El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection - El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection
Scott County Historical Society
October 2020 News
October 2020
Is anything more ideal than a beautiful Fall afternoon in Western Kansas! Cloudless, bright blue sky and blissful calm after September's heat and wind.
As I look through the windows of the museum, I can see that although there is no color change in the trees, the bright green is fading, and some of the highest branches have begun to lose their leaves. Such perfection makes me wonder what I'm doing inside, pecking away at this keyboard!
At the September meeting of the historical society board, it was decided to schedule the annual Member Appreciation Day in October, as has been our custom. This was fully discussed. We know attendance may be lower than usual and we will miss you, if you choose not to come, but we understand that some may still not be comfortable in group gatherings. We are also aware that a spike in the corona virus between now and then might cause us to cancel this meeting. Your health and safety is our first priority and we want everyone to stay safe and well.
The date for the Member Appreciation Day has been set for Sunday, October 25th, at 2:00 p.m. at El Quartelejo Museum. The guest speaker will be our own County Health Nurse, Edith Tarango, who will speak on what affect the corona pandemic has had on Scott County. That should be most interesting. We will also be celebrating the 20th anniversary of El Quartelejo Museum, which opened to the public in October 2000.
Other upcoming events include another Quilts of Valor ceremony, honoring our military veterans, on November 14th, at 2:00 p.m. These impressive services are always inspiring. Please plan to attend.
We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment in 2020, with a special traveling exhibit that brings to life the history of the women's suffrage movement in Kansas. You're invited to view the display from November 7th through 19th. This eight-panel exhibit titled "Celebrating the Centennial of the 19th Amendment: Women Vote" is provided by the League of Women Voters of Kansas and its Centennial Celebration Committee. Visitors will get to know the women of Kansas who led this movement in the early 20th century to bring voting rights to the nation's women. Kansas women were allowed to vote in all state elections beginning in 1912, eight years before the country followed suit.
In addition to the traveling exhibit, we are excited to host a wonderful program for the general public and to provide 2 additional programs for our High School students. This program will feature Marla Matkin of Her-story Productions. Marla is a talented historian, actress, playwright, educator, and author. She will be portraying a Suffragist and telling Her Story. You will not want to miss this unique opportunity on Thursday, November 19th, 7:00 pm, at the Maria E. DeGeer Auditorium (High School Auditorium).
We will be taking down the Attic Treasures display in the temporary gallery soon. If you haven't been in to see it, better come in now. The next display will feature America's First Ladies, which will be in place in time for the meeting on October 25th.
Thanks so much to those of you who have been faithful to not only pay your dues promptly, but who have also included generous donations. We consider those extra donations to be a vote of confidence for the work being done to preserve and present the unique history of Scott County.
And thanks, also, to the Scott Community Foundation for a recent grant funding of $800.00, for museum gallery updating.
We are pleased to welcome new historical society members, Bill and Sharon Fry, Pat and Tonya White, and Edward Daubert.
For your calendar:
Sunday, Oct. 25th – 2:00 p.m. Member Appreciation Day
Bring a friend!
Nov. 7 – 18: "Celebrating the Centennial of the 19th
Amendment: Women Vote" Exhibit at the Museum
Nov. 14th – 2:00 p.m. Quilts of Valor ceremony
Nov. 19th – 7:00 p.m. Women's Suffrage w/Marla Matkin
Maria E. DeGeer High School Auditorium
June 2020 Newsletter
JUNE 2020
After being closed for ten weeks, our doors are open again. Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the facility, along with masks and gloves for those who want to use them. Social distancing spaces are marked off and we will take every precaution we can to provide a safe environment for our visitors. Hands-on exhibits have been covered, but there are still plenty of interesting areas to enjoy for the first time – or again, if you are a repeat visitor.
The Attic Treasures display in the temporary gallery had just been opened shortly before we closed the doors, so it remains in place, and is a fun stroll through many items that have been tucked away in our storage units; some never before displayed. Do come by and see what we found in our own "attic."
Although our visitors truly enjoyed the jigsaw puzzles set up in the foyer, that little diversion has been temporarily suspended. Once it is safe for things such as that to be handled, we'll get a puzzle going again for those of you who are puzzle people.
