I N S I D E

T H E J O U R N A L O F T H E R E N O C O U N T Y H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y

20studentscreate qrcodes forboth museums

13miners’ trash

revealingin kusm’s

new exhibit

LEGACY

SUMMER 2012

FOCUS ON

SALT

selling salt required dynamic materials. see more on page 22

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HISTORICAL SOCIETY STAFF (full-time)

Linda Schmitt, executive director, rchs lindas@undergroundmuseum.org

Jamin Landavazo, chief curator, rchs jamin@undergroundmuseum.org

Gayle Ferrell, director of operations, kusm gayle@undergroundmuseum.org Tonya Gehring, docent supervisor, kusm tonya@undergroundmuseum.org

Mike Allen, fi nance manager, rchs mike@undergroundmuseum.org

Dave Unruh, maintenance supervisor, kusm dave@undergroundmuseum.org

Lynn Ledeboer, curatorial assistant, rcm lynn@renocomuseum.org

Tina Moore, administrative assistant, rcm tina@renocomuseum.org

Kourtney Krehbiel, visitor services, kusm kourtney@undergroundmuseum.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Armour, president • Charles Studt, treasurer

Shannon Holmberg, secretary • Richard Shank, president-

elect • Nan Hawver • Barbara Withrow • John Doswell

Tim Davies • Sherry Mundhenke • Patty Foss • Elaine Fallon

Billy Klug • Mary Wilson • Conrad Koehler • Myron Marcotte,

ex-officio • Lee Spence, ex-officio • Mike Carey, ex-officio

4 the many mines of carey...holdings reached into two states

13 miners’ trash is revealing ...see old-time packaging and magazines

14 kusm is five years old! ...thanks to a dedicated staff

17 kusm joins blue star museums ...free admission for military families

18 meet the rchs all-stars ...board and volunteers make it happen

20 quick codes created for museums ...by tech-savvy graber students 22 the marketing of carey salt ...materials become “groovier” & neon

24 save the date for “murder” and more ...don’t miss museums’ special events

26 thanks to new members & donors ...you’re making a difference at rchs

27 fiesta bling & scouts go underground ...there’s something for everyone!

Volume 24, No. 3Legacy is published quarterly by The Reno County Historical Society, Inc. 100 S. Walnut St., P.O. Box 664, Hutchinson, Kansas 67504-0664For advertising or membership information, call 620-662-1184.

© 2012 The Reno County Historical Society, Inc. ISSN 1045-3423All rights reserved. The RCHS disclaims responsibility for statements

of fact or opinion made by contributors.

THE JOURNAL OF THE RENO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

LEGACY

on the cover...is this cover from a pro-motional brochure selling the virtues of salt from the cote blanche mine in louisi-ana. “sweet” salt referred to a high degree of purity (sodium chloride) in the salt.

5(See CAREYS, page 6)

I

the higher roofs of the cote blanche salt dome in louisi-ana, page 4, pro-duce a dramatic display of the unique folding patterns of the salt strata.

it’s a tall reach, left, for even large equipmentwhen preparing an area for blastingin the cote blanche dome.

am sure that if you are a regular reader of Legacy you realize that the Carey Salt Company is the originator of the Kansas Underground Salt Museum’s salt mine in Hutchinson, Kansas. But I bet you didn’t real-ize that the Hutchinson mine was just the first in the Carey Salt empire. Indeed, there were more mines, four to be exact.

THE MINES The Hutchinson mine was established in the already well known salt beds in central Kansas. The second mine, also a Carey creation, was located near Win-nfield, Louisiana, in a salt dome that had only been firmly estab-lished in 1922. The third purchase was an established mine in Lyons, Kan-sas, located in the same salt bed as the Hutchinson mine. And the fourth mine was the Cote Blanche, Louisiana, mine in the last of the known salt domes along the Gulf Coast. All these mines produced rock salt by the conventional

means of utilizing room and pillar mining in a cut, drill, blast and muck configuration, all of which are fully explained in the Kansas Underground Salt Museum.

MAJOR DIFFERENCES But there are significant differences in the beds of salt. The Hutchinson and Lyons beds are exactly the same: a layer of salt laid out in a vast horizontal plane stretching for miles in central Kansas, Okla-homa and Texas. This bed of salt was laid down during the Perm-

ian period of the earth as a shallow sea dried and rehydrated over and over again over thousands, if not millions, of years. This layered salt typi-cally runs 95 percent pure sodium chloride with the other five percent being a mixture of calcium chlo-ride, magnesium chloride and potassium chloride with a trace of other evaporates and mud. The salt in the Louisi-ana mines is of a different nature. Yes, it is still rock salt but it is in the forma-tion of a dome.

