Atchison County Historical Museum facts for kids

The Atchison County Historical Society Museum is a cool place that helps keep the history of Atchison County, Kansas alive! Both the city of Atchison and Atchison County are named after United States Senator David Rice Atchison. He's famous for a fun story about being "President for a day"!

You can find the Atchison County Historical Society & Museum in a really old building. It's the historic 1880 Santa Fe Freight Depot, located at 200 S. 10th Street in Atchison, Kansas. The museum tells the story of Atchison County through awesome exhibits. You can learn about famous explorers Lewis and Clark, amazing pilot Amelia Earhart, and the history of railroads in the area. There's even a special section about David Rice Atchison called the "World's Smallest 'unofficial' Presidential Library." Plus, they have a big collection of over 200 military weapons from different wars, like the Revolutionary War and both World Wars.

The Atchison County Historical Society also takes care of another cool spot: the Independence Creek: Lewis & Clark Historic Site. This outdoor area is at 19917 314th Road in Atchison County. It covers 13.5 acres with native grasses and wildflowers. You can also see a re-creation of a Kanza Indian earth lodge there. A 5-mile hiking and biking trail connects this site to the Atchison riverfront. The museum also often has special temporary exhibits for visitors to enjoy.

Discover the Atchison County Historical Society Museum

About the Museum and Society

The Atchison County Historical Society started in 1967. Their first museum opened its doors in 1968. Later, in 1989, the society moved into its current home, the old 1880 Santa Fe Depot. The museum offers educational programs for adults every few months. They also have special activities for kids from kindergarten to 12th grade. This includes a monthly Pioneer Club just for students in 4th to 7th grade! The Atchison County Historical Society, Inc. is a non-profit group that helps keep history alive.

The "President for a Day" Story

David Rice Atchison was a senator from Missouri. He was very involved in the big debate about whether the new state of Kansas would allow slavery or be a free state. Some people say he played a key role in a law called the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This act helped lead to Kansas becoming a state.

Here's the fun part: Some of Atchison's friends claimed he was technically the President of the United States for 24 hours! This happened from noon on Sunday, March 4, 1849, to noon on Monday. The outgoing President, James K. Polk, finished his term on Sunday. The new President, Zachary Taylor, didn't want to be sworn into office on a Sunday because of his beliefs. His Vice President also waited.

At that time, Atchison was the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. This meant he was next in line to be president if something happened to the President and Vice President. So, for those 24 hours, some believed Atchison was the highest-ranking elected official in the U.S. The Atchison County Historical Society Museum has an exhibit about this. It lets you decide if Atchison was truly president for a day or not! Because of this unique story, the museum's exhibit about his political life is called "The David Rice Atchison World's Smallest 'unofficial' Presidential Library."

Explore the Lewis and Clark Historic Site

The Independence Creek: Lewis and Clark Historic Site is open every day from sunrise to sunset. It's about 5 miles north of Atchison's Main Street. You can get there by car or by using the hiking and biking trail. This 13.5-acre site has been restored to look like the prairie seen by the Corps of Discovery explorers. It includes a part of Independence Creek that Captain William Clark wrote about in his journal on July 4, 1804.

A special pedestrian bridge connects this site to the Atchison Riverfront, completing the 5-mile trail. You can also see a re-creation of a Kanza earth lodge from the 1700s and early 1800s. This helps visitors understand the connection of this place to the Kanza people who lived there long ago.