The Ottawa County Historical Museum Board continues to play a vital role in preserving local heritage through the dedication of its long-serving volunteers. The board meets monthly on the third Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. at the museum, 110 S. Concord in Minneapolis, where members undertake the detailed work required to protect historically significant artifacts. While preserving the past remains central to their mission, the board is also working to support education for the future.
Comprised entirely of hard-working volunteers, the board spends countless hours evaluating donations to determine their historical significance to Ottawa County. A recent example includes a school bell that once hung over the one-room Lamar School. The bell was donated by Jim and Jean Morrow, who had displayed it for years at their west Wichita home and traveled to Minneapolis on January 20 to share its history. The board voted to accept the bell, citing its strong connection to the county’s educational past. In 1890, Ottawa County had nearly 100 school districts, reflecting the importance of rural education and a bygone era before Kansas consolidated 3,000 districts down to 300 in the 1960s.
Looking ahead, the museum board is considering a future partnership with North Ottawa County Public Schools. The proposal would allow Minneapolis High School student interns to help review, scan, and preserve the last known copies of the Minneapolis Better Way newspaper, which are deteriorating and taking up significant space. Once digitized, the files would be submitted to the Kansas Historical Society for archiving with other state newspapers.
North Ottawa County Public Schools Superintendent Curtis Stevens attended Tuesday’s meeting to thank the museum board for their past work and to propose a future memorandum of understanding between USD 239 and the Ottawa County Historical Museum. He noted that if the partnership is approved, “it would be a win for students, the museum, and future generations.”