UNDER A DOME A salt dome is different from a salt bed. Domes will form when salt is placed under extreme pressure. This is because salt is plastic – and therefore elastic – and will squeeze under pressure. The dome resembles an inverted droplet of water. It moves up many thou-sands of feet from deep in the earth. As it moves up, it pushes up oil and natural gas. It is common to find oil operations adjacent to salt domes. Salt domes are found mostly along the Gulf Coast.

MANY MINES OF CAREY

By Myron Marcotte, Mining Supervisor

The

(Continued from page 5)

employees of the winnfi eld, La.,

mine gather for this photo

in 1951.

6

Careysseek

additionalmine sites

governorattends

opening ofhutch mine

Dome salt is generally purer than bedded salt and can average 97 to 99 percent pure sodium chloride.

HUTCHINSON MINE As mentioned above, the fi rst of these salt mines was located in Reno County, Kansas, near Hutchinson. This mine was fi rst thought of as early as 1912. In documents still housed in the mine’s “record room,” it was discovered that Emerson Carey had bestowed on his son, Howard J. (not to be confused with his son, “Jake” Carey), the task of creating a mine. But as written in Bar-bara Ulrich’s book, “The Carey Salt Mine,” times were tough and the risk was too high for Emerson or Howard to start a mine at this early date. But by the “Roaring Twenties,” things were

much better and the Car-eys chose the Foundation Company of New York to dig the shaft. The Foundation Com-pany was expert at build-ing in watery soil, such as that found in central Kansas aquifers.

They also chose the Chicago engineering fi rm, Allen and Garcia Compa-ny, to design all aspects of this fi rst mine – from the shaft and mine plan to the bagging line. Even future expansion was included in the plan. Work on the shaft began sometime in mid-1922, and the shaft was sunk

to a depth of 650 feet. Work also began on the mill building and ancillary buildings. The entire mine was completed in July, 1923, and opened with a dedication ceremony whose guests included the governor of Kansas. The Hutchinson mine is still in operation today un-der the name, Hutchinson Salt Company. It houses not only an active mine but also an underground storage facility, Under-ground Vaults & Stor-age, and, of course, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum.

WINNFIELD MINE Whether emboldened by the success of the Hutchinson salt mine or the desire to expand their salt empire, the Careys began looking for an additional mine site. In 1929 they formed the Louisiana Develop-ment Company that was

7

jake cameron was serving

as superintendent at the

winnfield mine when this

photo was taken in 1957.

chartered in Winn Parish, Louisiana. The purpose of the company was to develop and construct a working salt mine that the Carey Salt Company would later operate. The Winnfield salt dome was first established as minable in 1922 when oil exploration determined the width and depth of the dome. Again Howard Carey chose the Allen and Gar-cia Company to engineer the mine. A certified public accountant report, dated December 31, 1931, lists the total development cost for the Winnfield mine as $562,465.06. The shaft was sunk to 838 feet with the mining level at 811 feet.

CATASTROPHE HITS According to a 1949 thesis by Harriet Cameron on the Winnfield mine’s geology, mine operations started in 1933. She goes on to describe the uses of the salt as being primarily chemical salt, feed stock, meat curing and table salt. The mine ran continu-ously, earning various awards for safety and efficiency. Then in 1965 a horrendous event sud-denly ended the life of the mine. It flooded. A November, 1965 re-port, “The Winnfield Mine Failure” by S. B. Horrell, vice-president of produc-tion for the Carey Salt

Company, chronicles the events that lead to the failure. On November 5, 1965, men reported seepage in the sump (a water collec-tion area) near the shaft.

For years the mine had experienced brine and carbon dioxide gas issu-ing from the salt strata. Apparently it was cus-tomary for employees to pump water into the hoist bucket about every month or two to dispose of it.

TRAGEDY CLOSES MINE It was reported that in the entire month of June, 1965, three skips of water were hoisted to the sur-face. (A skip is the con-tainer used to bring salt to the surface.) That grew to five in July, seven in August, 12 in September, 15 in October, and 44 on November 17. At midnight on Novem-ber 17, a strange noise was heard by the men handling the water. It was discovered that a large flow of water, estimated at 500 gallons per minute,

(See THE EMPIRE, page 8)

A powderman, left,

works on top of a

wagnermobile as he

begins to powder a

wall in preparation

for blasting at the

winnfield mine.

