The Archivist Vol 2 Issue 3

8/12/2019 The Archivist Vol 2 Issue 3

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PRESIDENT’S CORNER

As I sit here at my computer writing this message the

outside temperature is a cold 7 degrees! By the time

you read this, it should be spring and several degrees

warmer. It will be time to give the museum a good

spring cleaning and a much needed change in some of

the items displayed. We have many items in storage in

the upstairs rooms that need to be gone thru and

different items placed on display in the downstairs area

of the museum. Hopefully, this can be accomplished by

the time the museum is reopened this spring. We will

appreciate any help with the project!

The City of Chanute, owners of the museum building,

have replaced the glass in the front door which makes it

more attractive. Also replaced is the thermostat on the

heating and air conditioning system with a modern

digital thermostat that is programmable. Our thanks go

out to the City of Chanute and to Andy Roberts for his

work in getting these things done. Some of you maynot be aware of the fact that the building is owned by

the City of Chanute and they allow us to use it “rent

free.”

Again, we would like to remind you that we are glad to

receive items with a direct historical connection with

Chanute and the surrounding area. This includes old

school annuals, city directories, old photo postcards, old

photos of buildings homes, parks, etc. Dates, location

and other information about the items is very important

and appreciated.

Warren Alford, President,

Chanute Historical Society

IN CHANUTE

There is a commemorative marker at the north edge of

the old Austin Bridge that was moved from the river

crossing at Austin to Santa Fe Park. The stone marker

directs the reader to another stone marker just a few

feet away. In 2006 this second marker was moved from

the banks of the Neosho River for fear that it was in

serious danger of being swept into the river due to

erosion of the river bank. Do you know what this

second marker identifies? The marker was placed on

the river bank in 1922 at that time the river was some

75 feet away. For the answer go to the last page of this

newsletter.

Any suggestions or comments on the newsletter can be

sent to our P O Box or by e-mail to

[email protected]

ATTENTION!

We will make a test run

and send the news-

letter by e-mail to

some members.

Therefore, a few

members may receive

a copy through their

computer and also

receive a paper copy.

Volume 2 issue 3 April 2014



CHS is on the GO!

Submitted by Andrew Roberts

The Chanute Historical Society (CHS) like other

Historical Societies is about, well, history, but that

doesn’t mean we have to use historical means to

accomplish our mission. CHS has implemented an

online website (http://www.chanutehistory.org)

with a full set of features to enhance your

experience as a member and admirer.

Among the features you’ll find there are documents

pertaining to board meetings, contact information,

and news. Additionally, we have a full line

shopping cart store with PayPal checkout (accepts

credit/debit cards or bank account numbers —

PayPal does all the secure processing!).

You’ll find any number of the Society’s

publications or t-shirts. You can also pay your dues

online through PayPal!

My interest is bringing technology into the world in

a fruitful variety. I am especially interested in

digital archiving. Recently I have made contact

with a set of volunteers in Italy who are interested

in adapting their archiving/indexing software to

historical archiving needs. In addition to the

already highly-effective text search for documents

like PDF, they will be attempting to allow an

archivist to search for a digital artifact by origin.

For instance a scanned document or picture of 202

S. Lincoln (First United Methodist Church) would

easily have its coordinates located on a map. This

map in turn would be searchable by a combination

of keywords and/or proximity. Searching by an

artifacts date or potential range of dates is also

another desired feature where they have expressed

an interest.

CHS is leading the way in technological

implementation in the local historical society scene.

I have spoken with members from the Kansas

Museum Association about making our

technological advancements available to other

museums. The efforts are, at the present, largely

volunteers. Small donations would be accepted tosend to the Italian software development volunteers

so they stay interested and continue to volunteer

their services.

You can expect digital archived content, like stories

and pictures, to be available soon online at

http://archives.chanutehistory.org. In fact, there are

already a limited number of pictures thanks to CHS

President Warren Alford. Just type a word in the

box, and GO!

Andrew Roberts is a board member of the CHS.

