2021 Spring Newsletter

Between the years of 1965 and 1980, a new tradition was started. It was an old fashioned Thanksgiving dinner and it was set up in a room in the Kansas City Power and Light building in Paola. Two of the most notable dinners were held November 1974 and 1975. In 1974, there was a native foods and wild game dinner. The menu had prairie chicken, quail, squirrel, raccoon, venison, creamed milkweed buds, ground cherry marmalade, persimmon pie, paw paw pie, wild strawberry shortcake, and dandelion jelly. In 1975 it was as quail dinner and the quail came from a Miami Coun ty game reserve. There was an ongoing drive to get a physical space for a museum. In 1973, Maude Carver, one of the society’s members passed away and in her will she left the contents of her house to the historical society. Because the society did not have a space to display the items, they were auc tioned off and nearly $3000 was raised. A lease on the house was offered to the society by the Maude’s heirs, but it was turned down because of many problems. There was a log cabin on some land owned by Steve Russell and it was said that it was built by Baptiste Peoria. Mr. Russell said he would donate the cabin if the society could move it to a different site. Purchasing the land and moving the building proved to be costly so the offer was turned down. There were some logs from the cabin donated to the present mu seum and are still on display. In the year 1970, the manager of the Sellers Monument Works, Don Thomas, offered the second and third floors of his building for the museum. Af ter consideration, it was decided that the stairs would be too much of a problem and the offer was turned down. Even though an established structure had not been pro cured, the Historical Society did keep its Influence in the county. In 1972 the county commissioners wanted to re place the roof of the courthouse and use asphalt shingles instead of replacing with original tiles. The Historical So ciety, with public opinion, was able to convince the com missioners to replace with original tiles and also perform some other restorations properly to keep the building in its original splendor. Sister Charles was

was considered. All of these had some sort of drawbacks and none of them were accepted. The director of the museum in Lawrence, Kansas (Dr. Ar thur Townsend) was invited to a meeting by Sister Charles in 1976. He gave his advice that certain conditions should be met on starting a museum: 1. Make it ever changing, not just a collection, 2. A house is the least desirable, un less it is used as an exhibit, 3. Have an art gallery with the museum, 4. Don’t set goals too low, 5. Have a competent director. It was learned that the Arnold Building on the north side of the square in Paola was available and could be purchased for $12,500. This was in March of 1977. The society dis cussed this with Dr. Townsend . He thought it was a good idea, the society approved, and Sister Charles immediately started raising funds for the project. The building needed some renovation so money was raised for those materials. Everything from pie sales to just plain donations. The Ruri tan Club in Paola resurfaced the walls on the ground floor with a material that would enable artifacts to be hung. Bernie Zahn put up partitions and also built a stairway to the second floor. Sister Charles was able to get chairs do nated from her nephew’s Office Supply store in Olathe. Now that a permanent structure was acquired, it needed a name. A contest was held and the winning name was submitted by Sister Charles. “SWAN RIVER MUSEUM”. The museum now could display artifacts that had been in stor age and new ones to come. On the second floor was the Ethel Hunt/Mildred Russell library. Court house records and school records were filed thee. There was also a bird exhibit moved from Ursuline and put on the second floor. The museum was prospering and soon needed more space. It was decided that the present building was just not big enough so a new location was looked for. In 1999, three adjacent buildings on Peoria street were purchased and the museum was moved to that present day loca tion. The first two buildings were used right away. The third building was later transformed into the Indian Room. Many artifacts and information on the early Indian tribes are present in this room. At one time, the Swan River Museum and the Miami County Historical Society were coexisting and it was de cided that they should both be under one name because they were both under one roof. Our present name “Mi ami County Historical Museum” was decided on and that is

elected president in 1974. One of her first actions was to look hard for a permanent residence for the mu seum. Some sugges tions were the Phifer house on south Silver Street, a house in the 100 block of east Wea, and even a met al building in Paola. There was even an unused schoolhouse on Highway 68 that

what we have today. Source of information:

“And So It Began” _____Author: Bettie Ore

Vincent Thorpe

Sister Charles

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