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Celebrate 65 Years of the Aluminum Christmas Tree at the Johnson County Museum | JoCoHistory Blog
This holiday season marks the 65th anniversary of one of the most iconic symbols of mid-century Christmas cheer—the aluminum Christmas tree. Whether it evokes fond memories of childhood holidays or you’re discovering this shimmering symbol of the Space Age for the first time, the aluminum tree has a way of captivating hearts and inspiring nostalgia.…
Power Suits and Mini Skirts: How 1960s Working Women Navigated Office Style | JoCoHistory Blog
Johnson County Community College, staff orientation, 1969. Courtesy JCCC Archives. Guest written by Audrey Michaelis, Assoc. Prof., Fashion Merchandising and Design, Johnson County Community College The Johnson County Community College Fashion Department partnered with the Johnson County Museum to create their current special exhibit, Free to Be... A 1960s Fashion Revolution. Garments from the JCCC…
Gallery Pass Collection Displays History of Congress | JoCoHistory Blog
Any visitor to the U.S. Capitol can obtain a gallery pass at any Senator or Representative's national office. These passes allow visitors entry to the House and Senate Chambers when the respective group is in session. Johnson County resident Benjamin King is the primary collector of gallery passes to the House of Representatives and Senate…
Presidential Visits to Johnson County | JoCoHistory Blog
Kansas City, Missouri has hosted numerous presidential visits. Ulysses S. Grant visited in 1880, as did Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, Calvin Coolidge in 1926, Herbert Hoover in 1932, Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953, John F. Kennedy in 1960, Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1979, George W. Bush in 2007, Barack Obama in 2014,…
A Brief History of Merriam, Kansas | JoCoHistory Blog
Merriam has a long history of innovation and diversity in Johnson County. The area was originally inhabited by the Kaw tribe until the 1820s when a variety of treaties and westward expansion forced them further west. The Shawnee tribe of Ohio and Missouri have left the more lasting impact on the area after being displaced…
Antioch Park: An Enduring Green Space | JoCoHistory Blog
Johnson County Park and Recreation District’s (JCPRD) 44-acre Antioch Park has a long and rich environmental and communal history. Unlike much of the rest of Johnson County, the land that is now Antioch Park was never extensively developed or cultivated. What you see around you looks much like it did 200 years ago. A new…
Prairie School in Ye Olden Days | JoCoHistory Blog
This account was written by Edgar A. Porter in 1952 at the prompting of Frank R. Grant. The original can be found in the Vertical Files at Johnson County's Central Resource Library. It has been edited for length and clarity. Prairie School District was born in 1865. The district comprised what is now Prairie, Roesland…
Department Stores and the 1960s Fashion Revolution | JoCoHistory Blog
Free to Be… A 1960s Fashion Revolution explores the decade’s changes in women’s fashion through four clothing themes: socialites, professionals, modernists, and naturalists. Exhibit open through January 11, 2025, at the Johnson County Museum. The Johnson County Museum’s special exhibit, Free to Be… A 1960s Fashion Revolution, vividly showcases how women's clothing underwent a remarkable…
Olathe and Its Public Schools in the Early 1900s | JoCoHistory Blog
This article is from Johnson County Library's Vertical Files. It was originally written by Lois Nettleship in 1980. It has been edited for length and clarity. Olathe was founded in 1857 and became the seat of Johnson County in 1858. Its early settlers came seeking land and economic opportunity. The land had been a reservation…
The Merriam Bomber Crash of 1944 – Revisited | JoCoHistory Blog
Eighty years ago this month, at the height of World War II, the unthinkable happened in Merriam, Kansas. An American B-24J Liberator heavy bomber crashed into a neighborhood of suburban homes. Three airmen aboard the bomber were killed in the crash, and another three, plus three more on the ground, were injured. Four homes were…
Lanesfield History | JoCoHistory Blog
The following is an article of unknown authorship found in Johnson County Library's vertical files dated December 17, 1982. It has been edited for length and clarity. In the early 1800s what was known as the Santa Fe Trail was established from Booneville, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1825, a Wagon Road was…
“Free to Be… A 1960s Fashion Revolution” Special Exhibit Now Open | JoCoHistory Blog
A new special exhibition just opened at the Johnson County Museum! Titled, Free to Be… A 1960s Fashion Revolution, the exhibit was created in partnership with the Johnson County Community College’s Fashion Merchandising and Design Department and their historic fashion collection. It explores women’s changing fashion in the 1960s and highlights four big fashion themes.…
A Brief History of Overland Park | JoCoHistory Blog
This article was found in the Vertical Files of Johnson County Library. The author and date of the piece is unclear. It has been edited for length and clarity. Because the City of Overland Park is one of the original Overland Trails its story parallels the story of transportation. While most of the trails leading…
Provence Village: A Short-Lived Johnson County City | JoCoHistory Blog
