Heather Hagedorn
Executive Director/Curator, Geary County Historical Society
The Geary County Historical Society has received $1000 in grant funding from Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area. The award will help complete the Society’s exterior sign project for all of their historic buildings.
The Historical Society owns and operates six historic buildings throughout the county: the Old Junction City High School (location of the museum), Starcke House, St. Joseph’s Historic Church and the Spring Valley Historic Site, which consists of the Spring Valley School, Wetzel Cabin and Little Cabin. With the help of the Freedom’s Frontier NHA grant and a grant awarded by the Kansas Museum Association at the end of 2023, metal exterior signs contextualizing each property’s historic relevance to the area will be placed outside of all Historical Society properties by the end of 2024.
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA) is a federally funded nonprofit organization and affiliate of the National Park Service dedicated to building awareness of the struggle for freedom along the Missouri-Kansas border. Established by Congress in 2006, its nationally significant themes are the settlement of the frontier, the Missouri-Kansas Border War and Civil War, and the enduring struggle for freedom. These diverse, interwoven, and nationally important stories grew from a unique physical and cultural landscape. FFNHA inspires respect for multiple perspectives and empowers residents to preserve and share these stories. We achieve our goals through interpretation, preservation, conservation, and education for all residents and visitors.