Category: Events

Kansas and the 1918 Flu Epidemic, featuring historian Tyler Johnson

Diana Staresinic-Deane

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…

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Diary of Reuben Smith, Kansas Settler and Civil War Soldier, presented by author Lana Wirt Myers October 21

Diana Staresinic-Deane
Lana Wirt Myers, author of The Diaries of Reuben Smith, Kansas Settler and Civil War Soldier

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…

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New exhibit commemorates 130-year-old depot

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Iron, Steel, and Stone: The Life of a Depot Opens Sunday, October 14, 2018 Old Depot Museum, 135 W Tecumseh, Ottawa, Kansas One hundred and thirty years ago, carpenters were putting the finishing touches on the woodwork at the Santa Fe Depot in Ottawa, Kansas. It was a major milestone for a building that was little more than a hole in the ground for more than two years. The Old Depot Museum’s new exhibit, “Iron, Steel, & Stone: The Life of a Depot,” explores how the depot that almost wasn’t…

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Dietrich Cabin Fall 2018 Hours Announced

Diana Staresinic-Deane

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.

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Franklin County Museum Hopper Weekend August 4-5, 2018

Diana Staresinic-Deane

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…

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Discover Archaeology in Your Own Backyard on July 29

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Archaeology in Your Own Backyard Sunday, July 29, 2 p.m. Neosho County Community College, 900 E Logan, Ottawa, KS The land is much older than we are, and evidence of the people who came before us can be found in the soil. As pieces of farm tools, dishes, pottery, arrowheads, and nails come to the surface, they connect us to the past. What should we do if we find something? How do we identify it? Do we get to keep it? Kansas archaeologist Aaron Colgrove will present “Archaeology in Your…

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Pioneer Days camp comes to Dietrich Cabin this summer!

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Pioneer Days at the Little Cabin 2018 Dietrich Cabin, City Park, 5th and Main, Ottawa, KS A summer camp for kids ages 7 to 12 Session 1: May 21, 22, 23 (MTW) Session 2: June 6, 7, 8 (WThF) Session 3: June 12, 13,1 4 (TWTh) See below for camp fees and registration deadlines. Space is still available in Session 3! The deadline has been extended until June 1, 2018. Take a trip back in time and learn what it was like to live in a cabin. Dress, eat, work, and…

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Dietrich Cabin Spring 2018 Hours Announced

Diana Staresinic-Deane

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. Spring 2018 Dietrich Cabin Hours  Sunday, April 15, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  (weather cancellation) Sunday, April 29, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 20, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Sunday, June 10, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 16,…

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Make your own May Day basket on April 25

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Old Depot Museum, 135 W Tecumseh, Ottawa, KS  Wednesday, April 25, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  $7.50 per person – Ages 8 and up Learn about the history of May Day while making your own flowers and May Day basket! All materials will be provided. Registration is required. Last day to register: April 20. Register online or stop by the Old Depot Museum!

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Critter Companions exhibit opening March 17

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Pets the subject of new exhibit at Old Depot Museum Ottawa, Kansas—The Old Depot Museum’s new exhibit explores Franklin County’s relationship with animals. Critter Companions, a look at working animals and companion pets, opens March 17. Before the 19th Century, most animals found in average households were working animals. Cats chased mice, dogs scented game, and horses provided transportation. During the mid-1800s, companion animals, which had once been common only among more affluent households, began to find their way into the hearts and homes of average citizens. As members of…

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