This is the weekend originally scheduled for the all-school reunion – an event we were so looking forward to. Those five-year reunions have brought many former Scott County students to our galleries, giving us a chance to enjoy old friends and make new ones. Well, another year – maybe it will be all the sweeter for having to wait.
Other activities here and around the community have been cancelled or postponed. The end of school tours we usually enjoy in May were, of course, cancelled, along with some scheduled historic sites bus tours, and the summer programs for kids here at the museum.
We recently received a one hundred dollar grant from Midwest Energy, designated for the summer kid's program. Those funds will be used for summer programs next year. Our sincere thanks to Midwest Energy.
We also want to thank the family of Lloyd K. Fouser for designating the Scott County Historical Society as the recipient of his memorial funds. We are so honored to receive such gifts, and give much consideration to how those special funds may best be used. Thank you, Darrell and Celia.
Our condolences to the family of Juanita Janssen, who passed away in March. Juanita was a long-time and faithful member of the historical society, giving generously of her time, talent and resources.
A special thanks to those of you who have included over-and-above amounts in your membership dues checks. We are so grateful for your support. We want you to know that our excellent staff did not go unpaid through the weeks we were closed. Those employees are much too valuable to risk losing. And each of them continued to do as much work as possible at home and here at the museum. Nothing was neglected even though the galleries were closed.
The annual meeting of the historical society, scheduled for April 19th, was cancelled, along with that program we were looking forward to; the portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, by member, Tim Rust. We'll try to reschedule that meeting this fall. So much depends on the health of our county, state and nation!
These past months have been challenging, to say the least. Isn't it interesting, that almost overnight we went from "Where does the time go?" to "How can each day last so long?" Never have so many closets been cleaned out, so many photographs catalogued, so many new recipes tried out! And maybe you have finally found time to read that book you've wanted to read, call that long-neglected friend, write an actual snail-mail letter. Scott County has remained almost free of this devastating virus. We have been and continue to be so very blessed.
Wash your hands, keep social distances, stay well.
February 2020 Newsletter
FEBRUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER
Seems like a long time since a newsletter went out. It was last year, in fact, since we are now well into the second month of 2020. It appears that this new year is going to race past just as last as last year!
Back in November, we were looking forward to that Scott County Arts Council exhibit of local artists. Turned out to showcase over 60 entries of every possible example of art. Some folks who came out to enjoy that special event were first-time visitors to the museum galleries – a plus for us.
Another Quilts of Valor ceremony was also held in our facility in November. It is our pleasure to host these inspirational services honoring our military veterans. The remarkable women who make those beautiful quilts are
truly angels among us. We invite you to be present when these ceremonies are held, as your presence also pays honor to those who have served our country across the years.
Our last scheduled event of 2019 was the annual Sugar Plum Sale, held on Sunday, December 16th. A cold afternoon cut the crowd a bit, but sales were brisk, and nearly all the cookies and candies were sold. Proceeds were $813.50.
Raffle prizes and winners were:
Evelyn Hogg, Santa wall hanging, donated by Dean Fairchild
Carl Minnix, $25 Chamber Bucks, donated by C of C
Karen Compton, Scott City-opoly game, donated by C of C
Susan Eggleston, German Chocolate Cake, donated by Tava See
Thanks to all who provided goodies and/or helped with this fundraiser.
Our holiday visitors enjoyed putting a few pieces in a puzzle in the foyer. We’ve finished a couple of those, and will begin another one soon. Puzzle lovers are welcome to come by for a little quiet R & R.
We always look forward to the beginning of the new year, knowing we will have fourth grade students here for a tour on Kansas Day. There were 60 students this year. Tour guides were Dennie Siegrist, Stephanie Fisher, Alan Graham, Don Cotton, and Barb Dickhut. Marian Nolan joined the group to play the antique pump organ while everyone sang “Home on the Range.” A good time was had by all.
There’s always something going on out here at the museum, but our next special event will be the annual meeting of the Scott County Historical Society, scheduled for Sunday, April 19th, at 2:00 p.m. Guest speaker will be one of our newer members, Tim Rust, who will be portraying Abraham Lincoln. Tim and his wife, Jill, live in Wichita, but also have a home here in the State Park. Some of you met this delightful couple in December when they hosted Pioneer Christmas at the Steele Home.
