responsibility to ensure rights can be enjoyed by all citizens of the state.
available online, others can only be viewed in our research room at the Kansas Histoical Society in west Topeka. Students can determine which items are available digitally or onsite by searching our archives catalog at bit. ly/kshsarchivescatalog or using the physical card catalog in the research room. Students can locate digitized documents, photographs, maps, and other historical materials from our online collections at kansasmemory.gov.
So, how can our staff members help teachers and students? The reference team can assist with preliminary searches for relevant topic materials. Simply send an email with a basic overview of the research topic to kshs.reference@ks.gov. We will respond with links to online items, if available, and describe physical items that can be viewed in the research room.
We are also prepared to assist students who would like to conduct research in the State Archives. While appointments are not required, they are encouraged so staff members can be ready to help with materials when students arrive, if possible. Even if students have never conducted archival research before, our staff members can offer tips on using catalogs, requesting items, and handling materials. To make an appointment or discuss what our collections might hold, contact Reference Supervisor Adam Hodge at adam.hodge@ks.gov; 785-272-8681, ext. 284.
We also encourage teachers to contact Adam to arrange a class visit, during which our staff members can provide an introduction, discuss our collections, and explain how to do archival research. Teachers can also request information and materials, such as our History Day 2025 flyer, by sending an email to Adam’s address above.
History Day is an excellent opportunity for students to learn more about a topic of their choice and discover relevant materials available here in Kansas at the State Archives. We invite students and teachers to capitalize on our wealth of materials and are excited to assist with History Day projects this spring.
Kansas Memory Blog and Collections Highlight: John Bruere and Lydia Miller Letters
Enjoy a quick Valentine’s Day read this February with “Romance in the 1880s” from the Kansas Memory bit.ly/km1880sromance. While many woes come with modern dating, innovations like video calling, text messaging, social media apps, and wearable technology have eased long-distance relationships. Unlike the instantaneous communication we have the privilege of today, forming a long-distance connection in the past relied heavily on the exchange of handwritten letters, a lost art that many romanticize. Whether your love life is thriving, complicated, or nonexistent, you can find charm in this account of the John Bruere and Lydia Miller letters, which follow one couple’s journey from strangers to companions.
Special Exhibit: Plan Your Visit!
Stop by the research room to view Fish on the Rails, a new special exhibit developed by Head of Reference Adam Hodge, PhD, and Exhibits Designer Anne Dorcey. This display tells the story of Angler No. 1, a rail car that carried thousands of fish from a Pratt hatchery to ponds and lakes around the state.
State Archives Research Room 6425 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66615
Visit: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., 1-4 p.m. Tuesday – Friday 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Saturday
STATE HISTORIC SITES
Preserving and protecting the state historic sites placed under the care of the Historical Society; educating visitors and classes through exhibits, exterior interpretation, and programming.
DISCOVER TERRITORIAL HISTORY AT CONSTITUTION HALL
Built in 1856, Constitution Hall is the oldest wood frame building in Kansas still standing in its original location, with the structure and several items having witnessed the early history of Kansas Territory. Today visitors can wander about the first floor and imagine the hurried activity that ensued in the first land office in Kansas Territory, or rest on the newly installed benches lining the second floor to imagine the impassioned debates held in this assembly room. It was in this upper space that the Lecompton Constitutional Convention met to draft a constitution to bring Kansas into the Union as a slave state, which sparked a protest from a large antislavery delegation before failing at the national level. Freestate supporters later met in that same room to reform territorial laws to reflect their tenants’ beliefs. Filled with rich territorial history, this National Historic Landmark provides a powerful glimpse into the conflict between proslavery and free-state forces.
TORCH PASSED: RUES TO SMALLWOOD
In his three decades as Constitution Hall’s site administrator, Tim Rues developed several popular programs that have captured children and adults’ imaginations. Among these are the Bleeding Kansas Program Series, which covers a fascinating array of topics on the territory’s early politics and violence, and school programs introducing territorial characters the Lecompton Reenactors bring to life. With Rues’ retirement in December 2024, KSHS has promoted Eric Smallwood, an experienced interpreter with a unique ability to relate history through clothing. Most recently, Smallwood served as the site administrator of Grinter Place State Historic Site in Kansas City. While being recognized at the Christmas Vespers event in December in Lecompton, Rues expressed his confidence in this choice, referencing the impact Smallwood has had on the state historic sites and the Douglas County history community. Learn more about Smallwood from his staff member spotlight on page 17 of the September/ October 2024 Zephyr (bit.ly/kshszephyr) or stop by the site to congratulate him on this new role.
