The 2004 Bulletin is out and it is wonderful!
Thanks to Doug Wallace for his fantastic work on the 2004 Bulletin - Prairie Palace, The Great Overland Station. What a tremendous job. Thank Doug for all his efforts when you see him. Putting out a Bulletin of this quality takes a phenomenal amount of work.

Other Publications available from the Society:
Check the Bulletins List for issues that are still available - they make great Birthday presents, etc.

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2005 Shawnee County Historical Calendar
January-December 2005

DATE	LOCATION	PURPOSE
January 18	Ross Row House	Executive Committee
February 15	Ross Row House	Executive Committee
March 15	Hicks Block Apartment & 821 Western	Trustee Meeting
April 19	Ross Row House	Executive Committee
May 17	Ross Row House	Executive Committee
June 21	Constitution Hall	Trustee Meeting
July 19	Ross Row House	Executive Committee
August 16	Ross Row House	Executive Committee
September 20	To Be Announced	Trustee Meeting
October 18	Ross Row House	Executive Committee
November 15	Ross Row House	Executive Committee
December 4	Monroe School	Annual Meeting
___________________________  All SCHS meetings begin at 4 pm  Guests & visitors are always welcome!!

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For Your Information...
We want your input for the upcoming year, and we want your participation.

Committees — After the merger of Historic Topeka, Inc. and the Shawnee County Historical Society there was a period of regrouping and restructuring. We now have a new Committee Structure and are in the process of identifying Committee Chairs and Members. This is an opportunity for all members to get involved in projects related to their interests. Please review the list of Committees mentioned on page 5, and we hope you will volunteer for one of your interest. Contact
Doug Jones to volunteer (232-4735, doug.jone@washburn.edu).

2005 Executive Committee:

• Doug Jones, President
• Tuck Duncan, Immediate Past President
• Not yet identified, President-Elect
• Marcia C. Saville, Secretary
• Matt Tomlinson, Treasurer
• Carol Yoho, Bill Wagnon, Doug Wallace, At Large Members
• Dianna Hillbebert, Membership Secretary

2005 Committee Chairs & Tasks:*

* The Committee Chairs are also members of the Executive Committee and are invited to the monthly Executive
Committee meeting.

1. Nominating Committee – Tuck Duncan
       a. Nominates next slate of officers and board members
2. Membership Committee – Dorothy Hill
       a. Maintain mailing list
       b. Dues collection
       c. Recruitment of new members
       d. Maintain membership roster
3. Publications Committee – Douglass Wallace
       a. Publish annual bulletin
       b. Inventory past bulletins
       c. Oversight of sales of all publications
       d. Propose book publications as fundraisers
       e. Develop local outlets for publication sales
4. Annual Meeting/Events Committee – Betty Paxson
       a. Schedule and plan annual meeting
       b. Schedule and plan other historic events/meetings
5. Preservation Committee – Doug Jones
       a. Research recipients of annual preservation awards in
            conjunction with Preservation Week
       b. Take an active role in restoration and preservation of historic
           landmarks in Shawnee County
       c. Liason with Landmark Commission
6. Ritchie Project Committee – Bill Wagnon
       a. Oversee restoration, preservation, new construction, and
           maintenance of the complex
       b. Develop educational initiatives
       c. Fundraising activities (Capital Campaign)
7. Ross Row House Committee – Doug Jones
       a. Oversee restoration, preservation, new construction, and
           maintenance of the complex
       b. Provide oversight for monthly expenses (in conjunction with the
           treasurer)
8. Public Relations Committee – Ann Spiess
       a. Newsletter
       b. Media Contact
       c. Website
       d. Responding to historic inquires (Medal/artwork)
       e. Speakers Bureau

Back to Top of Page

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February Ritchie House Campaign Newsletter

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JOIN US! —SCHS Online Membership Form

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"2nd Annual Topeka Fall Festival 1897"
   Bill Thrasher metal-detects for civil war relics. At a plantation site in middle-Tennessee, he had determined the site was unoccupied after 1880—until he found a little souvenir pin. On the pin is inscribed “2nd Anl. TOPEKA FALL FESTIVAL 1897.”
   “I always try to research any of my finds so as to add to the historical record. I now suspect some of the slaves remained on this until the turn of the century. Possibly someone visited in Kansas or perhaps carried stock to show.”

Interesting tidbit from Carol Yoho, Topeka:
   “Whitehead & Hoag Co., of Newark, N.J. was developing celluloid pinback technology just about the time of this Fall Festival. Their patents were July 17, 1894, April 14, 1896 and July 21, 1896.
   Topeka eventually went with "modern technology" and produced colorful celluloid pinbacks for festivals held at the turn of the
century. I figure the pin [right] is from the turn of the Twentieth Century. It would have never survived in the ground like the brass piece above."

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Upcoming Events:

• March 15, 2005, Next Trustees Meeting The location of the March 15, 2005 Trustee’s Meeting has been changed. Due to
  vandalism, we cannot go to the Menninger Tower Building at this time. That will be rescheduled. The new location will be the
  Hicks Block Apartments at 600 SW 6th St. They will be sold at auction on March 20. They were built in 1888 and have alot ofcharacter. Also, they are on the National Register of Historic Places. We will meet there at 4pm for a tour, then after the tour, we will go to Doug Jones’ house at 821 Western for a brief business meeting.
• Wednesday May 4th, 2005, IOOF Building, 117 SW 6th St., 7-10pm. Several presentations about local history followed by Historic Preservation Awards. This event is being held in the newly restored Ballroom (restored by local businessman and renovator, Mike Fox).
• May 5-7, 2005, State Historic Preservation Conference. In addition to numerous educational seminars, participants will visit The Great Overland Station, Kansas Statehouse, Monroe School, Topeka High School, and Fire Station #2. For more information, call 785-272-8681, ext. 240.