Pop quiz: How many cities in Johnson County begin with the letter “P”? The answer may surprise you. Of course, we all know Prairie Village, but what about Provence Village? The city, which was an independent third-class city, existed southwest of Olathe for less than a decade. What was this little-known town and why did…
The Story of Prairie Village | JoCoHistory Blog
This account was prepared by the Public Relations Department of the J.C. Nichols Company in the late 1960s. It has been edited for length and clarity. To learn more about J.C. Nichols impact on the Kansas City metro area, see Johnson County Library's Dividing Lines tour and Johnson County Museum's Digital Redlined exhibit, opening May…
Conserving a Time Capsule Treasure – An 1891 Photograph | JoCoHistory Blog
Guest written by Anne Jones, curator of collections The Johnson County Museum’s special exhibit, Inside the Box: A 1951 Time Capsule, contains well over 100 items representing aspects of the county in 1951 – newspapers, letters, government documents, maps, directories, and photographs. One photograph from the time capsule is actually much older, dating to 1891,…
Transitioning to Merriam Plaza Library | JoCoHistory Blog
Elizabeth Freise moved to Johnson County in the mid-1970s when she was only four years old. One of the first places her mother took her was the Antioch Library. They regularly checked out books and attended library storytimes where her mom got to know her new neighbors, and Elizabeth became familiar with the other kids…
Wives, Mothers, and Activists: Postwar Politics in Suburban Johnson County | JoCoHistory Blog
Guest written by Jessica Sapien, Emerging Museum Professional Intern, Johnson County Museum In honor of Women’s History Month, the Johnson County Museum celebrates the women who work to make social, cultural, and political change in Johnson County. This blog is based on an exhibit case that Emerging Museum Professional Intern Jessica Sapien curated last year.…
The People Spoke for the Library | JoCoHistory Blog
This address was originally given by Dorothy Ballard, a member of the core group that organized the library effort and a signer of the Articles of Incorporation, to the Friends of the Johnson County Library in May of 1982. It has been edited for length and clarity. The Johnson County Library story is an exciting…
Top 5 Reasons to Visit the New “Inside the Box” Exhibit | JoCoHistory Blog
The Johnson County Museum’s newest special exhibit, Inside the Box: A 1951 Time Capsule, will open on Saturday, February 3. In May 1951, county officials and a crowd of residents gathered in the courthouse square in Olathe. County leaders, with the help of Masons, were laying the cornerstone for the new, 1952 Johnson County Courthouse.…
Johnson County Library’s Very Own Yertle the Turtle | JoCoHistory Blog
Snuggle in, friends. We want to tell you a story. Yertle the Turtle Once upon a time, around 2013, which is recent history, but longer ago than some librarians care to admit, someone put a turtle in the restroom trash can at the Cedar Roe Library. A nice Librarian named Lynn put on a latex…
Celebrating 2023 at the Johnson County Museum | JoCoHistory Blog
The green screen photo booth interactive is a great way to put yourself "in" Johnson County history! You can find it at the end of our signature exhibit, Becoming Johnson County. As we bid farewell to 2023, the Johnson County Museum is proud to reflect on a year filled with achievements, community engagement, and memorable…
Johnson County Museum Collections on JoCoHistory.org | JoCoHistory Blog
The Johnson County Museum has digitized thousands of images from its collections that are available for viewing on JoCoHistory.org. Our curator of interpretation loves JoCoHistory.org so much that there is a small sign hanging outside of his cubical that reads “Have you checked JoCoHistory?” This collaborative resource dedicated to regional history is so incredible that…
The Founding Mothers of Johnson County Library | JoCoHistory Blog
This article was written in honor of the founders of Johnson County Library for the 50th anniversary of the library's opening. It has been edited for length and clarity. The "founding" of Johnson County Library started with the Prairie School Library Committee in 1951 and lasted at least five years - through the referendum campaign…
Railroad-Inspired Johnson County Placenames | JoCoHistory Blog
For anyone who hasn’t had the chance to visit the Johnson County Museum’s special exhibit, TRAINS: Transportation and the Transformation of Johnson County, you might be thinking: how much change did railroads really bring to a county that today has a modern, suburban, automobile-centered landscape? The TRAINS exhibit makes it clear that railroads transformed elements…
Ernest Hemingway’s Kansas City Connections | JoCoHistory Blog
Ernest Hemingway, known for such literary classics as The Old Man and the Sea, The Sun Also Rises, and A Farewell to Arms, stood out as one of the 20th century's most prolific authors. He famously spent much of his life traveling, living in places like Paris, Cuba, and the Florida Keys. His time spent…
The Olathe Leadership Lowrider Bike Club | JoCoHistory Blog
Guest written by: Jessica Sapien, Emerging Museum Professional Intern, Johnson County Museum In 2020, the Johnson County Museum asked members of the Olathe Leadership Lowrider Bike Club to make a bike that represents the club, its values, and its culture. The lowrider bike and interpretive labels will be unveiled Wednesday, October 4th at the Johnson…
