Grinter Place State Historic Site

10/05/2026

09/21/2026

Kansas Historical Society

09/21/2026

September is Fire Fighter Appreciation Month: This 1895 photo shows the Hays Fire Department with their wagon and equipment. An established fire department in Hays was needed after the town suffered two fires, one in 1879 and again in 1881. In 1895, the city suffered yet another fire destroying 60 downtown businesses. View this photo at www.kansasmemory.gov/item/305137

09/16/2026

Fall into the autumn season with the newest issue of Zephyr! Browse through the pages to find these articles: “Reflecting On Our 150-Year History: 1976-1999,” “Lasting Impression in History,” “Kansas 1776: A Dynamic Landscape,” and more! Also in this issue is our regular section “On This Day in Kansas History.” We hope you’ll enjoy this issue of Zephyr, and we look forward to bringing you more captivating articles, information, and updates from the Kansas Historical Society in future editions. To access this issue or register to receive future issues, visit bit.ly/kshszephyr

09/16/2026

September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month: Pedro “Pete” Sandoval migrated to the United States from Mexico with his parents when he was only three years old. The family settled in Garden City, Finney County, in 1927. Sandoval worked as a foreman at Gardiner Dairy for 26 years. He also worked as a TV technician for Crabb Electric and Sears Department Store for 10 years. Sandoval served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later served as chairman of the Garden City Fiesta Committee. See this and another photo of Sandoval at www.kansasmemory.gov/item/533164

09/12/2026

Congratulations to the Raffelock’s Bargain Center in Ottawa, Franklin County for receiving an $87,360 grant from the Heritage Trust Fund!



This two-story glazed brick Late Victorian commercial building is a contributing element to the original Downtown Ottawa Historic District. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in June of 1972, and now the building currently houses Sutton’s Jewelry inc.

08/14/2026

The Kansas State Historical Society (KSHS) is seeking applications from Kansas history educators for our Teacher Advisory Committee (TAC). We are seeking input from elementary and secondary educators of all types of school environments.

KSHS TAC Members will participate in virtual meetings to:
- Collaborate with Museum Educators on Kansas History materials.
- Evaluate the current KSHS education material to determine if it is providing realistic and usable lessons for students and educators.
- Review all features of the KSHS educational resources offered – Read Kansas!, Traveling Trunks, online lesson plans, enrichment activities (Make & Takes), videos, The Kansas Journey textbook – in order to evaluate overall effectiveness of KSHS’ educational outreach.
- Evaluate and provide input on our special events: museum tours/visits, Rural School Days, Kansas Day, and the History & Environmental Fair.
- Identify the most recent educational trends in history and make recommendations for the future of KSHS’ materials and educational outreach.
- Provide advice on the establishment and maintenance of accessible historical education programs for both the museum and the classroom.

All TAC Members will receive paid compensation for their time and professional input.
Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year are open through August 31. Click this link to apply: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=AYGu3C3JDEi8Q8Z2HMzMWiZpGZZqjFVNneKN2BLHG0hUQ0owNE1ISjA2R01XTFI5V05DOFZUNllDVi4u&route=shorturl

If you have any questions regarding the application process or the committee itself, please email [email protected], or call Beth Winkelman at 785-272-8681 ext. 416 or Trae Johnson at 785-272-8681, ext. 418.