(1951 01.69)

this view of the winnfield

exterior was taken in 1959.

8

raising poultry,

right, was only one

venture tried in

the lyons mine

after it ceased

operations in 1948.

(15-209159)

(Continued from page 7)

was coming from a hole three feet above the fl oor out of a large pillar only 150 feet from the shaft. Up to this point the source of the water was unknown. It was believed to be from bore holes sunk early in the mine’s history to determine the salt’s purity below the current mining level. By 2 a.m. the water fl ow was so great it was decided to evacuate all personnel from the mine. By 3 p.m. on November 18, water had risen to 62 feet above the roof of the mine in the shaft. And by 7:30 p.m. November 19, the water had risen to 400 feet above the roof of the mine. That was the end of the Winnfi eld mine. It never recovered.

LYONS MINE In 1939 the Carey Salt Company bought the mine located at Lyons, Kansas (Rice County) from the Diamond Crystal Company. The existing mine had been in production almost 50 years. The shaft for this mine was sunk in 1890 by the Lyons Salt Company. This is not the same mine owned by the current Lyons Salt Company nor the same company. The shaft sinking began on May 12, 1890, and was sunk to a depth of 1,065 feet. It was an all-timber shaft, even through the aquifer. A lodgment station was set at 298 feet down the shaft to collect all water that ran down the timbers. Four men lost their lives in sinking this shaft. They were riding down

in a bucket when a large timber broke loose. It slid down the rope, struck the bucket and dislodged it from its bindings. The men fell some 400 feet to their death. On March 12, 1891, the fi rst load of salt

was sold to the Morton Salt Company.

The Lyons Salt Mine was sold to Bevis Rock Salt of St. Louis in 1894. Under the Be-

vis management the mine was

allowed to sink into disrepair. Many accidents were noted and a few men lost their lives. In 1918 a fi re broke out and smoke from the fi re was drawn down the shaft. The live working mules in the mine suffocated, and were later replaced with a battery locomotive. The Bevis Company was reorganized and renamed the Western Salt Compa-ny in 1924. Then in 1930 the mine was again sold

The empirecontinuesto grow

this hoist house was

still standing in 1966

even after the other

topside buildings of the

lyons mine had been

demolished.

tragedystrikes when

sinking the lyonsmine shaft.

9

to the Diamond Crystal Company. Diamond Crys-tal was a large company, and repairs to the mine were readily made and new equipment installed. In 1939 the mine was sold to the Carey Salt Company. With the acqui-sition of this mine, Carey Salt now had three mines in operation at the same time – Hutchinson, Winn-field and Lyons. Carey operated the mine until October 1, 1948, when operations were shut down. The mine was put on a “stand-by” status with three employees checking the condition of the mine and machinery.

MINE MORPHS According to an Octo-ber, 1951, issue of Carey’s Salt & Pep publication, the demand for salt had declined to the point where it was felt that the Hutchinson mine was able to adequately supply all the salt for this area. Carey Salt dismantled the buildings in 1955 but made repairs to the shaft so that the mine itself could be maintained and accessible. In the 1960s many things were tried in the mine to utilize the dark space. A mushroom farm and a chicken ranch were just two of the ventures tried underground. The Atomic Energy Commis-sion ran radioactive waste experiments in the mine in 1964 and 1965.

in its heyday the diamondcrystal mine buildings at lyons, top, were an impressive sight – until they

were demolished in 1955. below, an employee stands next to a “gob”

wall, created to help with air flow in the lyons mine. (1953 15-66053)

(See COTE, page 10)

10

In the late 1970s I made many trips to the Lyons mine. I was usually as-signed to repair the lodg-ment pump when it quit discharging water. An old fella named Clar-ence Bradford (Carey Salt custodian) would monitor the discharge and call us when water quit coming forth. Jesse King and I would go underground and repair the pump which usually was clogged with debris. On occasion we were asked to go down to the mine and check things out. The irregular shape of the pillars and the way that passages seemed to go off without any sense of pattern always amazed me. Carey Salt sold the mine and shaft in the

early 1980s to a com-pany that planned to store low-level radioactive waste there. That never happened, and the shaft was sealed off in the late 1980s.

