Newsletter - Summer 2017
Are We Historic?
We have submitted our application to The Register of Historic Kansas Places. The application wouldn’t have been finished without the persistence of Janet Hostetter, Ken Kallenbach, Katrina Tamsen and the CCHS Board of Directors. We head to Topeka on August 12th to learn if our building is historic enough to be on the state register.
During the course of researching our building, we learned that it was built in 1880, not 1886 as a plaque in our hallway states. That means our building was a school for 84 years ! Think of the hundreds (or maybe thousands?) of children who were nurtured and educated within these walls. In an 1883 book, it said that the enrollment of our building was 250 (there were only four rooms in the building at that time!)! If you look closely, you can still see traces of that school: the shuffle board lines in the basement, the line on the wall in the men’s room showing how high the flood water was on April 23, 1944, the name tags under the coat hooks in the closet, the school bell and switches that curious visitors sometimes test, the bulletin boards, chalkboard chalk holders…if only these walls could speak.
The oldest known photo we have of our building, the Second Ward School, taken by early Winfield photographer Hezikiah Beck.
The Little Black Dress and More—50 Years of Fashion Photos by Jimmy Brock
Our Permanent Home Celebrated
On Sunday, June 18th, we celebrated having a permanent home for fifty years in the former Bryant Elementary School building. Prior to having our permanent home, the historical society had to move artifacts from place to place to house the collection. How exhausting that must have been!
We had a lovely day to celebrate with the weather neither too hot nor too sunny. The Winfield Municipal Band provided jaunty music. Roland Mueller from the first CCHS Board recounted museum history. He noted that the historical society did not simply acquire a permanent home; the society was completely reorganized and became a new entity. A statement from former CCHS President Jerry Aistrup was read. Our Museum Friends provided wonderful refreshments. We thank everyone who went before us, those who supported us or served on the Board. They laid the ground work for the successful museum that we have today!
Most of the Board Members, both past and present, who attended our celebration!
Parking Lot and Landscaping
Our parking lot is nearing completion. We have new landscaping and a new sidewalk lined with bricks purchased by our finical supporters. We plan to add a water hydrant to make it easier to water our new butterfly garden.
The CCHS Board would like to thank: Paul Cavenaugh, Daniels Ready Mix, Sergio Contreras, the Gardenaires, Gottlob Lawn & Landscape LLC, Leon Moore and Sally Groom.
Voices from the Past at the Fair
Mark your calendars! The “Voices from the Past” returns! The Cowley County Historical Society’s “Voices from the Past” will present a short program August 4, at 6:00 p.m. at the Cowley County Fair. The presentation on the midway stage is a part of the Cowley County sesquicentennial celebration that Friday evening. Three historic portrayals will be presented during the 30 minute program: Col E.C. Manning vs James Land; an early funeral director; and a rural school teacher and her student. Lt. Col Matthew Cowley will emcee the event. Following the “Voices from the Past” presentation, the towns of Cowley County will present their pieces to be included in the new time capsule for the county. Tickets for “Game Night with the Wingnuts” will also be available for sale that evening.
Game Night With the Wingnuts
Monday, August 7th, is the Cowley County Historical Society’s night at the Wingnuts baseball game in Wichita at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium . The game begins at 7:05 P.M. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at the Winfield Recreation Center and the museum.
Vendors on the Grounds
Our third annual fundraiser Vendors on the Grounds will be Saturday, September 9th, from 10:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M. Vendors with all types of artwork, crafts, antiques and other interesting items will sell their wares on the museum lawn. The Soroptimist Club will have a food booth. Come and join the fun!
Once again the museum will have a booth of donated items to sell. The donated items that we would like are furniture, household items, antiques and collectables. Items can be brought to the museum until August 15th.
Cowley County Heritage, Vol. II
The Cowley County Heritage, Vol. II book committee has extended the deadlines for story submissions and the pre-order purchase price of $55 until August 1st. We are very excited about the 300 story submissions already received and welcome more, but hurry. Time is running out!
The Cowley County Historical Society dates from 1931 with a major reorganization and move to our present location in 1967. The CCHS's mission is to preserve and make available the colorful history of the county. We also support and encourage activities pertaining to local history throughout the county. Our bookstore makes available an assortment of items dealing with local history. The historical society also maintains a fine collection of historical records and vintage photographs.
Another Day in Winfield by Shawn Marie Stover
On June 24, 1992, “One Day in Winfield, As We Saw It”, photographers captured life in Winfield for twenty-four hours. They captured all aspects of life at all times of the day and night.
Several years ago, I was allowed to scan this impressive collection and add it to our photo archives.
On June 22, 2017, “Another Day in Winfield” photographers were asked to take pictures again. We have begun to receive these photos (photographers are busy people and their paying clients rightly take priority over us) and they are outstanding! I can’t wait to get the rest!
I was tickled by these two photos of Dirk Flower. Apparently “One Day in Winfield” and “Another Day in Winfield” cameras loved him. The 1992 picture at left was taken by Vijay Sherring, and the 2017 picture on the right was taken by Steve Current.
I plan to write about “One Day in Winfield” and “Another Day in Winfield” for our Cowley County Heritage, Vol. II book, and all our talented photographers will be listed. Pictures will hopefully be taken again in 2042!