Appanoose Brethren Church

In northwestern Franklin County, down a private lane and obscured from the main road by trees and brush, a once-neglected house of worship is being resurrected.

The Appanoose Brethren Church, built in 1886, served the local community for close to 100 years. Local records show that it was in use through at least the 1960s. In recent years, though, the church, abandoned and vandalized, began to deteriorate.

Appanoose Museum

The Rural History Club recently took a spin through the northwestern corner of Franklin County, and we simply didn't have time to see everything. We drove right by a couple of old schools and cemeteries, we bypassed the site of an alleged Border War massacre, and we passed within barely a mile of the field where Chief Appanoose is supposedly buried.

But we got a pretty good overview of the local area anyway, thanks to an all-too-brief stop at the Appanoose Museum. There, we saw photos of Chief Appanoose and displays dedicated to several local communities, as well as a covered wagon, a tribute to local military veterans, collections of old typewriters and musical instruments, a roomful of vintage toys, and a replica kitchen, living room, and schoolhouse, all furnished with period decor.

Hackett Hill

Dale and Linda Hermreck recently discovered a personal connection to Franklin County's past. Their story involves a plot of land near Ottawa, an early settler from Canada, and a chance discussion about history.

Civilian Conservation Corps

In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps began sending hundreds of thousands of men across the United States. From coast to coast, they planted trees, built parks and bridges, and brought widespread erosion under control. Perhaps most importantly, the program put people to work during the Great Depression.

Franklin County Records and Research Center

FCHS archivist Susan Geiss knows where the good stuff is kept.

The Franklin County, KS, Historical Society owns two beloved local treasures: the Old Depot Museum and the Dietrich Cabin. But there is a third resource that is at least as valuable to anyone who cares about local history: the Franklin County Records and Research Center.

Genealogists, especially, could find endless ways to explore the thousands of documents on hand. Did your grandfather attend a one-room schoolhouse in the 1920s? Would you care to know what grade he received in his third-grade math class? There's a good chance you could find out.