Junction City resident lived through Quantrill’s raid on Lawrence

Fegan’s long business history

The 1855 cholera epidemic

Willie ‘Rockne’ Tarkington, Jr.

Bartell House served as home to women Part 1

“The County’s First Farm Fair Was In 1875” Part 1

This will be my last article as Executive Director of Geary County Historical Society. It was a privilege to learn so much about local history and to work with so many wonderful people with roots in Geary County. I was honored to be able to contribute more research and knowledge on a variety…

In addition to the museum at 6th and Adams, Geary County Historical Society also owns the house next door, called Starcke House, once home to Eunice and Walter Starcke. While Walter ran a jewelry store downtown for many years, he was also responsible for the care of the city’s clock in the O…

Some more early buildings in the downtown business district

Memories at the Museum is an oral history program started in January 2017 with a group of local residents who gathered to remember World War II. Memories at the Museum was suspended due to the pandemic, but it is sure to return soon. In the meantime, the memories shared at that first program…

In 1994, museum staff received a letter from Patsy Stevens Gfeller, recalling her childhood in Junction City surrounded by four generations of relatives. Patsy was born in 1924 and lived at 635 W. 9th St. with her father, a “shade tree mechanic”; her mother; and her sister Elaine, who was el…

Use of early phone directories offers clues to local history

The first leader of the

Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating and celebrating the abolition of slavery in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect in northern states in 1863, but in the South, enslaved people were forced to wait or find another route to freedom until the Confederate States …

Julia Snyder looked for new opportunities in Kansas – Part 2

When Geary County was founded in 1855, it was known as Davis County, named after Jefferson Davis. Davis was then Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce, who enforced the Fugitive Slave Act and helped Stephen Douglas draft the Kansas-Nebraska act. Davis himself enslaved more than 10…

Junction City’s good fortune

Catch a glimpse of history Saturday, June 5, at the Kansas Aviation Expo at Junction City’s Freeman Field, where antique, modern, and experimental aircraft will be on display all day starting at 7 a.m. Geary County Historical Society will serve lunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., including popcorn…

Some history about Junction City High School graduations

On Saturday, June 5, the Kansas Aviation Expo will showcase multiple eras of aircraft, from the time of “barnstorming” to modern and experimental aircraft, at Junction City’s Freeman Field.

Geary County Historical Society has two events planned in the coming weeks: an open house at St. Joseph’s Historic Church on Saturday, May 22, and a fundraiser at the Kansas Aviation Expo on Saturday, June 5.

There was a problem when time stood still

St. Joseph’s Historic Church will be open to the public for the first time in over a year on Saturday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Located in eastern Geary County, the native limestone church is a local landmark in the McDowell Creek neighborhood. Stop by between 10 and 1 to explore the b…

Due to inclement weather last month, the Spring Valley Historic Site Open House will be held Wednesday, May 5.

Note: On Wednesday, May 5, Geary County Historical Society will hold an open house and Hands On History programs at the Spring Valley Historic Site, located at the juncture of K-18 and Spring Valley Road. Hands On History programs will be held at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and an open house will be …

It has been 109 years since the sinking of the Titanic, and stories of the night’s tragic events still rivet Americans today. Nine years ago, for the Titanic’s centennial, former GCHS director Gaylynn Childs shared the story of a survivor who later settled in the Flint Hills. Part 1 follows:

The omnibus line in Junction City

Spring is here, which means thunderstorms are just around the corner. This is the time of year, historically, when the risk of flooding begins to rise. Prior to the construction of Milford Dam, flooding was a serious danger in Junction City, as folks were forcefully reminded in the summer of 1951.

Quilt made locally to be in a State display

The Geary County Historical Society would like to invite you to attend our open house at Spring Valley Historic Site next Wednesday, April 7, at the southeast corner of the intersection of K-18 and Spring Valley Road.

FDR was a guest at Fort Riley in 1943

The museum’s first in-person event in over a year will be held Wednesday, April 7, when the Spring Valley Historic Site will be open to the public. Spring Valley Historic Site is located at the junction of K-18 and Spring Valley Road.

It’s gardening season once again, the perfect time to plant flowering plants and create your own little plot of nature.