COTE BLANCHE MINE Acquisition of the Cote Blanche mine, located in Saint Mary’s Parish along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, was the result of a nearly 15-year search by Carey Salt for a new mine loca-tion after the Lyons mine closed. During this time, Carey Salt checked out potential mine sites in Alabama, Oklahoma, Mississippi, West Virginia, North Dakota and Texas before locating the salt dome on Cote Blanche Island, the last salt dome in Louisi-ana. But it would not be easy pickings. While work-ing underground at the Hutchinson mine, I had

Cote Blancheadded

(Continued from page 9)

this 1966 aerial view

shows the waterways

and island on which

the cote blanche dome

is located. (2001.69_BOX 10)

at right, lyons mine

superintendent, roy

miller, shows off

a car that was driven

underground in the

mine.

the lyons mine

experienced large

roof sags and floor

heaves, bottom right.

(15-66053)

(See NO GUARANTEES, page 12)

11

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the opportunity to work with Earl Bush. Jake Carey had hand-picked him to be the mine fore-man at Cote Blanche. He worked at Cote Blanche from its opening but returned to Hutchin-son to be the foreman in the early ‘70s to replace the retiring foreman, Everett Roberts. Earl told me stories of hardship in developing the Cote Blanche Mine. He said they had a lot of en-gineering problems while sinking the shaft due to water they encountered. The expenses grew and the company was so taxed that it finally had to find a partner to make Cote Blanche work.

EXTREMELY PURE SALT The mine itself began operation around 1965. The processing plant, however, was near New Orleans, about 130 miles from Cote Blanche Island. Salt was typically taken by barge from the mine to the plant. They could do this because the mined salt was extremely pure at 99 percent sodium chloride. Such purity is uncom-mon in mined salt, and the term “sweet” was used in describing this purity. This term lead the compa-ny to incorporate it into its marketing campaign with the catch phrase, “Sweet Salt and Service.” My conclusion is that Cote Blanche was started before the failure of the

Winnfield mine. Land had already been purchased through considerable investment. Then when Winnfield failed the com-pany lost a considerable income. They pressed on with Cote Blanche and brought on a partner, the Monsan-to Corporation. Monsanto was a co-owner in the

Cote Blanche mine when the Carey family sold off Carey Salt to the Inter-pace Corporation in 1969. Carey Salt, at this point a subsidiary of Interpace, completed the entire Cote Blanche project in late 1970 at which time the processing facility opened. Carey did not remain involved for very long as

a powderman feeds

powder into a cote

blanche salt wall

in preparation for

blasting.

miners load

and dump salt

in the cote

blanche mine,

below.

12

earl bush, shown on the cover of the carey salt publication, worked in maintenance at

the hutchinson mine until he was hand-picked by jake carey to serve as foreman at cote blanche. he later returned to hutchinson

where he remained as mine foreman.

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they sold their interests in Cote Blanche in 1973. The Louisiana mine and processing plant were not part of the company by the time I started in 1975. As you can see, salt mining is neither a guar-anteed enterprise nor an easy one. What if Win-nfield had remained open? What if Cote Blanche was easily constructed? Would Carey Salt have continued to grow? Heavy things to ponder, much like salt.

Noguarantees

(Continued from page 11)SALT & PEP

…was a publication for all the carey mines. it ran continuously from about 1917 to 1961, then for a short time again in

1979. it provides a fascinating look into

the carey culture and empire.

13

By Jamin Landavazo, Chief Curator

L ove Nest candy bars, Producers Dairy milk, and Bartlett’s New Method potato chips. You may not find any of these items on today’s grocery shelves, but you can see them in a new blast-from-the-past exhibit at the Kansas Un-derground Salt Museum! The motto, “What goes in the mine stays in the mine,” is true for more than just mining machin-ery. The trash that individ-ual miners brought with them – such as lunches, snacks, break-time read-ing material and more – has collected in the abandoned break rooms of the past. With the opening of this newest display, visitors can catch a small glimpse of what miners’ lives were like decades ago. The trash in this dis-play case was recovered from an area mined in the 1950s. It reflects the time period when candy bars cost a nickel, soda pop came in glass bottles, and potato chips were sealed in wax paper bags. Many of the items and brands featured in the ex-hibit have long since come and gone. Others, such as Fritos, Coca-Cola and Twinkies, are still com-

mon although packaging may look significantly different. With the preservative properties of salt plus temperature and humid-ity conditions in the mine, sometimes more than just wrappers were preserved.

