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The Romanians are Coming!
– by Paul Miller – My parents, Clarence and Lourine Miller, took advantage of a program through the Lutheran Church to sponsor a refugee family from Europe to bring them to the United States. Both of my parents were of German heritage. My Father was born in 1904 and grew up speaking German in the…
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Stone Fences of Wabaunsee County
– by Paul Miller – One of the features of Wabaunsee County that visitors and natives enjoy viewing is the native stone fence. Many of the fences are still in use today as they were originally intended after standing for over 130 years. Others have fallen into disrepair as they are no longer needed, or…
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Great-Grandfather’s Civil War Rifle
-by Dean Gladow- In retrospect, it was perhaps too much to expect. Great-grandfather “Fred” Heidemann, whose christened name– from the church record of his birth on January 13, 1834, at Petersdorf (near Templin, in the province of Brandenburg, Germany)– was actually Johann Friedrich Heidemann, had already grown to be somewhat of a family legend. His…
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Wabaunsee County Video Recollections
Click here for the main menu to view these recordings. These films are the result of a collaboration between Mark Feiden and the Wabaunsee County Historical Society. It is an ongoing effort to record stories from county residents. The current interviewees include Martin Gnadt, Bill Brethour, Bill Schwalm, Tony Meseke, Gary Schultz, Evelyn Zeckser, Mary…
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Hidden Cellar Discovered Beneath Museum Annex
Recently, while maintenance was underway in the Wabaunsee County Historical Society’s annex building, located at 223 S. Missouri Street in Alma, Kansas, a hidden underground cellar or “cave” was discovered under the annex floor. The cave, built of laid limestone, featured an arched-ceiling design and included a long stone staircase which led from the inside…
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1939 Phone Book, Alma, Eskridge, Maple Hill, Kansas
This American Telephone Company phone book from 1939 includes listings from Alma, Eskridge, and Maple Hill, Kansas. The covers provide a listing of local businesses, and virtually every business in the three towns is listed in the directory.
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Prussian Hero Grandfather Adapts to Wabaunsee County
-by Dean Gladow Normally, a generation is thought to be about twenty-five years. However, there are exceptions, including my maternal grandfather being 91 years older than I! Gustav Wilhelm Bock was born May 7, 1847, in what is now northwestern Poland. I suspect there are relatively few people who can say they and two previous…
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Old Friends of the Flint Hills: Russell Woofter, 1915-2007
By Greg Hoots This article originally appeared in the 2012 print edition of the Flint Hills Special. Russell Woofter was the hardest working man that I’ve ever known. Russell approached every task on his farm with the determination and stamina that often belied his age. Perhaps his work ethic had its roots in his childhood,…
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Matchbook Memories
One of the great inventions of the 19th century which greatly improved the quality of life for virtually all Americans was the creation of the match in the early 1800s. The first modern self-igniting match was invented by a Frenchman, Jean Chancel, in Paris in 1805. These early “matches” were chemical devices which ignited when…
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Stanley Funeral Home, Eskridge, Kansas
This story of the Stanley Funeral Home was compiled with personal recollections of Judy Stanley Hayes who was a toddler while her family resided in Eskridge, Kansas, supplemented with photos and family stories told by her parents. Thank you to Judy Hayes for sharing her family’s history. Raymond Stanley was born in 1911 at Erie,…
