Newsletter - Fall 2024

On September 10, 2024, the Museum Friends presentation featured Shawn McGrew's talk, "Strother Field Reimagined AFTER WWII." He shared the fascinating evolution of Strother Field from an Army Air Force airfield to an industrial park, high-lighting its development and impact on the community. Attendees engaged in lively discussions and shared personal stories, making it a memorable evening that underscored the importance of preserving our local history. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the event special!

On September 13, we raised an impressive $9,430 during Legacy Regional Community Foundation’s “Great Give” event. Half of this amount will bolster our endowment, ensuring long-term sustainability, while the other half will support current operations. Our heartfelt thanks go to the 20 donors who contributed $4,930 and to Legacy, whose generous match of $4,500 made a significant impact.
Legacy Regional Community Foundation is a vital asset to Winfield and the surrounding region. As a 501(c)(3) organization, Legacy empowers donors to give to local needs and opportunities, grow resources to preserve regional wealth, and grant funds for impactful projects. Their mission to foster collaboration within the nonprofit sector and their commitment to accountability and high business practices have greatly benefited our museum and community.
We deeply appreciate Legacy’s unwavering support and dedication to enhancing the quality of life in our area!

Shawn McGrew

Board President Julie Mignone poses with presentation attendees, all of whom have worked at Strother Field at some point.

Amy Jo McWhirt, Gary Learned, Julie Mignone and representative of Legacy present CCHSM with a check.

The Museum recently participated in the annual Art in the Park event hosted by the Winfield Arts and Humanities Council. This year's theme, "The Great Gnome-Coming," inspired our entry, "Mirthmoss the Museum Gnome," which won second place and a $100 prize!
The Winfield Arts and Humanities
Council, a long-time collaborator with our museum, has been instrumental in promoting arts and culture in Winfield. They offer a wide range of programs and events that enrich the community, including the annual Art in the Park festival, which brings together artists, musicians, and food vendors for a day of celebration and creativity. They foster a vibrant arts scene and make events like this possible, and we are grateful for their continued support and partnership.

Llyonesse Smith hands Amy Jo and Julie a certificate and check.

On October 6, 2024, the "Historic Home Porch Tour" welcomed around 70 attendees to enjoy five engaging porch talks at homes throughout Winfield. Reenactors shared fascinating stories about the homes' histo-ries, bringing our community’s past to life.
A huge thank you to the homeowners for generously offering their porches and to the reenactors for their vibrant and informative presentations. We are also deeply grateful to our Museum Friends and Ambassadors, who served as hosts at each home and helped set up the decorations. Their hard work and dedication, along with the collaboration of
everyone involved, made this event a success. We’re so lucky to have great help!
Planning and organizing this “Historic Home Porch Tour” takes a village, and it’s a wonderful example of how our community comes together to celebrate our shared history.

Marsha Granberry as Bess Baden

Bill Mueller as Ralph T. Stuber

Bob Hartung as John Lowry

Mary Jarvis as Jessie Jarvis

Dr. Chris Wilson as Josh Wallace

On October 22, Museum Friends hosted a presentation on “The Harvey House Girls: Women’s Roles in Railroads, Kansas, and US History” by Dr. Michaeline Chance-Reay. We counted 61 people attended, it was a FULL HOUSE!
Dr. Chance-Reay’s insightful discussion shed light on the Harvey House Girls and their significant contributions to the railroad industry and U.S. history. Her presentation highlighted the important roles these women played in shaping Kansas history, and the audience was captivated by her stories and research.
A heartfelt thank you to Humanities Kansas for sponsoring this event and to everyone who helped make it possible.

As Museum Administrator for the Cowley County Historical Society Museum, I am always excited to collaborate with the vibrant art community here in Winfield. Being involved in the local art scene allows me to share my passion for both history and art, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to showcase my work at Gallery 1001 this November as their featured guest artist.
Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the evening with me and for your continued support of both the museum and the arts in Winfield!

Amy Jo with her Whimsical Woodworks at Gallery 1001

Gallery 1001, located in the historic Higginbottom Grocery building at 1001 Main Street, has been a vibrant part of downtown Winfield since 2012. The building, dating back to 1882, was lovingly refurbished by Mike and Ann Fell, along with a few dedicated supporters. Today, it serves as an Artist Co-Op, showcasing art from local creators who are also members of the gallery. Gallery 1001 continues to celebrate the rich history of Winfield while providing a space for artists to share their work with the community.
If you’re interested in supporting the arts, you can become a Patron of the Arts for Gallery
1001 by making donations through the Legacy Foundation.

CCHSM hosted our annual fall appreciation gathering on Nov. 7 at Baden Square, with 100 supporters and donors in attendance. Guests had the chance to sign up for museum committees and get a sneak peek of our 2024 Christmas ornaments and 2025 calendars. The evening began with social time, featuring videos of museum events from 2024, followed by a delicious buffet dinner catered by Amy Phillips and her team.
Julie Mignone, president of the museum's board, thanked the museum administrator, volunteers, the food crew, and pianist Chance Alquest. Outgoing board members Madison Metzinger, Gary Learned, Brittany Donals, and Bill Mueller were recognized.
Bill has been on the museum board since November 2015, serving as both president and vice president during his tenure. His nearly 10 years of dedication have been vital to the museum's success. Having someone like Bill, who is deeply committed and experienced, in these leadership roles brings stability and growth. His presence ensures that the museum remains true to its mission (of preserving and sharing the past) while navigating new challenges (like storage space). Bill's leadership has laid a strong foundation for future projects and has earned the trust and respect of our community. Thanks Bill!

