JoCoHistory Blog

Catherine Isabelle Kelly

JoCoHistory — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:05:45 +0000

Catherine Isabelle Kelly died July 13, 1900 of appendicitis at age 8. She was born May 25, 1892. Written on back of original photo:

When Mama told Cathy (Catherine) she was going to Heaven she said, “I am going to come right back down and get you.” She died 15 months later.

The funeral notice indicates that the service was held at the Catholic church in Edgerton, Kansas on Sunday, July 15, 1900.

Veteran Faces

JoCoHistory — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:34:26 +0000

Walter Ervin Dille, 1940.

Alan H. Hardy, ca. 1945

Thomas J. Strange, Jr. , 1951.

Major W. R. Lear

Unidentified officer, ca. 1955.

Portrait of an unidentified Marine officer.

Portrait of an unidentified Naval officer.

Seargeant Donna J. Mercum of Olathe, 1952.

Leland W. Lawson

Portrait of Orville O. Tonoda

James H. Abbott

Major D. M. Ashlock

JoCoHistory receives national recognition

JoCoHistory — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:56:32 +0000

Back in 2004, the Johnson County Museum approached the Johnson County Library with an idea. They wanted to provide a one-stop source for county historical materials on the Web. At that time, thousands of wonderful photographs, documents and artifacts were only accessible by visiting various organizations in person and sifting through the archives. So the Museum applied to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for a Museums for America grant and received an award to purchase software, scan the materials and develop a web presence. The Library would manage the technology portion and assist with promotion.

JoCoHistory officially launched in October of 2006. It housed digital collections from the Museum as well as the Olathe Public Library and the Johnson County Archives. Shortly thereafter JoCoHistory saw the addition of collections from the Overland Park Historical Society, Kansas School for the Deaf, Lenexa Historical Society and the Johnson County Library. The site added complementary web tools like the Johnson County Obituary Index and the Digital Cemetery to serve local genealogists and history enthusiasts.

The IMLS undertook an assessment of the Museums for American program in 2010, selecting six case studies from 1,191 grants it awarded. JoCoHistory was selected as one of these six case studies because of its success in connecting the public to Museum collections and providing a forum for education, entertainment and reminiscence.

The assessment has been completed and is available for download on the IMLS website. They also produced a short video about JoCoHistory and its impact on the community.

It is only fitting that this assessment, which takes us back to the origins of the JoCoHistory project, is made public on the very day of our official launch in 2006, our fifth birthday.

Thanks to all those who have worked or continue to work on the project, and mostly thanks to the historically-engaged citizens of Johnson County who have used and supported the site.

History Mystery: Boy Hanging from Tree

JoCoHistory — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:52:05 +0000

This cute photograph of a young boy hanging from a tree branch contains some cryptic writing on the back: “Master John/Barkley Wells.” The date is June 26, 1977.

JoCoHistory display problems

JoCoHistory — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:53:36 +0000

The software that runs our image database is having display problems with Internet Explorer version 8. When viewing a photo, you may see it for a moment before it disappears from the screen. We have fast-tracked an upgrade to the newest version of the software which should solve the problem.

In the meantime you may want to use another version of Internet Explorer or an alternate browser such as Firefox or Chrome.

We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience this causes. Hopefully these issues will be ironed out shortly. If we can assist you in any way during this transition, please contact us.

History mystery: Portrait of a girl

JoCoHistory — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:38:43 +0000

This photograph is striking and almost looks as if it were candid. The portrait’s date is unknown, probably 1930s. Anyone know who this is?

History Mystery: Bridal Portrait

JoCoHistory — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:10:25 +0000

This somber portrait of a young bride dates to approximately 1925. The photographer is listed as Strathmann in Seneca, Kansas.

Then & Now: South Park Elementary and the Walker School

mfisherisaacs — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:13:13 +0000

In 1887, the community of South Park, Kansas, was founded. A year later, District 90 was organized to educate the town’s children, and a one room school—known as the Walker School—was built.

Walker School, 1949. Photograph courtesy of Bill Curtis.

In 1912, a second school was built, and the era of segregated schooling began in the community: white children attended the new school, and black children continued to attend the Walker School.

By the late 1940s, the Walker School, now a two room school, was delapidated and shabby. An outhouse served as the restroom facilities, and heating in the building was unreliable. When a bond issue was passed to build a new, modern school building for white children only, black parents were outraged. Despite their protests, however, the school board refused to admit black children to the new South Park School when it opened in 1947. In response, the parents, teachers and a group of concerned citizens filed a lawsuit, Webb v. School District No. 90, against the school district.

Merriam resident Esther Brown was instrumental in organizing the lawsuit against School District 90. She later played a prominent role in bringing the 1954 Brown v. Topeka Board of Education lawsuit as well.

As the lawsuit made its way through the courts, South Park’s black families boycotted the Walker School, choosing instead to hire two teachers—Corinthian Nutter and Hazel McCray Weddington—to teach the children in private homes. In 1949, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld a state law prohibiting segregation in small towns, ruling in favor of admitting black children to South Park Elementary. The case is considered an important forerunner to the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit which would make school segregation illegal nationwide.

Corinthian Nutter, back left, and Hazel McCray Weddington, back right, and their students, 1948

Today, the Walker School still stands at 9420 W. 50^th Terrace in Merriam, and serves as the home of the Philadelphia Baptist Church.

Philadelphia Baptist Church, 1997

The South Park Elementary School, located at 8715 W. 49^th Street, closed in 2007 due to dwindling enrollment. The building’s future is currently unclear.

South Park Elementary School, 1996

History mystery: Family portrait, circa 1915

JoCoHistory — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:41:49 +0000

Here is an unidentified family, posed for a group portrait about 1915. The couple appears to be about 30 years of age. The two boys appear to be about 2 and 5 years old.

Click photo to view a larger image.

Seeking addresses for 20 houses in Mission, Kansas

JoCoHistory — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:28:45 +0000

Here at JoCoHistory we have thousands of photographs of houses. One such collection from the early 1950s includes structures in the Countryside East and Hickory Hills subdivisions of Mission, Kansas, among others.

While we have identified the vast majority of the homes, twenty of them do not have addresses attached to them. As the area has remained relatively stable since the postwar period, most of these homes are likely still standing. We suspect that they all sit between 61st and 66th streets with house numbers in the 5000s and 6000s. Any idea what the addresses of these homes are?

House #1

House #2

House #3

House #4

House #5

House #6

Hose #7

House #8

House #9

House #10

House #11

House #12

House #13

House #14

House #15

House #16

House #17

House #18

House #19

House #20