2025 BLEEDING KANSAS PROGRAM SERIES
Constitution Hall State Historic Site | Lecompton | 2 p.m. Sundays Join us for the 28th season of this series, which includes talks and dramatic interpretations on the issue of slavery in Kansas and the nation from 1854 to 1865.
January 26 - “Kansas Day”
By Patrick Zollner and Sarah Bell, PhD
February 2 - “The Tale of Two Buttons: Territorial Kansas Southern Militia Buttons Found Near Lecompton”
By Andrew Peterson
February 9 - “From Slave to Buffalo Soldier”
By George Pettigrew
February 16 - “Quantrill Comes to Town”
By Tim Talbott
February 23 - “Frontier Justice and Politics in Bleeding Kansas: A Deputy U.S. Marshal is Killed”
By Bryce Benedict, JD
March 2 - “From the Kaw to the Potomac: The Story of Charles Curtis,” with book signing to follow
By Debra Goodrich
Plan Your Visit!
Constitution Hall State Historic Site
319 Elmore, Lecompton, KS 66050
One-half mile north of US 56
Visit: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday Open year-round | Admission is free!
This Tax Filing Season
Donate to Our
Historic Sites
The 2025 tax filing season requires the gathering of receipts, documents, and forms, but it also offers a convenient way for Kansas residents to support the KSHS mission. While filing between January 27 and April 14, look to line 43 on the K-40 state income tax form to allocate a portion of refund money to the Kansas State Historic Sites. Like the Chickadee Checkoff or the Kansas Creative Arts Industry Fund, this box allows contributions of $1 or more to any of our 16 sites. Donations will help sustain the sites’ free admission policy, with funds used to support operations, provide essential maintenance, and preserve these cultural resources for future generations. To learn more about the Kansas Historic Sites Contribution fund, visit bit.ly/kshstaxes and search “line 43.” Determine which site to support by viewing their numbers and descriptions at bit.ly/kshstaxsites or navigating to their dedicated web pages from bit.ly/kshistoricsites
TUNE IN!
Featuring documentaries, YouTube videos, podcasts, and other audiovisual offerings that highlight engaging stories related to Kansas history.
Inspire: Kansas Day
Commemorate Kansas Day with Inspire hosts Betty Lou Pardue, Leslie Fleuranges, and Danielle Norwood as they highlight Kansas history through the eyes of notable women. Featuring Kansas Historical Society imagery and commentaries from Kansas Museum of History Director Sarah Bell, Washburn University Professor Kerry Winn, and Miami County Historian Phil Reaka, this video explores the history of the Kansas Day celebration and the contributions of women. Cheryl Clark of Dare to Dream Event Management also gives a Kansas-themed wreath demonstration. View this 29-minute video from KTWU at bit.ly/inpire402
Preserving Our Past: Kansas City Stories of Black History
Hosted by former Kansas City PBS reporter Catherine Hoffman, this video explores five topics with historic impacts on Kansas City. With subjects ranging from school integration and military service to midwivery and a local lynching, this 27-minute segment highlights the triumphs, traumas, and resilience of Black Kansans and Missourians. Adding to the discussion of African American history are commentators Dr. Carmaletta Williams, executive director of the Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City; Elyse Max of the Community Remembrance Project of Missouri; and Andrew Gustafson, curator of interpretation for the Johnson County Museum. With graphic imagery and sensitive subjects, viewer discretion is advised: bit.ly/pbspreservingpast
Cottonwood Connections: Riding the Smoky Hill Trail
Ever wonder what it’d be like to travel across the Kansas prairie in a stagecoach? Get a glimpse from “Riding the Smoky Hill Trail,” a Cottonwood Connections episode that follows a modern stagecoach adventure led by owner Rick Hamby’s team. Viewers can also learn about the Butterfield Overland Despatch (BOD), a mail and freight service established on the Smoky Hill River route by businessman David Butterfield. Details can be gleaned from host Don Rowlison’s talks with Mike Baughn of the Butterfield Trail Museum and Jere Debacker, Butterfield’s great-great-grandson. To learn more about the Smoky Hill Trail and BOD, check out the 25-minute video at bit.ly/ccridingsmokyhill or our Kansapedia article at bit.ly/ kshskkpsmokyhill
Kansas History
1–1
Alice Gardiner chose an unconventional career for a woman of her time. Her family moved from Winchester to Valley Falls in Jefferson County in 1880 where her father started the Valley Falls Register newspaper. Alice purchased the C.S. Edington photography studio on this day in 1902 and was soon making a name as a professional photographer. She was honored with a gold medal, $5, and retouching prize at the state photographers convention in 1908. The Photographers Association of Kansas awarded her a first place medal for her photos of children in 1909. She married John Sennrich in 1915 and continued operating her studio until the 1950s when her eyesight failed. She was completely blind when she died at age 90 in 1968. To learn more about these cameras and other objects from Alice’s studio preserved in our museum collections, visit bit.ly/kshsalicestudio.
