KSHS History

The Kansas Editors' and Publishers' Association founded the Kansas Historical Society in 1875 to save present and past records. In 1879 the state enacted legislation that recognized the Society as "the trustee of the state" for the purpose of maintaining the state's history. Since then the Society has continued to enjoy the support of the state's newspaper publishers and has built one of the nation's most comprehensive statewide newspaper collections.

For nearly forty years the Historical Society occupied a succession of quarters in the statehouse as its holdings steadily grew. In 1914 the collections were moved to the grand and newly constructed Memorial Building in downtown Topeka. In 1984 the Kansas Museum of History moved to an 80-acre site in west Topeka near the Potawatomi Mission leaving the remaining agencies still housed in the Memorial Building. The historic Stach School later joined the complex, and in May 1995 the mission was reopened as the Koch Industries Education Center at Potawatomi Mission. During July and August 1995 the vast collections of library, archival, manuscript, and archeological materials were moved to new facilities in the State Archives & Library on the west Topeka site. In this headquarters, the Historical Society was reunited at one location.

The Kansas Historical Society operates both as a nonprofit membership organization and as a specially recognized society supported by state appropriations. More than a half million individuals benefit from our programs and services each year. All activities and programs are conducted by the private organization and the Society's six divisions, Administration, Cultural Resources, Education and Outreach, Historic Sites, Museum, and Library and Archives.

The state agency operates with an annual appropriation of approximately six million dollars and more than 100 employees. The nonprofit corporation's 102-member board of directors and 15-member executive committee are responsible for the Society's overall governance. The corporation also offers membership to the public and institutions, manages grants for the state agency, operates the museum and historic sites stores, and provides fiscal support for various programs, including the Society's award-winning magazine, Kansas Heritage, its scholarly journal, Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains, and children's magazine, Kansas Kaleidoscope.

During the past century, the Historical Society's role expanded beyond its original emphasis on collecting and publishing research. Today the Society continues these fundamental activities and has added a broad array of interpretive and educational programs that combine with historic sites, technical assistance, and field service programs. Through collections, exhibits, programs, and services, the Society enriches the lives of thousands and serves in understanding and valuing the heritage of Kansas.

KSHS Web History

The Kansas Historical Society website was launched in 1993, through the efforts of Steven Chinn and Lynn H. Nelson. The site originally was hosted at the University of Kansas. Several websites were built as part of the Kansas Heritage Group and included the Kansas Historical Society, Kansas Pioneers List, One-Room School House project, Johnson County Genealogical Society, Sunflower Journeys, Early Kansas Imprint Scanners, Historical Directory of Kansas Towns, the Kansas Humanities Council, Abilene Community Network, and the Kansas Community Network.

The original website was developed by two students based on materials supplied by the Society. The KSHS site was the first state or local history society anywhere to be online. Stephen Chinn took over the site management duties later in 1994. The Society's first web team, formed in 1993, was composed of David Haury, Suellyn Lathrop, Rebecca Martin, and Mark Adams.

In 1998, the Society began hosting its own site and the URL became www.kshs.org. The site has grown to approximately 4,000 pages of information on Kansas history and has received numerous awards over the years.

Awards

American Association for State and Local History Award of Merit, 1997

McKinley Group's Magellan Three-Star Award, for depth and ease of navigation, 1996

Travel Industry Association of Kansas, Marketing Award, 1998

Travel Industry Association of Kansas, Marketing Award, 2003