-by Greg Hoots- There are few of us that have never enjoyed a cold bottle of “soda pop” on a hot day. That simple pleasure has become a big business in the […]
Alma Bottling Works
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 […]
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, […]
Alma Portland Cement Works
Photographer Tom Parish visited the site of the Alma Portland Cement Works, a late-19th century manufacturing enterprise, located near Alma, Kansas. Parish photographed the remains of the large kiln where ingots of […]
At The Museum: The “Beecher Bible” Sharps Model 1852 Carbine
The Sharps rifle was invented by Christian Sharps who obtained a patent for a new design of a breech-loading rifle. Sharps, born in Washington, New Jersey worked as an apprentice to a […]
Photo Friday: 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 […]
Number Please: The History of the Telephone in Wabaunsee County
In the history of Wabaunsee County, June 25, 1898 is a date of historical significance when the McMahan Telephone Exchange opened for business in Alma, Kansas with twelve subscribers. The telephone company […]
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 […]
Eskridge, Kansas-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 Complete History of the Manhattan, Alma & Burlingame Railway
The history of Wabaunsee County, as well as the history of Kansas, cannot be told without paying tribute to the role of the American railroad industry. At the time of Wabaunsee County’s […]