Currently, he operates a technology innovation and

consulting company in the Chanute area.



AT THE MUSEUM

One of the displays at the museum is a

collection of ration booklets and OPA tokens. If

you experienced the 1940’s and the rationing that

took place during the war, you know about the

Office of Price Administration. The agency

produced three billion ration stamps every month.

“All RED and Blue stamps in the War Ration Book

are worth 10 point each. RED and BLUE tokens

are worth one point each. The red and blue token

are to be used to make change for Red and Blue

stamps only when a purchase is made. The point

values of Brown and Green stamps are NOT

changed. So said the government information sheet

handed out with the commodity ration booklet,which contained the month’s stamps for a family.

Each family received a quota for ration stamps

doled out by their local ration board. Meat was

purchased with the book of red stamps, while

canned goods required book of blue, green and

brown stamps. When the stamps were used up then

no more of that commodity would be available for

that family for that month.

Red tokens were used for meats and related

products, while blue were used for processed foods

such as canned or packaged goods. Many more Red

tokens were distributed than Blue because of a

shorter time it was in effect and less use.

The grocer, to replenish his stocks, had to turn in

the stamps to the wholesaler who turned the stamps

into the local bank and got credit to buy so much in

commodities. It sounded like a good plan but in

reality they had to deal with 14 billion stamps per

month and handling 3.5 billion tiny stamps. The

government provided gummed sheets to attach the

stamps to and they ran out of the sheets. Some store

owners carried the tiny stamps to the bank in shoe

boxes and bushel baskets. When rations ended in1947 the public was so happy to get rid of the

stamps and tokens that many of them were thrown

in the fire or given to kids to use as play money.

But today they are collected and prized by dealers

Both the red and blue OPA tokens have a two letter

designation on each issue. No one seems to know

what the letters stand for. A collector tries to get a

full set. The “M” is the most rare and difficult to

find. There are many for sale on e-Bay and on

occasion you can find complete sets for sale.



ABOVE: RATION STAMP BOOKLETS AND BELOW: RED/BLUE TOKENS

Both the red and blue tokens have a two-letter designation on each issue. No one seems to know

what the letters stand for. A collector tries to get a full set. The “M” is the rarest and is difficult to

find. There are many tokens for sale on e-Bay and on occasion you can find complete sets for sale.



ONE OF THE BOOK BAGS SOLD TO HELP SAVE THE DEPOT FROM THE BULLDOZER

PART OF THE COLLECTION OF THE CHANUTE HISTORICAL MUSEUM



FIRST AIRSHIP FLIGHT IN CHANUTE, KANSAS

FLIGHT MADE BY BECKWITH HAVENS AT THE FOUR COUNTY FAIR, WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 25, 1911.

Odd Jobs

With the coming of spring the museum will be open on weekends and volunteers will be necessary to greet visitors. If

you can help with this activity please get word to Warren Alford at 431-1294 or e-mail him at [email protected] need volunteers who can work from 1pm to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Your job would be to greet the visitor

and welcome them to the museum. You do not have to know anything about the display, though there will be a cheat-

sheet available for you to look at if someone asks a question. It is acceptable for you to answer “I don’t know.”

So far the names on the volunteer list are Beverly Olson, Joyce Hewitt, Craig Reaves, Sharon Williams, Jackie Ward, Andy

Roberts, Jim Whaley, and Warren Alford. One of these people would be glad to be with you at the museum the first

time or two. We will have a host of odd jobs that need to be completed while you are waiting for someone to visit the

museum.

The jobs would include. Vacuuming, making sure the outside front door way is clean and swept, the windows are clean,

Windex the display cabinets, and dust the large items. Other projects will be listed on a to-do list with directions and the

procedure to be followed. If you can aid in keeping the museum open, during the summer months, please let Warren

know.



In Chanute answer: The second marker is identifying Osage City, later changed to Rogers Mills. It was the first post

office established in Neosho County about 1870. The stone marker was due to the efforts of Mrs. C. T. Beaty.

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The Archivist Vol 2 Issue 3