By now you surely know that Jerry Thomas is creating a bronze sculpture of our town founder, Maria DeGeer, which will be dedicated during the All-School Reunion on Saturday, June 6th. You can be a part of this exciting community project by helping with the funding. Please send your financial gift to the Scott Community Foundation at 210 W. 4th Street, Scott City, KS 67871, earmarked: Maria DeGeer Fund, or donate online at scottcf.org.
A new exhibit has been set up in the temporary gallery. “Attic Treasures” features an eclectic collection of items from the museum collection: toys, musical instruments, clothing, photos, odds and ends. Come see what we have discovered!
Be on the lookout for the Pop Up Museums! Stephanie Fisher has been popping up at the schools and in our gift shop with museum items and trunks from the Kansas Historical Society. Beginning February 27th, she will be bringing in Kansas Wheatland. April’s Pop Up Museum will be Trading on the Santa Fe. You can find out more about this program by checking our FaceBook Page or our website, www.elquartelejomuseum.org. The Pop Up Museum program is funded in part by a grant from the Western Kansas Community Foundation.
We are so sorry to say goodbye to long-time, always supportive member, Don Wiechman. Our condolences go out to Marlo and family.
We’ll be reminding you about the annual meeting, but you put that date on your calendar now: Sunday, April 19th – 2:00 p.m.
And be looking forward to the All-School Reunion, June 5-7th – so many good things planned for those days.
Happy Valentine’s Day - President’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day and Easter!
November Newsletter
November 2019
by Patricia Graham, President SC Historical Society
It isn’t quite November as I write this newsletter, but it won’t go out until after Halloween. . .Halloween – that means we’ll be seeing Christmas commercials by the time you get this. Incredible!
October was filled with special events – the opening of Little Jerusalem State Park brought many visitors to our area, and to our museum. The last of the historic bus tours have taken place for the season, with three family groups taking advantage of that excellent tour in October. The Quilts of Valor organization held another of their inspiring tributes to military veterans here on October 19th, and the annual Member Appreciation Day was held on October 20th, with Stephanie Fisher presenting the life and times of our town founder, Maria DeGeer.
The Scott Community Foundation held their annual Giving Day on October 22nd, and the historical society received $2,940.00 in donations. Our sincere thanks to all who participated in that unique fundraiser.
We still have exciting events on this year’s calendar. The first of those will be at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 9th, when the Quilts of Valor organization will return to wrap another group of veterans in those beautiful handcrafted quilts.
A new event will take place from Friday, November 29th to Sunday, December 8th, when the Scott County Arts Council will host an exhibit of local artists in our museum gallery. Come out and enjoy yet another facet of our multi-talented community. We’ll be open both those Sunday afternoons from 1-5 p.m. And from 1:00-8:00 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2nd and Thursday, Dec. 5th.
And, of course, we’ll set up for the annual Sugar Plum Sale on Sunday, December 15th, from 1:30 to 3:00. We’ll need your help with this delightful cookie and candy walk, so please let us know if you can bring your favorite Christmas goodies to tempt our buyers. This should be a perfect time to fill plates of homemade treats for gifts for friends and neighbors. This is our only regular fundraiser, so please support this fun event.
This will be the last newsletter of 2019, so please keep us in mind as you think about year-end charitable donations. We are aware that the tax laws have changed, so check with your tax preparer for the best way to take advantage of charitable giving.
We want to thank the family of Phyllis Geist Rowland for designating the historical society as the recipient for her memorial gifts. We will decide on some appropriate project for those funds soon.
We were saddened by the sudden loss of Bill Huseman. Although Bill didn’t live here, he was a very supportive member of the society.
And we will miss long-time members, George and Natalie Armantrout as they leave Scott City to make their new home in Wichita, but we wish them the very best.
Upcoming events:
Saturday, Nov. 9th – 2:00 p.m. Quilts of Valor
Friday, Nov 29th-Dec 8th – Local artist exhibit
Sunday, Dec 15th – 1:30-3:00 p.m. Sugar Plum Sale