Annual Meeting, Shawnee County Historical Society, Topeka and Shawnee County, Kansas

Our clean up day at the Hale-Richie site was a smashing success because so many volunteers showed up with a willing attitude. We were basically done by noon and the weather cooperated beautifully.

The Shawnee Shindig on Oct 23 was a great success. Interesting
music and presentations on early Kansas history. Allen Jones did a
smashing job of protraying Fry Giles and his involvement in early
Topeka history. Ramon Powers gave a talk on the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Topeka constitution convention.

2005 Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony
May 2005 On May 4, 2005, the Shawnee County Historical Society held a Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony at the 6th Avenue Ballroom(the old IOOF building) at 117-119 SW 6th Street. —6/2/2005

Program for the evening:

Presentation about Constitution Hall by Robert Johnson
Presentation about the Great Overland Station by Bob St. John
Awards Ceremony
Portrayal of Mahala Doyle(survivor of the Pottawatomie Creek Massacre) by Michelle Martin
Presentation about the Ritchie House Project by Rick Friedstrom

Historic Preservation Awards:

North Topeka On The Move (NOTOMA) for their publication of the Garfield Gazette
Mark and Sarah Burenheide for their preservation projects in Downtown
Topeka and Holiday Park
Michael Fox for preservation projects in Downtown Topeka
The Great Overland Station(award accepted by Max Prosser)
Brown v. Board National Historic Site (award accepted by Superintendent Dennis Vasquez)
Robert Johnson received a Lifetime Preservation Award for his decades of efforts in numerous historical preservation projects

The evening was well attended, and thanks to the efforts of Betty Paxson
and Betty Bomar, the refreshments were enjoyed by all. This will be an
annual event in conjunction with National Preservation Week

The Annual Meeting of the Society was held December 4, 2005. The program focused on the underground railroad, where Bill Wagnon read a memoir by Rev Lewis Bodwell, pastor of the Congregation church in Topeka and conspirator with Ritchie to operate the underground railroad out of Topeka. There was also a round table discussion on the underground railroad from surounding counties as well. This event was held at Central Congregation Church. Read 2005 Annual Report [26 pgs., pdf file]

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