Welcome to Photo Friday. Today’s photo is a view of Halifax, Kansas, now a ghost town in Wabaunsee County. Located six miles south of Alma, Kansas, the town was first called Bismarck, […]
Kansas Ghost Town, Halifax
Kansas Ghost Town, Keene
Keene, Kansas is located on Kansas Highway 4 about five and a half miles west of Dover, Kansas. Some of the earliest settlers of Wabaunsee County settled a mile east of Keene […]
Dover, Kansas
Dover, Kansas is located on Kansas Highway 4 in the southwest corner of Shawnee County, just a half-mile east of the Wabaunsee County line. Dover has long been a trading center for residents of […]
The Barns of Wabaunsee County
Wabaunsee County enjoys a rich ranching heritage which is reflected in the many expansive barns which adorned the landscape. All of late 19th century and early 20th century barns had large hay […]
Under Construction
Few things have changed more in our lives than construction techniques for buildings and bridges. These photographs capture the construction of Wabaunsee County’s infrastructure, including the building of commercial buildings, churches, schools […]
Construction of the Wabaunsee County Courthouse, 1931
In 1931 Wabaunsee County constructed a new courthouse on the block bordered by 2nd Street, and 3rd Street, Iowa Street to Kansas Avenue in Alma, Kansas. The county had levied a one-mill […]
Volland, Then and Now
Photographer and graphic artist, Tom Parish has created a collection of Volland, Kansas “re-photographs” which merge the images from historic photos with those taken today. Parish uses early Otto Kratzer photos from […]
Freedom’s Frontier: Stories from the Western Border
Freedom’s Frontier: Stories from the Western Border is an exhibition of photographs, maps, and images introducing the public to the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area and how the Wabaunsee County region’s history […]
Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park
– by Michael Stubbs – The Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Preserve is a 50-acre hilltop prairie dedicated to Captain William Mitchell and the Connecticut Kansas Colony. Located three miles south of Wamego […]
Alma’s Oldest Building, Palenske Hall
The oldest surviving building in Alma, Kansas is today known as Palenske Hall, named after Fred Palenske, the benefactor of the Wabaunsee County Historical Society. The building was built in 1873 for […]
Wabaunsee County Historical Society and Museum 