Past Temporary Exhibits

Saturday, April 13: The Victory Garden Movement

Diana Staresinic-Deane
WWI and WWI posters promoting Victory Gardens

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…

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Saturday, March 9: Researching Your Home and the People Who’ve Lived There

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Researching Your Home and the People Who’ve Lived There  Saturday, March 9, 2 p.m.  Neosho County Community College, 900 E Logan, Ottawa, KS  Free Event Researching a property—whether an old home, a new business, or a section of pastureland—can do more than tell us the history of a space; it can also help us build a human connection to the people who came before us and the history they experienced. This presentation helps participants consider creative ways to study documents and assemble a meaningful narrative with information found through research.…

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Friday, February 22: O-Town Reads Book Discussion-Tough As They Come by Travis Mills

Diana Staresinic-Deane

O-Town Reads Book Discussion Tough As They Come by Travis Mills Old Depot Museum Friday, February 8 February 22, Noon   Originally scheduled for February 8, this event has been rescheduled for February 22. Ottawa Library is partnering with the Old Depot Museum to host a book discussion for Travis Mills’ TOUGH AS THEY COME, the 2019 O-Town community reads book.  Thousands of soldiers die each year to defend their country. United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills was sure that he would become another statistic when, during his third…

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Sunday, January 27: 82nd Annual FCHS Meeting featuring Sarah Bell, Women and Chautauqua

Diana Staresinic-Deane

82nd Annual Meeting of the Members of the Franklin County Historical Society featuring “A Congress for Women: Women’s Clubs and the Chautauqua Movement,” presented by Sarah Bell Sunday, January 27, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Neosho County Community College, 900 E Logan, Ottawa, KS   We’re launching the Franklin County Historical Society’s 82nd year with Sarah Bell’s presentation, A Congress for Women: Women’s Clubs and the Chautauqua Movement!  Chautauqua was a rural movement that focused on moral education and self-improvement, and from 1883 to 1914, Ottawa was home to a…

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Friday, January 25: Chamber Coffee at the Old Depot Museum

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Chamber Coffee at the Old Depot Museum Friday, January 25, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. 130 years ago this month, Franklin Countians were catching the train at Ottawa’s brand-new train depot. Join us at the Old Depot Museum for a special commemoration of a grand building and a tour of our exhibit, Iron, Steel, & Stone: The Life of a Depot. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (785) 242-1250 or e-mail us. 

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December 11: Christmas Storytime at the Old Depot Museum

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Old Depot Museum, Ottawa, Kansas Tuesday, December 11, 10 a.m., 2 p.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 three times: 10 a.m., 2 p.m., or 6:30 p.m. This free event is perfect for the whole family!

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December 5 & 12: Historic Craft Class–Making Ornaments From Recycled Papers

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Historic Craft Class: Making Ornaments From Recycled Papers Wednesday, December 5 OR Wednesday, December 12 , 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Washburn Towers, 506 S Main, Ottawa, KS  $4 class only; $ 9 class + craft kit   Learn the history of exchanging Christmas greetings while creating your own traditional decorations out of Christmas cards and wrapping paper. The class is just $4 if you bring your own supplies (old or new holiday cards, wrapping paper, embroidery floss, large needles, other embellishments) or $9 for the class plus a supply kit…

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Third Annual Silent Film Event brings “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” to the big screen

Diana Staresinic-Deane

The Franklin County Historical Society, Plaza Cinema, and Kansas Silent Film Festival are partnering to bring three fun and spooky films accompanied by live music to the Plaza Cinema, 209 S. Main, Ottawa, Kansas, on Saturday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. Bill Shaffer, former producer/director at KTWU, will emcee the October 20 event, which starts at 7 p.m. The evening’s lineup includes the short films Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920) and Dr. Pycle & Mr. Pryde (1925) and the feature film Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (also 1920). What…

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“Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” Silent Film Event October 20

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Plaza Cinema, 209 S Main, Ottawa, KS Saturday, October 20, 2018, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $15 + tax The Plaza Cinema, Franklin County Historical Society, and Kansas Silent Film Festival are once again partnering to bring you a spectacular silent film event featuring a LIVE musical score performed by keyboardist Marvin Faulwell and percussionist Bob Keckeisen, with introductions by Bill Shaffer. This year’s films include shorts DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (1920), DR. PYCLE & MR. PRYDE (1925), and the feature length film DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (1920), starring John…

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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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