Glenda Schmidt and Mary Hartley greet and help sign folks in.

Julie Mignone, current President, stands with Bill Mueller, Brittany Donals, Gary Learned and Madison Metzinger who are being celebrated for their out-standing service to the Board.

The Museum Friends Presentation on November 21 featured Martha Fitzwater, and a history about her mother, Vivian (Compton; Lawrence) Glenn '42, who was part of Southwestern College's first aviation class, known as the Flying Builders. Vivian, along with one other woman and ten men, participated in this class, where they received ground school instruction from Penrose Albright and flight training through Carpenters Air Service. The program was part of the Civilian Pilots Training Program under the Civil Aeronautics Administration. Vivian flew her first solo flight on January 3, 1941, completing a triangular route from Winfield to Anthony, then to a field near Beech Aircraft in Wichita, and back to Winfield. She earned her pilot’s license later that month but didn’t receive her driver’s license until 1951. (www.sckans.edu)
The presentation also emphasized the importance of preserving local history by sharing these significant stories. The Flying Builders program represents an important part of both the history of Southwestern College and the broader history of aviation, especially in how it involved women at a time when they were rare in aviation. Sharing stories like these helps to maintain a strong connection to local heritage, ensuring that these achievements are remembered and appreciated by future generations.

Recent Museum Accessions:
In September, we received a cookbook from the Winfield Arts and Humanities Council titled "See What's Cooking on Gilligan's Island" by Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers on the show. Also, the Cobb Family from Dexter donated a "Thoroughbreds" mug.
October brought two limited edition Indian ink drawings by Ardith Fell, generously donated by Kimela Woods, and an antique wooden Kenosha crib from Dwight and Lenore Keen. Judi Sutton contributed Martin W. Baden's “Mechanics’ and Engineers pocketbook of tables, rules and formulas,” dated in 1899.
In November, through the Tom Palmer Family from Ark City, Terry Justice donated a German WWII Border Security long jacket, marked with the "Grenz Truppen Der DDR" arm patch. (We currently have most of Tom Palmer’s military records thanks to Terry). Leroy Barton gave his military records and medals to the museum for safekeeping.
This list highlights some recent accessions but is not all-inclusive.

A reminder that Museum Friends will not meet during December or January. Museum Friends will meet again starting in February 2025.

Future 2024-2025 Events

• Sunday, December 15, 4-6 p.m. “Polar Express Party” at CCHSM. A fun event for children of all ages! Children ages 4-12, $5 per family. One adult required for each family unit. Limit of 50 children ages 4-12 will receive a Santa gift! Registration required by Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024.
• Thursday, January 16, 7:00 p.m. “Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War” camp mtg at CCHSM.
• Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:00 am at Baden Square: “Celebrate Cowley County History” Interesting stories of Cowley County History will be presented that morning. Watch the Courier and Facebook for more information.
• February 15, 2025; New Annual Exhibit Opens! “Gone, But Not Forgotten: Buildings, Places, Events, Celebrations of Cowley County. “
• Monday February 17, 2025 Museum Friends Program will be "Observatory Hill" presented by Paul Schirmer, who now resides in that location.
• Thursday, February 17, 7:00 p.m. “Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War” camp mtg at CCHSM.

BOOKS FOR SALE AT THE MUSEUM OR ONLINE:
Celebrate Winfield History Books 2001-2011 $15.00
Celebrate Winfield History Books 2012-2015 $15.00
Celebrate Cowley County History 2016-2024 $15.00
Winfield’s Golden Era of Sports $15.00
History of CC KS. The Indians Vol. II $33.00
Southwestern College $21.99
Winfield – Postcard History $21.99
Penrose Hills Albright $10.00
Kansas Mural’s $15.00
Prices include Sales Tax
Shipping/handling is an additional $6.00
To purchase please stop by the museum or check out our website www.cchsm.com.
Credit Cards and PayPal are accepted.
You may also send a check or money order with a list of books to:
CCHSM
1011 Mansfield
Winfield, KS 67156
Or email us at: museumcchsm@gmail.com

Commemorative Bricks
We partner with Dawson Monument to engrave bricks, which are for sale, and make great memorials and also support the museum. The bricks border the walkway from the parking lot to the front steps. To purchase, forms can be found on the table by the books for sale or call 620-221-4811.
There are three levels of donations: Flat red brick with 2 lines of 12 characters -$75 donation. Flat red brick with 3 lines of 12 characters -$100 donation.
A contrasting brick with 12 characters-$500 donation.
Fewer letters may be used if you wish.

Established in 1931 and revitalized in 1967 with a relocation to our current home on Mansfield Street in the historic Bryant School building, the Cowley County Historical Society is dedicated to safeguarding and sharing the vibrant stories of our county’s past.
We are committed to fostering and promoting endeavors that celebrate local history. We take pride in our extensive archive of historical documents and treasured photographic memories.
Come visit and see what’s new (or old) at the museum!

All donations, both monetary and historical arti-facts, are greatly appreciated. Our building is over 140 years old and requires significant ongoing maintenance in addition to operating costs. We continue to be a no fee museum and we have no plans to change that.
Your continued support will allow us to best serve the community.
We are especially seeking anything from diverse ethnic groups to add to our displays.