Miami County Kansas Historical Museum

01/24/2026

Osawatomie, a Poet's Corner

May Williams Ward was a distinguished poet. Born in Missouri in1882, her family moved to her mother’s hometown of Osawatomie (Miami County) when she was seven.

After several future moves, the family eventually settled in Wellington (Sumner County). Ward published her first poem in 1921, and within four years she was nationally recognized for her talent. Her poems appeared in periodicals such as “Ladies Home Journal,” “Good Housekeeping” and “Kansas City Star.”

By 1926 Ward had published 300 poems in 35 magazines. That same year she became the editor of “The Harp,” a poetry magazine published in Larned (Pawnee County).

During her 50-year career, Ward published 2,000 poems and seven books. William Allen White referred to her as “the champion poet of Kansas.”

Source
Kansas Historical Society

01/23/2026

01/23/2026

Notice;

Osawatomie depot Museum WILL BE CLOSED TODAY AS WELL DUE TO FRIGID COLD 🥶 🥶

01/23/2026

Please pass the word we are closed today January 23, 2026

We will see you all next Wednesday!

Stay warm and safe ✅

01/22/2026

Trojan Pride Continues to Shine!

The 2026 OHS Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees are Announced

The Osawatomie High School Athletic Hall of Fame celebrated its second induction on January 16, 2026, honoring athletes and teams who left a lasting mark on Trojan history.

2026 Hall of Fame Class: • 1973 State Championship Football Team • Samuel “Mac” Steele • Edward “Eddie” West • Richard “Rick” Stephens • Derrick Shelby • Crystal Walker Ecton • Jennifer Snyder Cumpton

More biographies, event highlights, and the ceremony recording are available on the official Hall of Fame website, hosted by the Osawatomie History Museum: https://osawatomiemuseum.org/2026-hof/
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01/19/2026

Images from National Hat Day 🤠🥳 at the Museum. Hats never go out of style and are always fun!

01/16/2026

Please Join Us Tomorrow

Baseball’s Influence on Kansas

Baseball is deeply intertwined with American culture, often called "America's Pastime," reflecting national values like teamwork and perseverance, connecting generations through family tradition, and serving as a mirror for societal changes from racial integration to technological progress, influencing language, film, and music, and providing a nostalgic link to simpler times and rural roots.

Go back to the late 1800s and the birth of Walter Johnson and George Sweatt, Humboldt kids who played baseball at the highest level but in different leagues due to racism.

Learn about the sixteen-year-old signed by the Kansas City Athletics, who left the University of Kansas campus to play his first game at Municipal Stadium the next day

Read about pioneers in the game named Joyce, Katie and Alex, determined and talented women who are part of our national pastime.

Author Michael Travis shares his love for the game, rounding the bases from its beginnings in Wichita with League 42 to the Major Leagues.

No Admission Charge
Reservations Not Needed
Donations Appreciated
501 (C)(3) IRS designated

01/13/2026

Connecting Past to Present...

Enjoy a glimpse of yesterday's Paola Park Square northeast corner. The brick building behind the horses and buggies was the Miami County National Bank. This antique Paola picture postcard has a postmark of 1906.

01/09/2026

Baseball’s Influence on Kansas

Baseball is deeply intertwined with American culture, often called "America's Pastime," reflecting national values like teamwork and perseverance, connecting generations through family tradition, and serving as a mirror for societal changes from racial integration to technological progress, influencing language, film, and music, and providing a nostalgic link to simpler times and rural roots.

Go back to the late 1800s and the birth of Walter Johnson and George Sweatt, Humboldt kids who played baseball at the highest level but in different leagues due to racism.

Learn about the sixteen-year-old signed by the Kansas City Athletics, who left the University of Kansas campus to play his first game at Municipal Stadium the next day

Read about pioneers in the game named Joyce, Katie and Alex, determined and talented women who are part of our national pastime.

Author Michael Travis shares his love for the game, rounding the bases from its beginnings in Wichita with League 42 to the Major Leagues.

No Admission Charge
Reservations Not Needed
Donations Appreciated
501 (C)(3) IRS designated

01/06/2026

A Party Born...

The Republican party in Kansas emerged from the national debate over slavery, particularly after the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) allowed settlers to decide on slavery, sparking conflict in "Bleeding Kansas." Osawatomie, Kansas was a center for abolitionist activity and was where the Kansas Republican Party was organized in 1859.

They successfully kept slavery out, adopting the Wyandotte Constitution in 1861 when Kansas joined the Union as a free state, cementing their early power.

The party's anti-slavery stance helped elect Abraham Lincoln in 1860, leading to secession and the Civil War, with Republicans leading the Union.

01/05/2026

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors

Information available: couple from Somerset, Kansas (the parents of Fickel Phillips)

Do any of you know more about this couple?

Source: Kansas History Geeks
Contributor: Keith R. Deaton

Maternal Grandmother Fickel Phillips parents from Somerset, KS.