HUMBOLDT — Humboldt Historical Society will stage its annual Appreciation Day Saturday at the HHS complex, Second and Neosho streets. The event is from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature museum tours, entertainment and free food of the picnic variety.
The Historical Society has four buildings in the complex, and soon will add a fifth downtown dedicated to wildlife.
A large metal building on the east side of Second Street contains what many visitors gush as being an amazing display of circus and other horse-drawn wagons crafted by Lewis Howland who, before his death, lived in the 300 block of South Cottonwood in Iola.
Literally hundreds of the miniature wagons — miniature only when compared to the real things — fill many shelves, are colorfully rendered and many have advertising for Iola and Humboldt businesses, current and past.
Also in the building is a rare horse-drawn hearse, as well as a large display featuring two Humboldt natives who made their mark in professional baseball, Walter Johnson and George Sweatt. In fact, 1924 will be the 100th anniversary of when Johnson, a superb pitcher known as “The Big Train,” and the Washington Senators won the World Series.
Sweatt, a Black man born in Humboldt, was prohibited from playing in the Major Leagues, but was a terrific second baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs and Chicago Giants. He played in four NNL World Series. Sweatt also excelled in other sports, and has a ball field in Humboldt named for him.
The two-story building east of Second, purported to be the oldest home in Humboldt, contains a large collections of military uniforms and memorabilia, including a collection of Civil War artifacts found in Humboldt, some within a stone’s throw of the museum grounds. Other exhibits harken to life in Humboldt decades ago, and things of interest seldom seen today. (Bring the kids for a history lesson.)
The Old School House building has many photographs and books pertaining to Humboldt history.
Next to it is a building containing a multitude of everyday tools and devices of yesteryear, including a large collection of barbed wire.
An annex to the building is mostly dedicated to Monarch Cement Co., including Walter Wulf Sr.’s desk.
Outdoors is an open-sided building with many farm implements, many of which will have folks scratching the head’s and wondering how farmers got along compared to today’s mammoth equipment.
Humboldt’s Randy Downey will discuss the Civil War starting at 11 a.m. Humboldt had a major role — if you care to call being raided and later burned by Confederate irregulars “major” — in the War Between the States. Union troops were billeted in Humboldt from soon after it started in 1861 until its end four years later. They camped at several places along the west boundary of town, generally within shouting distance of the Neosho River and its water supply.
Saturday’s entertainment continues at 12:30 when Damaris Kunkler takes the stage with several sets of songs.
Living up to its name, the annual Appreciation Day is free.
