Category: Museum Blog
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The History of the Alma Salt Works
-by John Winkler- Editor’s note: This manuscript was written by Wabaunsee County pioneer, John Winkler shortly before his death in 1907. Winkler was scheduled to speak from the manuscript at a meeting of the Wabaunsee County Historical Society on August 6, 1907, but was taken ill and could not attend. His manuscript was read to…
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A Hardware Legend
-by Kathy Hendricks, WCHS Museum Curator- Alma, Kansas, known as the “City of Native Stone,” had its birthplace at what is today the intersection of Missouri and 3rd Streets. The county’s first courthouse, the town’s first store and its first hotel were all built near that intersection. The town itself is a mere 150 years old,…
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Derailed
In the history of Wabaunsee County, among the significant events which shaped the county’s development and growth were the coming of the railroad in 1880 and the subsequent addition of a second railroad seven years later. For a century the railroad provided transportation, commerce and employment for the citizens of Wabaunsee County. When one considers…
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Soda Fountain Memories
One of the iconic businesses that existed in most Kansas towns of the 20th century was the local drug store and pharmacy. The business, itself, underwent great changes as the patent medicine sellers whose medicine could barely be distinguished from the wares of snake oil salesmen, began to fade into obscurity, and the pharmacy business…
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Mill Creek Valley & Council Grove Railway Bond, 1873
No single force was so important to the development of the American West than the railroad industry. By the middle of the 19th century, the nation’s lawmakers realized that the development of a network of railroads across America would hasten the economic and political development of the land west of the Mississippi River. Several pieces…
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Video: Halloween Parade, Eskridge, Kansas
This is a short 8-millimeter video of the Halloween parade in Eskridge, Kansas taken in the very early 1950s. It’s a great little video of an iconic parade in small town America. You will notice a few changes in the streetscape of Eskridge. The video cameraperson was positioned in front of the Waugh Building, 123…
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August Ohst, Artist
Today’s featured photo includes two views, both taken in 1888 by Louis Palenske, of his good friend, artist, August Ohst. August Ohst was born in Ratzeburg, Germany in 1851 and came to America in 1880, studying art in New York City before moving to Alma, Kansas in 1883. Ohst spent the next half-century practicing his trade…
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Shave and a Haircut
One of the most iconic small town businesses which thrived in the first half of the 20th century was the local barber shop. Every town had one. Some towns had two or more. It was one of those curious businesses where the competitor of a particular barber might be working at a chair in…
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Eskridge City Park Bandstand
After Wabaunsee County’s incorporated towns were established from the 1860s through the 1880s, the towns began to recognize the need for a park for the recreation and enjoyment of their citizenry. By the dawn of the 20th century, most of the towns had established a park, easily accessible by walking. At the same time, virtually…
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Gasoline Gallery
Before the development of the convenience store and the concept of self-service gasoline pumps, there were thousands of small gas stations across Kansas that pumped fuel, washed the customer’s windows, checked the oil, repaired tires, sold sandwiches and soda pop, and provided a venue for local men to loaf. Architecturally, the stations were often tiny…