El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection - El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection

Spring 2012 Newsletter

March came in like a lamb and went out like a lamb – a roasted lamb! It’s not often that March 31^st hits a high temperature of 90+ degrees! It looks like Spring has sprung, and now we are being blessed with April Showers.

One sure sign of Spring here at the museum is the increase of daily visitors. It was a long, dry spell through January and February, but we’re enjoying visitors nearly every afternoon now. It remains to be seen what the ever-increasing gasoline prices will do to summer travelers.

A couple of exciting events are coming up soon. The first of which is THE ANNUAL MEETING of the historical society. The date is: Sunday, April 29^th, at 2 p.m., at the El Quartelejo Museum. We will have a short business meeting and will consider a change in one article of the constitution. More about that later. Our program will be The History of Nicodemus, brought by Angela Bates, a great-great granddaughter of one of the original settlers of the only remaining all-black settlement west of the Mississippi. Ms Bates is a Nicodemus historian, an author, and the executive director and past president of the Nicodemus Historical Society. This program is made available to us through the Kansas Humanities Council. It promises to be a delightful afternoon and we urge you to join us. Oh – and we need cookie bakers . . .please.

The other special event involves not just Scott City, but virtually all the towns along Highway 96. June 1-2-3 will be the first-ever June Jaunt, a celebration of Highway 96, from Tribune to Ellinwood. Each town on that stretch of Highway 96 will provide some type of celebration or entertainment during those days.   Scott City is planning all types of events for all ages. You will be hearing much more about this in the weeks to come. El Quartelejo Museum and the Jerry Thomas Gallery are planning to present “Heartland History on the Highway,” featuring some sort of historical presentation on the grounds. There will be plenty of advance information going out to the public later on, and we’ll be posting updates on our website and Facebook, but put those dates on your calendar now.The Jerry Thomas Gallery was closed for a period of time this winter in order to complete a storage room for the gallery and to add some interesting new items to the gallery exhibit.   More lighting has been added and visitors are enjoying the new displays.

The Jerry Thomas Gallery was closed for a period of time this winter in order to complete a storage room for the gallery and to add some interesting new items to the gallery exhibit.   More lighting has been added and visitors are enjoying the new displays.

There have been additions in the museum gallery too. The Indian display now features two Native American mannequins in full costume. They are very lifelike and add a great deal of interest to that display. Our sincere thanks to some very faithful members of the historical society for their financial support of this project.

The four high school Biology classes were here on March 26^th, for a full day of tours for our staff and volunteers. We appreciate those teachers who make arrangements for students to see and hear the history of Scott County, and enjoy the fine artwork of Jerry Thomas.

The temporary gallery held a display of artwork from our local high school students through the month of March. Such amazing talent! We would have kept it longer, but the students had spring competitions to enter.

The temporary gallery is now being prepared for a new exhibit which we hope to have ready for the annual meeting. “A Stitch in Time,” will showcase our own collection of vintage quilts and maybe some other handiwork. Some of our quilts are too fragile to be hung, but we’ll display them some way. They are all beautiful and special. Several are “Friendship” quilts from early Scott City social clubs or church groups. If we have room, we will consider showing quilts that are not a part of our collection. If you have a quilt you’d like displayed, please contact the museum soon.     872-5912

Our gift shop is a good place to shop for unique, one-of-a-kind gift items. We have two new travel guides you might want to pick up before the summer traveling season begins. One is Marci Penner’s 8 Wonders of Kansas Guidebook, and the other is An Explorer’s Guide to Kansas, which includes places stay overnight and places to eat, as well as places to visit. We carry Kansas postcards, other Kansas items, many books and toys, and of course, a full range of Jerry Thomas prints.