Vehicles line up for the Lucky Bill Show. Photo from OCHS collection.
By Eileen Matzek Davis
This has been a special year here at Osage County Historical Society for many reasons, the first being our 60th anniversary. Our society was chartered in 1965 and we owe our longevity to our faithful membership. We average around 105 dues-paying members and that is utterly remarkable for a society located in a county in Kansas with a small population.
From the very beginning, the determination of those early organizers was evident in meeting notes and newspaper articles. Listing all their names would take too much space but they deserve our admiration and gratitude still today. That early spirit never flagged over the years even though we occasionally dealt with some inner turmoil. Strong personalities butted heads, compromised or left, but the society persevered.
Museum locations had to be changed several times over the years until we were finally able to acquire our own building at 631 Topeka Avenue in the mid 1980s. We often have to find and spend lots of money on our old building (constructed in 1909, but what better location for historical collections).
We support our society by dues, donations and an annual stipend from the taxpayers of Osage County. In the 1980s, we entered into an agreement with the county to serve as the Osage County Archivist. In that capacity, we are required to accept county historical materials and we are happy to comply.
We have received some large donations from members and non-members who care about our work and we probably would not have survived without them. Many thanks to our donors.
During the last few years, we have greatly expanded our vision and thus, our mission. We have been working on a complete inventory of our holdings for over 10 years now. A new computer program, Past Perfect, will make this work easier. We are doing our best to conserve our written, printed and photographic materials by digitization with better scanners.
We work much harder these days to let the public know about our work by public programs, talks, participation in parades, displays at fairs and other gatherings. There is so much more happening in our museum and research area, I could go on much longer.
But our staying power over the years is, with a few exceptions, the work done by volunteers. We simply have the best, from the very first in 1965 right up until today. And that being said, much of our progress these last five years can be attributed to new ideas from our younger directors and our younger paid staff. And, bless them, they respect the sensitivities of volunteers of longer standing.
I have been volunteering at OCHS for just over 25 years now. I loved the work when I began and I love it still today. We have a staff of paid and unpaid that works together for our common good, genuinely and happily together. This is truly the best job I ever had.
From the old-timer on the staff, Eileen Matzek Davis
Report Of Annual Meeting of the Osage County Historical Society, Oct. 18, 2025
Before the meeting began, the board and membership were treated to a presentation by Erika Nelson, of the Speakers Bureau of the Kansas Humanities Council. Her topic was, “What a Ride! Rural Community Owned Carnivals.” Her talk dealt primarily with six counties in western Kansas that purchased and set up their own carnivals when traveling carnivals would no longer visit their small towns. The talk was relevant to us because at one time Osage County housed two separate circuses. It was quite interesting and well-received by the group.
Minutes of the last meeting and committee reports were given and approved. A. Rogers reported that the parapet and brick work on our building was completed in late August and that our new furnace and new ductwork for the museum area jobs were completed in September. We were awarded a grant of $5,000 from the Kansas Masonic Foundation to be used for the purchase of a new upright scanner (which will scan front and back at the same time). The grant will also allow us to design a new and improved website.
The ballot count was given. All board officers and directors were re-elected and the amendment creating an emeritus position for board members passed. Loretta Warren submitted her request to emeritus status.
A. Rogers announced that we can replace our fluorescent lighting with more energy-efficient LED bulbs at no cost by EVERGY, our electricity provider. We will need to hire an electrician to remove the ballasts from our fixtures and then we can use the same fixtures to install the new bulbs. She expects that cost to be less than $500.
For more information, contact the Osage County Historical Society at 785-828-3477 or researchosagechs@embarqmail.com. Visit the society at 631 Topeka Ave., Lyndon, Kan., or see www.osagechs.org.
This information was reprinted from The Hedgepost, November 2025, the quarterly newsletter of the Osage County Historical Society.