Women, Carnegie, and the Public Library | JoCoHistory Blog
In 1894, there were only around 400 public libraries in the United States—almost half of which (179) were in Massachusetts alone. These community libraries were typically funded by local philanthropists, often as a memorial bequest. In an era where most did not graduate high school, books were considered a vital component of continuing education, yet…
Johnson County Museum Upgrades to a Cloud-Based Collection Software | JoCoHistory Blog
Guest written by Anne Jones, Curator of Collections During our national accreditation process, we learned that the public values learning about the professional practices and standards we maintain as a field. This not only contributes to the high level of trust the public has in the museums, it is also fun. So, today we're pulling…
Lenexa’s Video Library: The Life and Times of Johnson County’s Largest Video Store | JoCoHistory Blog
Photo of the outside of the store from the early 2000s. Photo courtesy Johnson County AIMS Last year, I wrote a long history of Johnson County video stores that focused mainly on Overland Park’s Hollywood at Home. There was another store that I mentioned in the post, but didn’t dive deep on because 1) the…
Meadowbrook Park – From Farms to Suburbs | JoCoHistory Blog
Johnson County Park and Recreation District’s (JCPRD) Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village, Kansas – a beautiful (and popular) park that opened in Prairie Village in 2019 – sits on 80 acres with a very long and rich long history. A new History in the Parks interpretive marker, installed just outside the park clubhouse, shares the…
Johnson County, Kansas: A Brief Historical Sketch | JoCoHistory Blog
This post was originally written for Johnson County Library in 1985. It has been edited for length and clarity. See also a booklist of items referenced for this article. Johnson County's earliest history is hazy at best. When the first white settlers reached the area, the Kaw were living to the North and Northwest, and…
“All ‘Board: The Farm Homes Special!”* | JoCoHistory Blog
Johnson County Museum’s new special exhibit, TRAINS: Transportation and the Transformation of Johnson County, explores ways the arrival of the railroad changed the county. One often overlooked way trains transformed Johnson County was in the sharing of ideas and information. While researching at the Kansas State Archives, museum staff came across a series of documents…
Want to Explore JoCo History? Library has Abundant Resources | JoCoHistory Blog
Many people value Johnson County Library for its best-sellers, children’s literature, databases, author visits and enriching programs. Local History Librarian Amanda Wahlmeier wants patrons to know the Library also has terrific resources for exploring history and genealogy. “We see our role as providing access,” Wahlmeier said of her mission and that of the local history…
REDLINED: Cities, Suburbs, and Segregation – What’s Next? | JoCoHistory Blog
In 2022, the Johnson County Museum’s special exhibit “REDLINED: Cities, Suburbs and Segregation” took visitors on a deep dive into the history of redlining and how it both shaped and was shaped by Johnson County and the region. Visitors learned the history of systematic disinvestment of some neighborhoods and populations in favor of others, most…
Johnson County Library: Origins | JoCoHistory Blog
This post comes from an article originally written in honor of Johnson County Library's 25th anniversary in 1976. It has been edited for length and clarity. Twenty-five years ago the 1951-52 Prairie School PTA Library Committee met to determine tis project for the school year. According to Kay Robeson, chairman of the committee, a letter…
All Aboard! – New TRAINS Special Exhibit at JoCoMuseum | JoCoHistory Blog
The Johnson County Museum will soon unveil a new special exhibit titled: TRAINS: Transportation and the Transformation of Johnson County. The exhibit opens on Saturday, May 13 – National Train Day – and explores just how instrumental the railroads were in shaping Johnson County. Below find three surprising ways that railroads changed this area. Santa…
Helping Bring the Past into the Future | JoCoHistory Blog
The Johnson County Genealogical Society (JCGS) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. As a special 50th anniversary project the JCGS in cooperation with the Johnson County Library has established a free Memory Lab at the Central Resource Library in the genealogy area. JCGS is providing equipment and assistance to help patrons digitize family photos, negatives, slides,…
Conflict and the Big Bull Creek | JoCoHistory Blog
Johnson County Park and Recreation District’s (JCPRD) Big Bull Creek Park is a beautiful, serene, natural setting located near Edgerton. Visitors likely have no idea that the area was once the setting for some of the most contested moments in the county’s history. The history of the Border War and the Civil War played out…
Kansas Day 2023 | JoCoHistory Blog
Each year the Johnson County Library hosts a ‘Kansas Day’ event in January to celebrate the anniversary of Kansas' statehood (January 29, 1861). Pre-pandemic, the library would host two or three Kansas Day events throughout the month (spread across the Johnson County Library system). For the last two years, the library hosted a Past is…