Old Depot Museum facts for kids
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Old Depot Museum Building
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| Location | 135 West Tecumseh, Ottawa, Kansas |
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| Opened | July 4, 1963 |
| Owner | Franklin County Historical Society |
| General manager | Diana Staresinic-Deane |
| Operating season | Year round |
The Old Depot Museum is a cool history museum located in Ottawa, Kansas. It mainly focuses on the history of Franklin County and how important trains were for small towns to grow. You can learn about local Native Americans, old industries, and see rooms that look just like they did long ago. The Old Depot Museum is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a really important historical building!
History of the Old Depot Museum
The first railroad in Kansas, called the Leavenworth, Lawrence, and Galveston (LL&G) railway, was built south of Lawrence, Kansas. This railway was about 30 miles long and connected Lawrence to Ottawa. It was built mostly by Chinese railroad workers between 1867 and 1868.
In 1873, the LL&G railway had problems and was sold. A new company, the Kansas City, Lawrence, and Southern Kansas Railroad, built the train depot in Ottawa in 1888. The depot was designed by George Washburn and made from limestone. In 1895, the depot was sold again to the Santa Fe railway. They owned it until trains became less popular.
In 1962, the depot building was given to the Franklin County Historical Society. They decided to turn it into a museum the next year. The museum first opened its doors on July 4, 1963.
The museum got a special grant in 1996 and closed for three years to get a big makeover. It reopened with many new and improved areas.
In 2001, a special marker was placed outside the Depot. It shows how high the water of the Marais des Cygnes river reached during the Great Flood of 1951. The marker is about 9.8 feet (3 meters) high, showing the highest point the floodwaters reached.
| Preceding station | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | Following station | ||
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| Princeton
toward Tulsa
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Tulsa – Kansas City | Ottawa Junction
toward Kansas City, Missouri
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| Terminus | Ottawa – Lawrence | Ottawa Junction
toward Lawrence
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| Williamsburg
toward Gridley
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Gridley – Ottawa | Terminus | ||
Museum Exhibits
Permanent Exhibits
Model Train Display
One room at the museum has an amazing HO scale model train display. It features both steam and diesel trains. The model train shows what the railroad and Franklin County looked like in the 1950s. It even includes tiny versions of real buildings from around the county!
Historic Room Recreations
The Old Depot Museum has special rooms that look like they did in the Victorian era. You can see a fancy parlor, a busy general store, a fun soda fountain, a dentist's office, and even a one-room schoolhouse.
The soda fountain room is based on the Bennett Creamery, which used to be a popular shop in downtown Ottawa.
The one-room schoolhouse is a great place for field trips. Students can visit and experience what a school day was like long ago. Kids visiting even get to wear old-fashioned clothes like pinafores and suspenders!
Bleeding Kansas Exhibit
One important exhibit focuses on the "Bleeding Kansas" period. This was a time before the Civil War when people in Kansas disagreed strongly about slavery. The exhibit tells the story of abolitionist John Brown and events like the Pottawatomie massacre. This exhibit was created in 2007. Visitors go into a dark room and listen to stories from people who lived during that time, told by voice actors. It helps you understand the different sides of this tough period in history.
Outdoor Caboose
Outside the museum, you can see a real Caboose from the 1940s. It was given to the museum by Ron and Deanna Kimes. This caboose was officially opened to the public in 2013 during an event about the history of Kansas railroad workers. The museum has thought about adding another train car outside, but they want to make sure it will be safe from damage.
Temporary Exhibits
Crossings Exhibit
"Crossings: Getting Over, Around, and Through Water in Franklin County" was a temporary exhibit. It explored how Franklin County has always interacted with water, especially the Marais des Cygnes river. A huge 34-foot map of the river covered the floor of the exhibit! This exhibit helped people understand the important relationship between people and water.
Secret Societies Exhibit
The "Secret Societies" exhibit explored different secret groups in Ottawa and Franklin County. The exhibit showed how these groups helped people find community and friendship. Some groups were secret abolitionist groups, while others supported slavery.
One funny group was called the Esoteric and Terrible Order of Pie Eaters. They were a fraternity formed in 1868. The museum said they had silly plans like paying with glass pieces and achieving world domination while wearing pie plates! The museum even hosted an event with pie and fun "initiations" like the Pie Eaters might have had.
Small-Town Ball Exhibit
"Small-Town Ball: Playing America's Game in Ottawa and Franklin County" was an exhibit about local baseball teams. It included information about school teams, company teams, and traveling teams. There was also a presentation about Negro Leagues Baseball and the Kansas City Monarchs. The Monarchs, a famous team, played games in Ottawa several times. The exhibit also showed a movie about how important small local baseball teams are across Kansas.
George P. Washburn Exhibit
In 2007, the museum had a temporary exhibit about George Washburn. He was the architect who designed the museum building itself! Washburn designed many buildings in Ottawa. The museum even offered guided tours of his other buildings while the exhibit was running.
Harvey Houses Exhibit
In 2015, the museum had a special exhibit about Harvey Houses. These were restaurants created by Fred Harvey along railway lines. The Ottawa depot didn't have a full Harvey House, but it did have a Harvey cart that sold coffee and sandwiches. This exhibit also included a showing of the movie "Harvey Girls," starring Judy Garland, which was about these famous restaurants.
Other Past Exhibits
- Franklin County Photographers
- Franklin County's Contribution to World War I and World War II
- Historic Textiles (old fabrics and clothes)
- Founding of Ottawa
- Local Quilts
Trails from the Museum
The Old Depot Museum is the starting point for the Prairie Spirit Trail. This trail is 33 miles long and follows an old railroad track that used to start at the Santa Fe Depot. It was Kansas' very first "rail-trail," meaning an old railway line turned into a path for walking and biking.
The museum can also be a starting point for the Flint Hills Nature Trail.
