Answering the Donkey Trolley Question

Thanks to our fans!!!... (this time that's you, Bruce) we have answered a question posed on page 65 of our book, Warrensburg and Johnson County (Vintage Postcard Series) from Arcadia Publishing, 2004, by Carol Berkland, Herb Best and Lisa Irle.  The JCHS collection contained this postcard with notations in ballpoint ink on the back concerning the last trip of a horsedrawn trolley that once made the newspapers in New York city for its annual trip to prove it existed.  The back of the card was full of informations about the "other resort" in Warrensburg -- Electric Springs.  The building didn't look at all familiar, nor did the name of the photographer.  Now, thanks to Bruce and his searching on the internet, we can conclusively report that this postcard came from Winfield, Cowley County, Kansas and had nothing at all to do with Electric Springs here in MO.  Beware those handwritten notes of history, always double check.  That was the lesson.  Glad we hedged our bets on the caption written 8 years ago.

So Much To Do



Davis Store before removal of bricks on Northwest Corner



    Much work remains to protect our historic structures from the ravages of time and weather.  Mike Shaw, Pres. of the JCHS, is working to uncover the extent of repairs which the old buildings require. 

The "Davis Store" (above) has been donated to the JCHS in the past year.  Many have asked -- what will happen to the building?: over the past several years.  And now that the JCHS is in command, the first order of business (after all the legalities, assessments and what not have been completed) is to assess the needs of the structure and determine whether it will be cost effective to preserve.  Loose bricks had to be removed from an old repair before decisions could be made.  We still are not sure of the outcome, the one thing that is sure is that we will need financial help from our Members and Friends to get the work done correctly.

The "Old Courthouse", purchased in 1965 by the Historical Society and on the National Register of Historic Places has been a labor of love for the Society for the past 50 years.  The stones used in the initial restoration have deteriorated over the years and to better understand the requirements of replacing them, they had to be removed. 

Hard work for our President.   Please consider assisting the JCHS either with your own work as a volunteer or financially.  We would welcome your interest in our projects!

South Threshold of the Old Courthouse

Historical Happenings

The JCHS has just established a publishing venture --the Johnson County Historical Society Press.
The first book is now available.  Old-Time Fiddling:  Hal Sappington, Missouri Fiddler is available (with 56 Tune DVD).  Written by R.M. Kinder (Rose Marie) and Kristine Lowe-Martin, the book is an affectionate look at a fine fiddler and his musical community.  $25 / $30 including postage.
It's a lovely book about music in and around Johnson County!!!  Check it out.