ShawneeDispatch.com

Touching History: A Kid's Journey Through Time is the latest exhibit at the Johnson County Museum of History and features a totally hands-on experience for children and their families. The exhibit follows six Johnson County kids for a day and encourages visitors to get to know them. Journey with them as they go about their daily activities in five distinct time periods: On the Trail, 1854; General Store, 1895; Silent Movies, 1927; County Fair, 1937 and The Home Front, 1943. There are 30 activities to try throughout the exhibit, which is on display until Jan. 2, 2005.

The Museum of History is located at 6305 Lackman Road, in Shawnee. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Admission for the general public is free.

Guided tours also are available by appointment for $1 per person. Extended tours with extra activities are $2.50 per person. Touching History is perfect for summer family outings or summer daycare group visits.

As you enter the exhibit you are greeted by life-size cut-outs of Johnson County children from past generations. Zoe, Albert, Jean, Ernest, Bertha and Carl give you a glimpse of their time period at one of the historical vignettes.

With a touch of a button the children introduce themselves and invite you to share their day. At each area there are a wide range of activities for visitors to try: map reading and course charting, journaling, running a general store, acting in a silent movie, preparing pies for the fair and packing Junior Red Cross boxes to name a few.

Throughout the exhibit artifacts and photographs reinforce the historical foundation, blending in elements for adult interests. Additional elements include a photo of wagon travelers during the Oregon-California trail days, a scoop used in King's General Store and World War II gas rationing cards.

"The great thing about this exhibit is it combines play activities with historical events." said Tracy Steitz, curator of education and the exhibit designer. "Each of the five timeframes was thoroughly researched to accurately represent what was happening in Johnson County during that year."

Children are inherently interested in how children lived in generations before them. "Our exhibit gives them a great glimpse at yesteryear's children," she added.

A tour of the different components illustrates her point.

On the Trail, 1854

Child guide Zoe invites visitors to help unpack the wagon, set up camp, cook a campfire supper, and wash clothes. She suggests you write a journal entry about your experience traveling on the Oregon-California Trail and calculate the distance between trail stops. Younger visitors can spot the prairie animals on the horizon.

The Oregon-California Trail passed through Johnson County from the 1840s to the 1870s.

Oregon-California Trail travelers made the first stops of their journey in present-day Johnson County. The many creeks and groves provided good shelter and water for campsites, noon meals and meeting points. Lone Elm was a popular campsite located near present-day Olathe. Travelers could easily find the site because of the single elm standing on the mostly treeless prairie.

General Store, 1895

Visiting the general store with Albert shows the many functions done at this central community business. Visitors can put on the clerk's apron and calculate the purchases in the ledger book, shop from the shelves and sort mail. Children learn history, math and problem-solving skills from the activities.

The general store was one of the first places of business to open in Johnson County's early communities. There were many general stores in Johnson County during the 1890s. Among them were S.K. Covey in Gardner, Ott Brothers in Olathe, Jim Campbell's store in Merriam, B.F. Hollenbeck's store in Shawnee and Conboy Brothers in Stilwell.

Silent Movies, 1927

Listen to Jean, a child from the 1920s, and she'll tell you she's enthralled with silent movies. She wants to do it all: star in films, direct movies and watch her favorite films. She encourages guests to try on costumes and act out movies. Or, be a director with megaphone and clapboard. Children are encouraged to make a silent film of their own using facial expressions and body movements -- everything but their voice!

Johnson Countian Charles "Buddy" Rogers was a prominent silent film star in the 1920s and 1930s. Rogers, a native of Olathe, was selected as one of 20 new talents in a nationwide search conducted by Paramount Studios. Among his Hollywood films were "Fascinating Youth," "More Pay -- Less Work," "My Best Girl" and "Wings."

Johnson County's link to filmmaking, however, started long before Buddy Rogers' screen debut. The Overland Park Film Manufacturing Company began filming movies at Overland Parks' Aviation Park in 1916 in cooperation with the community's developer William Strang. Part of Strang's plan for putting Overland Park on the map included making it a movie capital like Hollywood or New York City. One of the films produced in Overland Park was 1916's Waiting for the Church. Unfortunately, Strang's vision never was realized. The company went out of business shortly after filming Waiting for the Church.

County Fair, 1937

Ernest and Bertha are both going to the fair and taking items for judging and visitors are invited along. Just like fairs of yore, visitors can try a wide range of fair activities including feeding/grooming the animals, judging pies and trying the Midway ring toss game.

Traditionally, county fairs were a way for farm families to gather, to sell livestock and to celebrate the fruits of their harvest. Johnson County's early fairs were held on the courthouse grounds in Olathe and at Shawnee Mission High School. The fair moved to the Roy L. Nafzieger farm at 87th Street and Mission Road in 1937. In 1939, Gardner became the Johnson County Fair's permanent home.

The Home Front, 1943

Carl's family is totally involved in war-related activities. His father works for the Olathe Naval Air Station, his mother works at Sunflower Ordnance Works and he's doing his part, too. Help Carl tend the Victory Garden and pack Junior Red Cross boxes to ship overseas.

Americans across the country volunteered and sacrificed to help the armed forces during World War II. Inspired by patriotism, women and children took on new responsibilities to support the cause. They joined in the war effort by planting Victory Gardens, volunteering for the Red Cross and collecting for scrap metal drives.

Schoolchildren across Johnson County became involved in the war effort. Olathe's Central Elementary School students did everything from knitting afghan squares for army hospitals to making joke books for soldiers stationed in the Aleutian Islands. Central Elementary's faculty and students even sold tuberculosis stamps and war bonds, raising $12,116.

Complementing the exhibit, is a workshop series Monday, July 26, through Friday, July 30. Children 5-8 years old attend from 9:30 a.m. to noon and those 9 and older attend from 1-3:30 p.m. Each day is dedicated to one of the time periods in the exhibit and features crafts, games, activities and a snack. Children have the option of attending the full week of programs ($50 or $25 for members) or individual workshops ($10 each). Reservations are required by Friday, July 23.

As a special treat, the Museum is offering a Pastimes Tea on June 19 focusing on the era of 1920s. Tea sill be served from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The program is $10 per person or $5 for members and reservations are due by Thursday, June 17.

For more information about the exhibit or related programs, visit www.jocomuseum.org or