Geary County Historical Society

Goal: $50,000.00

Specific Need

On August 15, the Geary County Historical Society Museum experienced a catastrophic elevator failure that required assistance from the local fire department. While major building damage was prevented, this failure has left the Museum facing a significant and unexpected challenge: the modernization and replacement of major components of the elevator system.

The elevator is more than a convenience for the Geary County Historical Society Museum. It is an essential part of making the Museum accessible to everyone. Visitors of all ages and abilities rely on the elevator to access the Museum’s exhibits, collections, programs, and events throughout the building.

The proposed elevator modernization will involve replacing major components of the existing system, including controller, motor, and hydraulic equipment, wiring, operating fixtures, door equipment, and other hoist way and safety components. The project will also incorporate updated accessibility features and emergency and firefighter safety equipment. Additional building-related work may also be necessary to meet current code and safety requirements, including electrical, fire protection, ventilation, structural, and other improvements.

The Historical Society is working with experienced contractors to gather estimates for this project, but current estimated costs of the elevator modernization and related work is $175,00-215,000.

The project will also take time. Initial work to the mechanical room is required before modernization can take place. Then engineering and material procurement are expected to take several weeks, followed by several weeks of installation once the necessary equipment is available. At this time, an exact start or completion date cannot be established. In the meantime, the Geary County Historical Society asks for patience as accessibility in the three-story museum building will be limited to stair access until work can be completed.

Mission

The mission of the Geary County Historical Society, Inc. (GCHS) is:

• To preserve and collect the history of Geary County, Kansas
• To disseminate historical information using all appropriate media
• To provide community education on local history and culture
• To preserve historic landmarks
• To recognize exceptional historic preservation
• To promote public participation in preservation and commemoration of regional, state and national history
• To operate museums/ historic sites that preserve objects of value to the Geary County story

Profile

But how do we help the community? Here are three examples:

Meet Shelby, a 4th grade student at Washington Elementary. She saw "the museum lady" during Kansas Day and was so excited by what she learned that she made her mom take her to the museum's Kansas Day event the very next day. While at the museum, she took her mom through the entirety of the children's chores trunk she had seen the day before, teaching her mom about the history she had absorbed.  Children like Shelby are learning how to learn. They are learning how to be a community member. Engaging with museum programs like the Traveling Trunks helps them understand that learning about their community, and their history, can be fun. The Geary County Historical Society sees approximately 3,500 children throughout the year through school programs, Traveling Trunk presentations, Hands on History and S.T.E.A.M. Saturday events. 

Meet the Cole family. They are visiting their son stationed at Fort Riley and when they googled what there is to do in Junction City, the Geary County Museum was the first search result, so they stopped in. While in the museum, they met one of our friendly docents who welcome them to the museum and to the community. They are encouraged to look around and learn about the community with the enthusiastic and knowledgeable docent to provide answers or a guided tour. For hundreds of military families and tourists, we are the first experience people have with Junction City. We create the first impression of our community. 1500 visitors from Fort Riley, to California, to Germany and beyond visit our musuem annually before exploring other parts of the community. 

Meet Max Regelman and Clarence Erichsen, best friends, brothers-in-law and World War II veterans, donated their uniforms to the museum many years ago. In 2017, the museum put up a Year of the Soldier display, which included Max's Marine uniform. Max had passed away, but when Clarence learned that his friend's uniform was on display, he visited every year to see it. When he visited, he would sit in front of the case--his own uniform pulled from storage for him to see as well--and he would share his stories. He told stories about Max "Regy," about their time together before the war and after, about how they were brothers-in-arms who became brothers-in-law. He would hold his uniform and he would cry as he shared their stories. Clarence has now passed away, but those stories are preserved because he shared them with us at the Historical Society. The stories of the community, what it was in the past, what it is now, and what it will be in the future are all kept safe in the museum through our archives and our Memories at the Museum oral history program.  

We are now asking you to help us continue preserving and sharing Geary County history, for little kids like Shelby who are learning how to learn, for families like the Coles who are just hoping their son has found a good community while serving and for Clarence and Max, so we can remember them.