Follow our Travels. through

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1 Follow our Travels through

2 It s surprising how very cool it can be under a large tree in the heat of summer. The Freedom s Frontier staff (Executive Director Jim Ogle, Education and Interpretation Manager Liz Hobson, and Communications and Marketing Manager Sonia Smith Managing Director Julie McPike was not able to participate this month) started out the June 24, 2016 Fieldwork Day in Johnson County, Kansas, in the air-conditioned office at the Olathe Memorial Cemetery, 738 N. Chestnut St. Olathe, KS ( where they met with Cemetary Manager Brian Nilges, Marketing Program Specialist Norman Pommerenke, and Kristen McCullough, Cemetery Administrator. But from there, it was off to a walking tour of the cemetery, and an opportunity to appreciate the champion trees that shade the historic cemetery, some of which can be documented to be years old. Among those buried in this cemetery are: Two Kansas governors: John Pierce St. John was governor for two terms, 1878 and 1880, and ran for president on the prohibition ticket in 1884; and George H. Hodges was governor for one term in During Governor Hodges administration, the women of Kansas were recognized and placed in key administrative positions throughout the state. He also improved the existing state institutions and built the tuberculosis sanitarium at Norton and the mental hospital at Larned. Members of the Mahaffie family (The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Historic Site is not far from the cemetery.) Members of the Nelson and Alger families buried in the same family plot, with a marker with both names. Soldiers in the Civil War, they fought on different sides of the conflict.

3 Some other prominent individuals buried in this cemetery include: the originator of the football huddle; David Page, a former slave and Civil War veteran; the parents, and grandparents, of J.C. Nichols; President Obama s great-great-great grandfather; and Nancy Hayes, a prominent Olathe citizen who survived Quantrill s Raid and managed to save her husband s sword in the process. Freedom s Frontier Youth Corps and Youth Camp kids also spent some time exploring the cemetery this summer. If you want to learn more about its history, you can find the brochure for the Olathe Cemetery Walking Tour here:

4 Our final Olathe stop of the day was at the Deaf Cultural Center (also here: E. Park Street Olathe. There, staff met with Executive Director Sandra Kelly. The center (a nonprofit located across the street from the Kansas School for the Deaf) includes the William J. Marra Museum. The Kansas School for the Deaf was established in Baldwin County in 1861, a full three years before President Abraham Lincoln dedicated Gallaudet University.

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6 Lunch was at Santa Fe Café Homestyle American breakfast & lunch served in a laid-back setting with countrywestern decor.9946 W 87th St., Overland Park, Kansas. At the Central Resource Library, we met with Local History Reference Librarian Katie Stramel, Youth Services Information Specialist Mary Shortino, and Youth Services Manager Angel Jewel Tucker. Sonia worked for the JCL for nearly ten years, and was happy to see former co-worker Angel. Freedom s Frontier staff and these ladies brainstormed about ways to do joint programming, and talked about author Tanner Colby, author of Some of My Best Friends are Black, who has worked with the library and local school districts. The library received an FFNHA Interpretive Grant recently for guidebooks to go along with the Beyond Skin Bus Tour that came from discussions about Colby s book. Liz is participated in the library s Educators Summit in late June. The summit was geared toward facilitating dialogues with educators about racism in America and Kansas City and to promote social justice initiatives.

7 The Central Resource Library branch is newly renovated. The new space includes an and includes a third Friends of the Library Bookstore (there is a history section in this store that sells gently used books) an expanded MakerSpace with a 3D printer, recording studio, laser cutter, and much more. The facility would also be a great Partner Meeting space. They were scheduled for November s meeting, but was switched because of the Annual Luncheon. They hope to be on our 2017 schedule.

8 Staff got a *special tour!!!* on the next stop: the still under-construction Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Overland Park, KS ( formerly the King Louie building. The arts and heritage center will open in 2017 as a new destination for celebrating the arts and our history in Johnson County. It will be home to The Theatre in the Park productions during spring, summer and fall, the Johnson County Museum ( and more. There we met with Johnson County Museum Executive Director Mindi Love and some of the construction design crew. Mindi tells us that there is an FFNHA-related exhibit in the works for the new museum space! We can hardly wait to see it.

9 The 1950s All-Electric House that was at the old Johnson County Museum site was recently moved by truck to the new site, and can be seen on the lower level, resting on a dirt floor. When the building is complete, the museum will have a place on the lawn of the house to hold programs.

10 There are two new NPS wayside exhibits and interpretive exhibits located in Downtown Old Overland Park, at 80th and Santa Fe. The waysides have been completed to preserve the story and value of the A Day on the Santa Fe Trail ( mural. It had been painted on a local business outer wall a couple of years ago and peeled away; it had to be removed. The Kansas City Area Historic Trails Association was instrumental in putting together a partnership coalition with the National Park Service, City of Overland Park, Kansas, and Images Art Gallery to commemorate the mural A Day on the Santa Fe Trail. This street corner exhibit keeps the now gone mural alive with two panels that depict the mural and brief history. A memorial bench to honor Dr. Peter Cuppage is also present, and the 1906 DAR marker, which commemorates the Santa Fe Trail passing through was turned to face the exhibit.

11 The Overland Park Historical Society was organized on September 30, 1994, and moved into the Strang Carriage House in September1998. The limestone structure, built about 1910, originally housed the personal vehicles of William Strang, the founder of Overland Park. The chauffeur and his family lived upstairs. Overland Park Historical Society is staffed by volunteers. The historical society is also excited about the new Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center, as there will be an exhibit space dedicated to the historical society there as well! The day s final stop was Overland Park Historical Society ( Santa Fe Dr. Overland Park, KS, for a meeting with Current President Suzee Oberg and Incoming President Brad Moore, in the Historic Strang Carriage House. This stop was just around the corner from the historic markers in the old downtown area.

12 Just next door to the Overland Park Historical Society s offices in the Strang Carriage House is the Santa Fe Commons Park, with a gazebo, and signs promoting the summer s live music concerts. Just in case you should want to attend these concerts music starts at 7 p.m. It s variety of favorite local bands in cooperation with Downtown Overland Park (more on Facebook at #DowntownDifferentOP or here: On Friday, July 15, listen to Ernest James Zydeco (Cajun Zydeco) with the Cajun Cabin Food Truck serving dinner starting at 6 p.m.; and on Friday, August 19, you can hear the Hudson Drive Band (Country Music). Every month on fieldwork day, we have an awesome experience, provided by our Partners, who provide us with so much information, and outstanding educational tours. We thank all of the June tour sites, and hope that you will consider following our travels through Freedom s Frontier National Heritage Area by visiting some of the museums and other historic sites!