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…
Read MoreTag: Kansas
March 3: Carnegie Libraries of Kansas (program)
Carnegie Libraries of Kansas presented by Christine Steinkuehler Sunday, March 3, 2024, 2 p.m. In person: FCHS Archives & Research Center, 2011 E Logan St, Ottawa, Kansas 66067 Online: Register for Zoom Once the richest man in the world, Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) donated a substantial portion of his fortune to the construction of more than 2,500 libraries around the world. 65 of those libraries—including 59 public libraries and 7 academic/university libraries—were built in Kansas. In her presentation, Christine Steinkuehler will explore how these buildings democratized access to libraries and created…
Read MoreSummer 2022: 1859 Dietrich Cabin Tours
1859 Dietrich Cabin Tours First Saturday in June, July, & August, 10 a.m. to Noon Dietrich Cabin is reopening for tours! Originally located southwest of present-day Princeton, Dietrich Cabin was built in 1859 by German immigrants Jacob and Catherine Dietrich, who came to Franklin County in 1857. A century later, descendants of the family donated the cabin to the Franklin County Historical Society, and the cabin was moved to City Park. The cabin represents the story of the Dietrich family and hundreds of other early settlers who came to Franklin…
Read MoreJuly 17, 2022 Program: Architecture of the People’s Houses
Architecture of the People’s Houses presented by Murl Riedel Sunday, July 17, 2022, 2 p.m. Ottawa Memorial Auditorium, 301 South Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas Kansas has 105 county courthouses and hundreds of city halls, plus a few more state capitals than you might expect. The manifestation of the greatest ideals occurs in these buildings, where the work of the people’s democracy is in action. The designs of these buildings tell us about the evolution of local government in the state. Larger societal issues, such as the Free State and the Civil…
Read MoreMarch 8, 2022: Prairie Gas Stations
Prairie Gas Stations presented by Judi Kirk Sunday, March 6, 2022, 2 p.m. Ottawa Memorial Auditorium 301 South Hickory Street, Ottawa, Kansas 66067 Judi Kirk loves early 20th-century gas stations. When she discovered that one of her favorites—a filling station on Highway 54 in Cairo, Kansas—was torn down, she made it her quest to photograph as many old Kansas gas stations as she could before they vanished. Her adventures in seeking out and photographing historic filling stations have been compiled into two books, Remnants: Prairie Gas Stations Remembered and…
Read MorePOSTPONED: November 14: Main Street Richmond: 1880-1980 (online program)
Main Street Richmond: 1880-1980 presented by Dennis Peters Register at Zoom or watch via Facebook Live The small town of Richmond, Kansas, has changed a lot over the years. Changing businesses, shifting community needs, and destructive fires have shaped and reshaped the community. Dennis Peters, volunteer with the Richmond Community Museum, will present a history of Richmond through photographs in the museum’s collection. This program will be rescheduled as in in-person program in the spring of 2022.
Read MoreJune 29: Dirt, Grit, & Jell-O Salad–How We Survived the Great Depression (Online Event)
Dirt, Grit, & Jell-O Salad–How We Survived the Great Depression presented by Beccy Tanner Tuesday, June 29, 7 p.m. Via Zoom & Facebook Live Click here to register for Zoom access Generations after the Great Depression, Kansans still define themselves and rural communities largely in the same terms their grandparents and great-grandparents once used–“hard-working, close-knit, loyal, and faithful.” But the dynamics have changed. Fewer Kansans are growing up on farms. More than 70 percent of people in Kansas now identify themselves as living in urban communities. Today, rural Kansans face…
Read MoreApril 13: Trails of Kansas: Past, Present, and Future (Online Event)
Trails of Kansas: Past, Present, and Future presented by Jonathan Conard and Kristin Conard April 13, 7 p.m. Click here for recording The history of trails runs deep across the Kansas plains. From the historic Oregon, Santa Fe, and Chisholm Trails to the steady growth in recreational trails throughout our state today, there are more opportunities than ever to explore Kansas on foot, bike, or horseback. Trails that connect the past to the present are found throughout the state and we highlight some of the most scenic and interesting trails…
Read MoreJanuary 31:Historic maps the topic of this year’s virtual historical society annual meeting
“Mapping the Past,” presented by Kelly Johnston 84th Annual Meeting of the Members of the Franklin County Historical Society Sunday, January 31, 2021, 2 p.m. Click Here For Recording Before technology like drones, aerial photography, and GPS, 19th and early 20th century cartographers were creating incredibly accurate and detailed maps of small and large towns and their historic structures. Kelly Johnston will explore the history of some of these maps and how they can be used to research the history of buildings and towns during his presentation at…
Read MorePOSTPONED: Foam on the Range, presented by Isaias McCaffery – December 16
Foam on the Range Wednesday, December 16, 7 p.m. Watch via Facebook Live Wherever You Are Watch at Not Lost Brewing and enjoy a round courtesy of The Gun Guys in Ottawa, KS This event has been postponed. A new date will be announced in the spring. Settle in with your favorite beverage for a story about prohibition, an attempt to thwart immigrant brewers, and immigrant perseverance in Kansas! Watch this program live online from wherever you are or watch it over dinner and beer at Not Lost Brewing! Details…
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