Kansas State Historical Society, Archives, and Museum, Potawatomi Mission, and Stach School

Description

The Society manages and operates the state's Museum of History, which preserves and presents the history of the state. Exhibits include a Cheyenne tipi; a fully-stocked covered wagon ready for a trip on the Oregon Trail; a 1950s diner made by the Valentine Industries; and a locomotive made in 1880 for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. In the same complex, the society maintains the 1847 Potawatomi Mission, once operated as a boarding school for children of the Potawatomi Indians, and the one-room Stach School, interpreted as it was in the 1910s and 1920s.

The society offers research library access and school tours to orient middle- and high-school students to the library; the museum offers exhibits, tours (including standards-based school tours), and occasional recreational and educational events. The mission offers tours, a small exhibit on Kansas missions, and a period classroom for school groups; the Stach School offers school tours and "Rural School Days"—four-hour programs for fourth- and fifth-grade students that introduce them to student life in 1920.

Osage County Historical Society, Hawley Genealogical Research Center, and Museum [KS]

Description

The Osage County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Osage County, Kansas. To this end, the society operates a museum of local history. Topics addressed include business, farming, railways, coal mining, and family life. The area's ethnic heritage includes African Americans and English, Welsh, Swedish, French, Irish, German, and Italian immigrants.

The museum offers exhibits. The research center offers access to official Orange County records, as well as research assistance. Payment is required for research assistance.

Kansas Oil Museum Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:36
Description

The 10-acre Kansas Oil Museum presents the history of the discovery of oil and the growth of the oil industry within the state of Kansas, as well as the history of Butler County. The site includes historical oil field equipment and a "boom town" of historic buildings. Topics addressed include G.W. Brown’s 1860s oil well, John Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, the connection between geology and oil, farming, ranching, and Native American ways of life.

The museum offers exhibits, camps, tours, Scout programs, oil rig demonstrations, educational outreach programs, and research library access. Advance notice is needed for oil rig demonstrations and school tours. The website offers definitions of drilling terminology and a writing competition.

Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site

Description

On October 25, 1864, approximately 2,800 Union troops attacked and defeated about 8,000 Confederates along the banks of Mine Creek. This was one of the largest cavalry battles in the Civil War and was the only major battle fought in Kansas. The Union brigades were commanded by Colonels Frederick W. Benteen and John F. Philips. After this battle, Federal forces pursued and defeated additional Confederates in Missouri as they attempted to return to Arkansas, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), and eventually Texas. Visitors to the site can learn more about the soldiers and their stories as this dramatic story comes alive at the Mine Creek Battlefield.

The site offers exhibits, occasional living history events, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Hollenberg Pony Express Station State Historic Site

Description

In 1857 Gerat H. and Sophia Hollenberg established a way station for travelers on the Oregon and California Trails, and from 1860 to 1861 they operated a Pony Express station. The building still stands and, along with the visitor center, tells the stories of the Hollenbergs, pioneer life, and the Pony Express.

The site offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational programs.

William Allen White House State Historic Site

Description

Visitors can tour the showplace home of William Allen White, nationally known newspaperman and author. From the 1890s through World War II, White influenced state and national politics through his writings from the heartland town of Emporia. White looms particularly large in the politics of his home state, debating the Populists of the 1890s and battling against the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s.

The site offers tours, exhibits, and educational and recreational events.

Wyandotte County Historical Museum [KS]

Description

The Wyandotte County Historical Museum is dedicated to preserving the historical heritage of Wyandot County, Kansas, through the collection and display of photographs, documents, and other historical artifacts. The museum hosts a a variety of exhibits throughout the year.

The museum offers exhibits and tours, along with occasional special events including community gatherings and presentations. The website offers visitor information and a listing of upcoming events.

Midwest Historical & Genealogical Society [KS]

Description

The Midwest Historical & Genealogical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of the Midwest, particularly that of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The society boasts the largest library owned by a society in the state of Kansas. The library collections consist of more than 21,000 objects, including atlases, census data, directories, genealogies, and cemetery listings.

The society offers a library.