2012 Annual Meeting
Sun., Dec. 2, 2012 • 2-4 PM • Cox Communications Heritage Education Center
- Business meeting
- Election of officers/trustees for 2013
- Student presenter Avery Munns discussed her video documentary done for regional History Day at Washburn University, February, 2012, "Clarina Nichols: Frontier Freedom Fighter"
- Door Prizes / Holiday Bazaar
  
  
  
  
Christmas Tree Decorating and History Promotion
  Jim Ogle, WIBW TV's general manager, purchased the tree and wreath donated by the Shawnee County Historical Society at the Sheltered Living Festival of Trees in December, 2012. Both were displayed in the WIBW's lobby. On December 10, 2012, SCHS President Deb Bisel appeared on Ralph Hipp's 4 O'clock News show to promote membership in not only the SCHS, but other entities such as the Great Overland Station, Combat Air Museum, and the Lecompton Historical Society. Deb encouraged people to do their shopping at their gift shops associated with these organizations. While at the station, she took a moment to pose. The tree and wreath featured images of historic buildings as well as people such as John Ritchie and Cyrus K. Holliday.
— Photos by Gary Bisel
Abraham Lincoln Speaks — Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Lincoln reenactor was Troy Strahan of Gardner, KS.
Civil War Roundtable of Eastern Kansas, meets
monthly on 4th Tuesdays at Cox Communication Heritage Education Center, 1118 SE Madison, Topeka. Meetings are free and open to the public, but attendees are encouraged to join CWR. — Photos by Deb Bisel
Lansing High School Tour of the Ritchie properties in November, 2012.
For two days 260 students toured historic sites in our area.
Education Committee reports: SCHS is partnering with PBS's American Experience and historypin.com for their abolitionist project and documentary. We added John/Mary Jane Ritchie to Abolitionist Map of America, as taking part in the Underground Railroad. As of early December our site is farthest west on the map!
 Enduring Struggle For Freedom — Sundays in November, 2012
Partnering with Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
- Nov. 25:Dr. Bill Wagnon, emeritus Professor of History at Washburn, analyzed a local issue prompted by J. B. Billard and his son, Phillip, over daily compulsory Bible reading to open Topeka schools.
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Nov. 11: Thom Rosenblum, National Park Service historian at the Brown v. Board NHS, made a presentation on Kansas and Topeka area Free Thinkers, posing the question of whether they were visionaries or nut cases.
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Nov. 4: Dr. Walt Menninger, president of the Menninger Foundation, gave a talk on the pioneering role of the Menninger family and associates in fostering greater compassion and support for the mentally ill, freeing them from isolation and disrepute.
 Our Historic Fall Preservation Series features historic home preservation in the Old Town and Holliday Park neighborhoods.
Co-sponsored with Washburn University History Department
The series were held on Sunday afternoons at the Cox Communications Heritage Education Center, 1118 SE Madison.
September 16, 2012, Elizabeth Taylor spoke about preservation of her properties, the Woodward Inns Bed and Breakfasts.
October 21: Barb Quaney spoke about JQ Properties
in OldTown area, near Topeka High School
November 18: Nova Cottrell will discuss the Charles
Curtis House Museum on Topeka Boulevard.
This series is free and open to the public. A special thank you to Washburn's history department for sponsoring this series.
KSHS "Heritage Fair," Saturday, October 20, 2012
 
Photos by Charity Rouse. Martie Rison & Gavin people the SCHS table at the Kansas History Center.
Ice Cream Social & Santa Fe Band Concert
Sunday, August 5, 2012
  
  
  
 
  