The name James Naismith is synonymous with the game of basketball. Naismith was working as a physical education teacher when asked to develop an indoor activity his students could enjoy during the cold winter. Inspired by a game he played as a child in Canada called “Duck on a Rock,” he created the game of basketball first played on December 15, 1891. With peach baskets nailed to either end of the school gymnasium, two teams of nine used a soccer ball to play. Naismith approached Albert Goodwill Spalding, a former baseball player and Chicago sporting goods merchant, to make a suitable ball for the sport in 1894. Naismith designated this the official ball, which featured the full-grain leather panels that endured in the design. He published the game rules on this day in 1892 and the sport’s popularity grew. Naismith was hired to teach physical education at the University of Kansas in Lawrence in 1898, and became its first basketball coach the following year. To view Naismith’s original rules of basketball, visit the DeBruce Center in Lawrence (union.ku.edu/debruce).
1–13
The First Kansas Colored Infantry, recruited before federal authorization in August 1862, was among the earliest African American regiments of the Civil War. The regiment had three Black officers who were denied commissions when they were mustered into the Union army as a battalion of six companies on this day in 1863. Many in the regiment had formerly been enslaved in Missouri. They engaged Confederates at Island Mound in Missouri on October 29, 1862, the first combat for an African American regiment. They lost 10 men and 12 were wounded. At the Battle of Poison Spring in Arkansas on April 18, 1864, the regiment suffered 117 deaths with 65 wounded. In all, the regiment lost 344 men in seven engagements, detailed in the regimental flag preserved in our museum collections. Discover more about this remarkable regiment by reading our Kansapedia articles at bit.ly/kshskp1stcolor1 and bit.ly/kshskp1stcolor2
1–15
Jack Kilby’s invention of the microchip changed the world. Born in Jefferson City, Missouri, in 1923, Kilby’s family moved to Great Bend, Barton County, where his family’s amateur radio inspired his study of electrical engineering. He served as an army electronics technician during World War II and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Illinois before joining the Centralab Division of Globe Union, Inc., in Milwaukee in 1947. Kilby had just started a new position at Texas Instruments in Dallas in 1958 when he began work on microminiaturization. He built the first electronic circuit and submitted a patent for his invention on this day in 1959. The microchip made possible a shift from large computers to small personal devices. Kilby retired from Texas Instruments in 1983. He and three other scientists received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000 for their work in information technology. A bronze plaque honoring Kilby was added to the Kansas Walk of Honor in 2012, and can be viewed on the diagonal sidewalk southwest of the Kansas Statehouse. To read more about this inventor from Kansapedia, visit bit.ly/kshskpkilby
Top photo courtesy of Texas Instruments
Clyde Tombaugh’s discovery of Pluto in 1930 answered the search for the mysterious Planet X that had begun in 1905. Born in Illinois in 1906, Tombaugh moved with his family to Burdett, Pawnee County, in 1922. After high school graduation in 1925, Tombaugh pursued his interest in astronomy, building telescopes and sending drawings of Jupiter and Mars to Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. The observatory hired Tombaugh in 1929 to continue its systematic search for Planet X, and his calculations led to the discovery on this day in 1930. Thousands of suggestions to name the planet came from the public, including students who chose Pluto as a nod to the Roman and Greek gods and astronomer Percival Lowell. Walt Disney introduced the animated Pluto the dog that same year. Tombaugh continued to work at the observatory until 1945, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in astronomy from the University of Kansas in 1936 and 1938. He also discovered asteroids, hundreds of variable stars, and two comets. Tombaugh founded an astronomy program at New Mexico State University in 1955 and taught there until his retirement in 1973. Find more information about this discoverer from Kansapedia by visiting bit.ly/kshskptombaugh
Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Academy Award. Born in Wichita on June 10, 1895, she was the daughter of formerly enslaved parents, her father a Civil War veteran and Baptist preacher. McDaniel grew up in Denver, Colorado, and sang in the church choir. She left high school in 1910 and performed with a traveling carnival company and minstrel show. A vaudeville headliner in 1925, McDaniel moved to Hollywood in 1931 to act in film and radio. She was honored with an Oscar for her role as Mammy in the Civil War epic, Gone with the Wind, on this day in 1940. McDaniel appeared in more than 300 films and her own radio series, Beulah, retiring in 1949. She died at age 57 in 1952. Learn more details about this accomplished actress from Kansapedia at bit.ly/kshskpmcdaniel
&News Notes
BRANDT HOTEL Alma was booming when the Brandt Hotel opened to rave reviews in 1887. The Chicago, Kansas, and Nebraska Railroad, which was soon incorporated into the Rock Island, had recently arrived bringing service to the western border. The train’s presence inspired fast growth in population. The county was becoming known for its hard white limestone. Hundreds of workers came to Eskridge and Alma to extract the fine building material for use in the county and beyond. Within a few years, Alma would claim its place as the “city of nature stone.”
The community gained its first public view of the new hotel on a Monday evening, December 12, 1887. Guests were serenaded by the city band “and were given free hospitality in the full sense of the word. . .” The Alma Enterprise noted the Italianate style hotel with 17 bedrooms on the second floor was “a splendid specimen of architecture, stone, and two stories high.” It was just one of several new buildings in the city featuring the locally quarried limestone.
Joseph Brandt, proprietor, had years of experience in the hotel industry and provided “polite and attentive” service. Fine cuisine was a top priority and Christene Brandt, culinary supervisor, met expectations of the dining hall guests. After a few years the Brandts experienced financial challenges and the hotel’s ownership and uses changed, while its name remained. The hotel was repurposed to be a beer hall, luncheonette, dining club, doctor and dentist offices, and apartments.
The Brandt Hotel’s design, stonework, and corner entrance make it a significant landmark in the downtown historic district. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. After extensive renovations, the Brandt is reopening February 14, 2025, offering five standard accommodations, an ADA suite, and a guest lounge for visitors to the Wabaunsee County seat. All are invited to attend the open house from 12-1:30 p.m. at 402 Missouri Street.
CHECK OUT THE 2025 KANSAS TRAVEL GUIDE:
Kansas Tourism has released its 2025 Kansas Travel Guide, featuring a picturesque view of the Konza prairie on the front cover. With sections devoted to each of the state’s six distinct travel regions, individuals can get a better grasp of all the attractions, lodging, scenery, culture, and history Kansas has to offer. This resource can serve as the ultimate guide for planning a day trip, weekend getaway, or full vacation, or simply provide suggestions for how to spend leisure time during a business trip.
To order a free copy of this guide to Kansas adventures, visit bit.ly/3OFitzm or call the Kansas Tourism office: 785-296-2009
UPDATES TO OUR URLS:
With the growing threats and attacks on Kansas government websites, the Kansas Legislature passed updated cybersecurity measures in 2024. These efforts to strengthen and safeguard agency information have required the Kansas Historical Society’s online resources to transfer to new URLs. Effective in late January, the Historical Society’s main website, kshs.org, will change to kansashistory.gov. The Historical Society’s online digital archives, Kansas Memory, will be updated to kansasmemory.gov, and the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office’s review and compliance portal will transition to review.kansashistory.gov Bookmarks to the original URLs will be redirected to the updated websites. To learn more about our website domain migration, visit bit.ly/kshsurls.
