Author: wabaunseecomuseum
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The ‘Alma Colored Amateur Band’
-by Greg Hoots- As the small towns of the Flint Hills began to develop between 1880 and 1900, one of the needs felt by the early settlers was to have a city band to play for public events and celebrations as well as for dances and private affairs. By 1900 there were a half-dozen city…
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Memories of Jake’s Place
-By Greg Hoots- When I met Jake Copeland, he was retired and living on “the point” at Lake Wabaunsee. He had closed Jake’s Place, his bar in Eskridge, and was enjoying life at the lake. Years later, after Jake’s passing, I met a few folks who told stories of Jake’s Place and their friendships with…
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Law and Order: The Anthony King Murder
-By Greg Hoots- Chapter 1 Anthony and Marie King were a typical young married couple. Anthony King, born in 1871, was a clerk in a store when the pair wed, and as many young couples do, the Kings hoped to buy a home and raise a family in Junction City, Kansas where they resided. King…
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Eskridge Alumni Association Digitizes Eskridge High School Class Photos
The Eskridge High School Alumni Association recently contracted with Flint Hills photo historian, Greg Hoots to digitize forty-six graduating class pictures that once adorned the walls of Eskridge High School in Eskridge, Kansas. The photos were lost for a period of time when USD 330 disposed of their elementary and old high school buildings. The Alumni Association recovered forty-six…
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The Infamous Dr. Smith(s)
-by Greg Hoots- Here’s a great historic photo from the Bat Nelson collection. It’s a real photo postcard, postmarked 1909 showing the interior of Dr. W.H.H. Smith’s pharmacy in Alta Vista, Kansas. Dr. Smith, seen standing at the right, was a registered pharmacist, as well as a licensed physician and surgeon. It was not uncommon in…
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The History of Wabaunsee County Newspapers
-by Greg Hoots- In April of 1867 Alma, Kansas became the county seat of Wabaunsee County, following two contested elections which found Alma and Wabaunsee vying for the placement of the county’s courthouse. The momentous event did not make its way into the newspapers. In the earliest days of Alma, growth was slow, and the county was…
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Tornado Strikes Eskridge
-by Greg Hoots- April 12, 1911 began like many spring days for the residents of Eskridge, Kansas as a strong, relentless wind was blowing from the southwest and a hint of clouds could be seen along the western horizon. By early afternoon, clouds had filled the sky above Wabaunsee County, and the first thunderstorms, accompanied…
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Haying at the Steinmeyer Barn
This rare image of men loading a barn loft with loose hay was taken at the Fred Steinmeyer farm, located five miles south of Alma, Kansas. The hay carrier had huge steel jaws which would grab large piles of hay from the loaded wagon, hoisting them to the loft where they would be slid along a rail into the back…
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Louis Palenske Archives Presented on Kansasmemory.org
The digitized photos and manuscripts of Alma photographer Louis Palenske have been included in the Kansas State Historical Society’s digital archives and presented on their website, Kansasmemory.org. The collection represents 390 new items for the KSHS website, and can be viewed as a group through this link: http://www.kansasmemory.org/locate.php?categories=13479-13484-11928-12854& The photos and documents were digitized through a…
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Video: Volland Memories, The Kratzer Films
In 2015 the Kansas Humanities Council awarded a grant to the Wabaunsee County Historical Society to fund an exhibition of photography by Volland, Kansas shopkeeper and photographer, Otto Kratzer. The project also funded the production of a short documentary film titled, Volland Memories: The Kratzer Films. Flint Hills historian and writer, Greg Hoots scripted and produced…