 
History Camp for Kids,
Super Saturdays
for kids ages 8-12
6- 23 - "Farm Busters" - A Field Study of Early Farming Tools
and "If Walls Could Talk" A Field Study of the John & Mary Jane Ritchie Home
7- 14 - "Dear Diary…" - A Field Study of Samuel Reader's Diary
7- 21 - "Making Time for Fun" - A Field Study of Celebrations and Pioneer Toys
7- 28 - "Right Under Their Noses!" - Secrets of the Underground Railroad in Topeka
8 - 4 - "My Kansas Home" - A Field Study of Topeka's Pioneer Dwellings
Oregon Trail swales tour
Thursday, June 16, 2012
Sponsored by Shawnee County Historical Society
and conducted by Doug Mauck
—We met at the visitors parking lot, Governor's Mansion, 1 Cedar Crest Drive
Read "Oregon Trail's wagon swales still visible at MacLennan Park"
by Eric Smith, the Topeka Capital-Journal, 6-14-2012 |
| Before the Interstate Highway, planes and trains, Americans crossed the continent from east to west by wagon trails. In the 1840s and 50s, one of those major byways was the Oregon Trail, which passed through what would become Topeka in 1854. Development has eradicated most physical evidence in Shawnee County of the thousands of settlers moved who through here to the Pacific North West. However, parts of the trail are visible in the park south of Cedar Crest. |
Doug Mauck, a student of the Oregon Trail, has identified trail evidence and wagon swales, led a public field trip at Cedar Crest on Thursday evening, June 14, 2012. Mauck pointed out where the trail crossed Fairlawn Rd., then led the group along the evident swales, pointing out how they cross the park and track to the top of Menninger Hill and beyond. |
2012 Preservation Awards — Sunday, May 5, 2012
held at the Blue Planet Cafe, Thacher Building, at 110 SE 8th St., Topeka, 2 PM
See also: "Society Honors Persistance and Perseverance in Preservation" by Giang Nguyen, Topeka Capital-Journal, 5-6-2012
The sixth 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.
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Carlton Scroggins
Preservation Awards Committee Chair
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Jeff Carson
Thacher Building host
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Stacey Keller
Topeka Landmarks Commission Chair
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Deb Bisel
Shawnee Co. Historical Society President
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Deb Bisel, Shawnee County Historical Society President, honored these 2012 SCHS Preservation Award recipients:
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| Jayhawk Theatre, Jeff Carson & Doug Jones accepting: "Persistence in Historic Restoration Efforts" |
Constitution Hall, Douglass Wallace & Don Lambert accepting: "Perseverance in Historic Restoration Efforts" |
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| John & Julie Lyle, Revitalizing Elmhurst Neighborhood: "Historic Preservation and Heighborhood Revitalization" |
Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, Washburn campus: Dr. Jerry
Farley & Bob Taggert accepting: ""Preservation of Historic Property" |
The Schultz Family: Carlton Scroggins & Douglass Wallace accepting, "Maintaining & Dining." |
Stacey Keller, new chair of the Topeka Landmark Commission recognized former commission members Robert Banks (ex-chair), Sandra Lassiter, Christy Davis and Rowena Horr. Banks and Lassiter accepted their recognitions in person.
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Stacy Keller with past chair, Robert Banks |
Stacy Keller with Sandra Lassiter |
Stacey announced the past year's additions to the National Register of Historic Places: ATSF Motive Power Building, 1001 NE Atchison Street; Hughes Conoco Service Station, 400 SW Taylor Street; North Topeka Baptist Church, 123 NW Gordon Street; John C. Harmon House, 915 SW Buchanan Street; and Church of the Holy Name, 110 SW 10th Street. One local landmark designation, the William Crosby House, 1109 S. Topeka Blvd., home of William Crosby, founder of the Crosby Department Store in downtown Topeka, was also recognized. The Crosby home is currently used as the local headquarters of the Kansas State Nurses Association.
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Edwin Hughes accepts for
Hughes Conoco |
Darrell Linquist accepts for
North Topeka Baptist Church |
Garth Combs accepts for
John C. Harmon House |
2012 building preservation projects honored:
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Jayhawk Theatre, 720 SW Jackson St.
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Constitution Hall, 429 & 431 S. Kansas Ave.
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Elmhurst properties, among those restored by John and Julie Lyle
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Benoit Swinnen Properties, 917-921 S. Topeka Blvd.
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The Schultz Family, The Break Room, 911 S. Kansas Ave.
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Attic Sale: Saturday, April 5, 2012
This fundraiser was the first of its kind for Shawnee County Historical Society, held in the yards of the Ritchie property and inside the Hale Ritchie House. The sale included donated household items and antiques. Special guest was historian and antique dealer, Lt. Col. (ret) David Chuber, who ran our auction which started at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
Freedom Seekers: Stories from the Underground Railroad
Sunday, April 1, 2012 — Premiere of Gary Jenkins's 75-minute documentary
Freedom Seekers tells stories of the dangerous escapes by Missouri slaves held in bondage and thrilling adventures of Kansas Conductors and Stationmasters. Learn about the undercover activities of Wiliam Quantrill, the gun fight at the Wakarusa Valley cabin of Joseph Gardner, The Immortal 10, forged slave passes and many more previously untold stories of the Underground Railroad. Footage included Quindaro, Kansas ruins where many Freedom Seekers hid in cellars, wells and hidden rooms.
For more information on Jenkins and his films, visit http://lifedocumentaries.com/
See also: "Film documents Underground Railroad in Ks.," Topeka Capital-Journal, 3/18/2012
See also: KPR coverage, "Part 1:Tracing the Tracks of the Underground Railroad Through Kansas" and "Part 2: Local Projects Unearth Underground Railroad History"
See also: "Guide to Underground Railroad sites in Shawnee County" [a downloadable pdf file]
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Topeka
Home Builders Association Home Show, Friday-Sunday,
March 1-3, 2012
SCHS greeted the public with a table at the entrance.
Volunteers shared member information, upcoming events and shared
love of local history. Contact information was shared and new members
recruited. Some past issues of Bulletins were sold.
A "thank you" goes to event volunteers!
Shared Stories of the Civil War readers theatre
Scripts developed by the Kansas Humanities Council & Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area
—select a thumbnail to see the larger photo—
Sunday, February 26, 2012: "Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence and Order Number 11"
Directed by Lana Wagnon, introductions by Bruce Mactavish, narrated by Travis Lamb
Readers: Ralph Skoog, Phyllis Penney, Jack Wagnon, Phyllis Penney and Jan Stover
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Sunday, February 19, 2012: "Guerilla Warfare: Bushwackers & Jayhawkers"
Directed by David Tangeman, introductions by Bruce Mactavish, narrated by Ralph Hipp
Readers: Phyllis Penney, Ken Kerly, Mary Feighny, Doug Wright and David Tangeman
As after the first two February events, Bill Wagnon gave tours of the John Ritchie House.
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Sunday, February 12, 2012: "The Underground Railroad"
Directed by Margaret Wood, introductions by Kelly Erby, narrated by Ralph Hipp
Readers: Phyllis Penney, Lana Wagnon, Mary Feighny, Doug Wright and Margaret Wood
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Sunday, February 5, 2012: "John Brown: Martyr or Madman?"
Directed by Phyllis Penney, introductions by Kelly Erby, narrated by Ralph Hipp
Readers: Ken and Mary Kerle, David Tangeman, Ralph Skoog and Phyllis Penney
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SCHS ANNUAL MEETING — Sunday, December 2, 2012
