2010 Annual Meeting — Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Break Room, 911 S. Kansas Av., Topeka, 2 PM

Shawnee County Historical Society held our Annual Meeting at The Break Room, 911 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka, KS, 66612, 2:00-4:00 p.m. This annual event gave SCHS members and friends an opportunity to share in the accomplishments of the SCHS throughout 2010 and informed themselves of upcoming events and plans. It also served as the annual business meeting of the Society, with voting opportunity on nominations for new trustees. Three thrustees were elected. Jeanne Mithen and Kim Morris Cordova accepted new terms, following completion of their 3-year trustee obligations 2008-2010. Deb Goodrich Bisel accepted her first term position as trustee.

This event coincideed with the 156th anniversary of the founding of Topeka.

The program included a talk by Nathan McAlister, named 2010 National History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. He teaches at Royal Valley Middle School, in Mayetta, where students successfully lobbied the Kansas Legislature to name a portion of US 75 highway as Lane Memorial Trail.

Historian Deb Goodrich Bisel also made a presentation on the 150th anniversary of Kansas statehood and the beginnings of the American Civil War.

This event was free and open to members and those interested in membership. Refreshments were served. The meeting was immediately followed by a tour of nearby Hale Ritchie House renovation progress.

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Hale Ritchie House Tour immediately followed the Annual Meeting

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November 2010 Open Houses were:
Nov. 6 - Pioneer Days (pioneer weaving, games, recipe tasting)
Nov. 13 - "What the Apple Means to Kansas" with Deb Goodrich
Nov. 20 - Territorial/Bleeding Kansas Days 
   - Terrible Homicide, the Trial of John Ritchie
   - The Underground Railroad in Kansas, an historical performance by Anne Hawkins as Mary Jane Ritchie
Nov. 26 - 19th-century Holiday Celebrations

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Kansas Capitals/Topeka Capitols — Sunday, Oct.24, 2010

Visit the Capitol Tour Web Page

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2010 Hale Ritchie Barebones Tour — Summer, 2010
1118 SE Madison St., Topeka, 7 PM

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2010 Preservation Awards — Sunday, May 2, 2010
"The Woodward" , 1272 SW Fillmore St., Topeka, 2 PM

The fourth annual joint awards for preservation of sites reflecting the history of Shawnee County were presented by the Shawnee County Historical Society and the Topeka Landmarks Commission.

Guest speaker was Walt Hillmer, ex-owner of Topeka's long-time downtown business, Hillmer's Leather, Luggage & Gifts. He spoke about the impact on the Topeka community of legendary architect Thomas Williamson, the the landmark buildings he designed in Topeka, including Topeka High School, the First Methodist Church at 6th & Harrison, Mulvane Art Museum on the Washburn University campus, Kansas's largest stee-framed structure, The Jayhawk Hotel at 7th and Jackson Sts., Roosevelt/Boswell/Crane junior high schools, the Van Buren First Station at 17th & Topeka Blvd. and, importantly, Sumner and Monroe elementary schools. Hillmer's complete talk is reproduced in our June 2010 Historical Highlights newsletter, pp. 3-5.

Chris Schultz, Shawnee County Historical Society President, honored these 2010 SCHS Preservation Award recipients:

	•  Sandi Wilber and Barry Busch, for their home, Clifton Farm, at 5343 SE 49th Street, Berryton, Kansas 66409.		•  John Pinegar and Doug Smith, 513 SW Van Buren, Topeka, KS 66603, for their offices in the Ross Row Houses.
	•  Alan and Sabra Shirrell, PO Box 67, Tecumseh, KS 66542, for the Eli Hopkins House, 6033 SE Hiway US 40.		•  Chester and Colleen Curtright, for their home at 1281 SW Buchanan, Topeka, KS 66604.
	•  Steven L. Adams, 10050 Jordan Rd, Wakarusa, KS 66546 for the Wakarusa Hotel, same address.		•  Jim and Charlene Robuck, for adaptive reuse of the Shawnee State Bank building at 845 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, Ks 66608 as jewelry retail store.

In addition, the SCHS Preservation Committee recommends that certificates recognizing the following for promoting and preserving Shawnee County heritage:

• At Home Section of The Topeka Capital Journal, edited by Steve Thompson, for attention given to older homes.
• Matthew Porubsky for his documentary on C.W. Porubsky Grocery and Meats in North Topeka.
• Kansas Arts Commission, 700 SW Jackson, Topeka, KS 66603, Lewellen Crane, executive director, for undertaking the adaptive reuse of the Dillon House as its headquarter.

The Topeka Landmark Commission recognized the legislative delegation from Shawnee County for their efforts in restoring state tax credits for historic preservation. Joan Wagnon, chair of the delegation, accepted the award from Christy Davis.