UPCOMING EVENTS
JANUARY
1 – Statewide
New Year’s Day, all sites closed Wednesday for the state holiday
8 – Virtual
Museum After Hours, “Kansas’ Cursed Senate Seat,” presented by Chris Pascale, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, via Zoom and YouTube
9 – Statewide
National Day of Mourning for the passing of President Jimmy Carter, all sites closed Thursday for the state holiday
18 – Fairway
Western Academy Series—Beyond the Classroom, “The Frybread Man: A Native Tale,” presented by Kimberly Little Day Tanskanen, 2 p.m. Saturday, Shawnee Indian Mission
20 – Statewide
Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, all sites closed Monday for the state holiday
25 – Fairway
Western Academy Series, “Iⁿ‘zhúje ‘Waxóbe: Rematriation of the Sacred Red Rock,” presented by Jim Pepper Henry, 10 a.m. Saturday, Shawnee Indian Mission
26 – Lecompton
Bleeding Kansas Program Series, “Kansas Day,” presented by Patrick Zollner and Sarah Bell, PhD,” 2 p.m. Sunday, Constitution Hall
29 – Virtual
“Kansas Day Edventure,” a virtual field trip hosted by USD 259, featuring presentations from KSHS staff members, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday; bit.ly/2025edventure
29 – Topeka
Kansas Day at the Capitol, “Dedication of the Rebel Women Mural,” co-hosted by the Kansas Suffragist Memorial Committee and KSHS, 12 p.m. Wednesday, Kansas State Capitol first floor rotunda; bit.ly/kssuffragistsmural
29 – Topeka
“Happy Birthday, Kansas!” Celebration, co-hosted by the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center and KSHS, 3 p.m. Wednesday, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center; bit.ly/kscdchbks2025
30 – Council Grove
Kaw Mission Councils, “Kaáⁿze Language & History: Past & Present,” presented by Desireé “Storm” Brave, 7 p.m. Thursday, the Dealership Building
FEBRUARY
1 – Virtual
Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review, triannual meeting, 9:30 a.m. Saturday, via Zoom; bit.ly/kshshsbrmtg
2 – Lecompton
Bleeding Kansas Program Series, “The Tale of Two Buttons: Territorial Kansas Southern Militia Buttons Found Near Lecompton,” presented by Andrew Peterson, 2 p.m. Sunday, Constitution Hall
9 – Council Grove
Kaw Mission Councils, Friends of Kaw Heritage Annual Meeting: “The Civil War in Kansas,” presented by Will Haynes, 2 p.m. Sunday, the Dealership Building
9 – Emporia
W. A. White Birthday Program, “Becoming a Kansas State Historic Site,” presented by Patrick Zollner, 2 p.m. Sunday, Emporia State University’s William Allen White Library
9 – Lecompton
Bleeding Kansas Program Series, “From Slave to Buffalo Soldier,” presented by George Pettigrew, 2 p.m. Sunday, Constitution Hall
16 – Lecompton
Bleeding Kansas Program Series, “Quantrill Comes to Town,” presented by Tim Talbott, 2 p.m. Sunday, Constitution Hall
22-23 – Topeka
Kansas Anthropological Association (KAA) Certification Seminar, “Historical Archeology: It’s All Archeology,” led by Julie Sebanc-Butler and co-instructed by KSHS staff members, 8:15 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, KSHS Pottawatomi Mission; limited to 25 KAA members; bit.ly/kshskaaseminar
23 – Lecompton
Bleeding Kansas Program Series, “Frontier Justice and Politics in Bleeding Kansas: A Deputy U.S. Marshal is Killed,” presented by Bryce Benedict, JD, 2 p.m. Sunday, Constitution Hall
See more events by scanning the QR code or visiting bit.ly/kshscalendar
Editor’s Notes
Volume 2, Issue 2, Page 11: Article written by Kristen Johnston, MA, Historic Tax Credit Supervisor.
Constitution Hall
Next Issue
Tune into the March/April issue for:
• Reflections on the 50th anniversary of the archeology field school
• What to expect at the 2025 Kansas Preservation Conference
• A preview of the 2025 Museum After Hours Series
• A glimpse of the photo-documentation project for Shawnee Indian Mission’s east building attic
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Kansas Historical Society
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66615-1099
Inaugural archeology field school in 1975 in Scott County