GAS — A museum that hosts the history of Gas debuts today at the Gas Community Center.
A 10 a.m. breakfast will honor former students who attended Gas schools and provide a setting for them to remember those long-ago days.
The museum will be open from 9:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m. today, but otherwise not on a regular schedule, said Pat Spencer, one of the organizers. She, Adelina Holloway and Ruthie Holloway have spent many hours this week cleaning, polishing and generally sprucing up displays in the new museum.
The community building for years was an elementary school attached to USD 257, and then Crossroads School, an alternative for high school students.
In 2013 Gas purchased the school for $1, when Crossroads was moved into Iola.
Council members looked at improvements, with the aid of surveys of engineers, and found costs were prohibitive. They turned the project over to Steve Robb, city superintendent.
Robb was able to put on a new metal roof, replace air-conditioning and install a chairlift — at a fraction of estimated costs. Community volunteers raised money through dinners and rummage sales. They also pitched in, as they have with the museum, to keep the building clean and up to snuff.
Overall, it’s a sterling example of what community pride and involvement can do.
The city added a large community storm shelter, a separate building just southwest of the center.
Spencer and the Holloways said many Gas residents, as well as several who once lived there, had been instrumental in collecting and providing items for the museum. Among them is the old Gas post office window, complete with bars for security. The museum also has photographs, postcards, and tokens and trinkets that help tell the town’s story.
A special section is set aside to recognize Louie Kinman, a Gas native, and his “Big Little Band.” Kinman and his ensemble played in the area and also spent time performing on the road, including resorts in Colorado when the big-band sound was popular at evening spots.
Another display that’s sure to catch the eye holds shirts emblazoned with the slogan about “passing Gas.”
While the museum has come together nicely, Spencer and the Holloways are eager to acquire more items to give a more thorough view of Gas, including the Gas Boom Days when high-producing wells in the vicinity prompted construction of smelters that turned ore mined in the Little Balkans — Crawford and Cherokee counties — into marketable zinc.
Zinc is a component of brass — it and copper are mixed in various proportions — as well as an anti-corrosion agent, and a century ago had a great impact on everyday commerce.
TO ARRANGE a tour of the museum call Spencer, 365-4699, Adelina Holloway, 363-0480, or City Hall.
The community building also has a room with exercise equipment and one set aside for seniors to chat over coffee or cards. What once was a gymnasium is used for community and private events. Those who wish to rent the facility may do so at City Hall, 228 N. Taylor St., 365-3034.
