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.

Field Trip to Greenwood and Pomona Townships

Louis Reed tells about Keokuk.

Huddled under a shelter with hands in pockets, braced against a chilly wind, several curious members of the Franklin County Rural History Club listened carefully. Fellow member Louis Reed was explaining what we would see during our first field trip of 2017, a Saturday excursion through west-central Franklin County. From our starting point here at Greenwood Baptist Church, we would meander through Greenwood and Pomona Townships, briefly crossing the line into neighboring Osage County for a look at Quenemo, a one-time boom town.