EVEN FOOD?? Visitors looking hard may be able to find pea-nut shells, an orange peel or even a chicken bone! Magazines, calendars and mining equipment manuals found among the trash pile shed light on how miners passed the time. Collier’s, the American Legion magazine, the

Mining Congress journal, even Cosmopolitan, make appearances as does a cover from the men’s magazine, Argosy. Tobacco chew tins and cigarette packages feature various brands, but it is easy to see that Lucky Strike was the most popular. A handful of crumpled cone-shaped water cups represent the thousands that litter the mine in many areas. Boxes for light bulbs and various machine parts indicate that break rooms also served as cen-tral depots for supplies.

Miners’ trash…a glimpse into their lives

a love nest candy bar

wrapper takes center

stage in this display

that is just a sneak

peak at a larger ex-

hibit, “a miner’s life,”

soon to be added to

the current kusm ex-

hibit gallery. it will

highlight the miners’

personal stories, their

motivations and expe-

riences, and provide

a glimpse into their

hobbies and relation-

ships. the exhibit will

be developed in stages,

so be sure to check

back for new additions

along the way!

14

kusm management staff are, from left, back row: gaylon green, jay brown, mike allen, jamin landavazo, chrisi fuhrman; front: dave unruh, linda schmitt, gay-le ferrell, tonya gehring.

WE’RE FIVE! …thanks to a great staff KUSM IS FIVE YEARS OLD!!!! Working on this timeline for the Birthday Bash was a reaffi rmation that we have come a looooooooong way! Of course not all the highlights in our his-tory could be included. That timeline would wrap around an entire room! Two separate blocks of time that are equally

By Gayle Ferrell, KUSM Director of Operations

fascinating and inspiring seemed to emerge: the seven years preparing to open, and the fi ve years to keep us open. Different challenges and different work, but both equally worthy of respect and admiration for those who made it possible. A Legacy article pub-lished a year ago high-lighted major accomplish-ments in our fi rst four

years of business. The excitement I felt over each milestone (or baby step) washed over me again as I glanced down the page. Three words summed it all up – passion, staff and pride. I clearly remember the moment I fell in love with the mine. I had never been underground here, and endured 40 hours of

(See OUR PASSION, page 16)

15

16

mine safety training in a hot and humid conference room before donning my new blue volunteer hard hat and stepping onto the hoist for the descent. Let’s just say that when I stepped off underground, I felt clear to my toes that this is where I should be. It’s been five years and 10 months since that day, and I still feel that same thrill to go underground. I still feel that there is no-where else I would rather be. And I believe that this is where I was meant to be.

There are several other staff members who have been here for the entire wild ride – Tonya Gehring, Dave Unruh, Jay Brown, Gaylon Green and Linda Schmitt.

DEDICATED STAFF They also became managers and were joined by others who have that same passion for this place. THAT is what en-abled KUSM to survive. THAT is what made us successful. And THEY are why I look forward to every day.

We are a family. Adver-sity makes us stronger and good times make it worthwhile.

BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS So much sweat, so many tears, and, yes, even a fair amount of blood has been shed to achieve the milestones we proclaim. Not nearly enough recognition is given to those who do the work. Although I attempt to pat others on the back as of-ten as possible, there are no words to express how proud I am of the team, the museum ambiance that has changed from industrial to soothing, and the addition of the train ride and underground restroom complex.

OUR WORK FAMILY The hours are long and numerous and often exhausting, and yet it is our passion, our “work family,” and our pride in succeeding, in spite of the challenges, that bring us here day after day and year after year. I still can’t say it any better than I did more than two-and-a-half years ago: “I still consider it a privi-lege to be able to descend 650 feet underground ev-ery day and stand among salt walls and pillars that refresh my soul and refill my tank. No matter what challenges I face, that un-derground world remains my inspiration, my refuge and my passion.”

Our passion...our work(Continued from page 14)

this eye-catch-

ing design, below,

served as the cover

for the timeline

brochure created

for kusm’s fifth

birthday celebra-

tion. see the time-

line on page 17.

17

This timeline was created to celebrate five years of KUSM achievements and milestones. It was distributed at the birthday party April 30 at the museum.

The Kansas Underground Salt Museum has joined with 1,500 other museums across the country to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their fami-lies from Memorial Day through Labor Day. KUSM is now part of Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endow-ment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and the museums. Leadership support has been provided by the MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. See all participating museums at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. Contact 620-662-1425 or 866-755-3450 for details.

I

18

Linda SchmittExecutive Director,

Reno County Historical

Society

lindas@undergroundmuseum.org

have been at RCHS for more than five years, and what a crazy, yet gratifying ride it’s been. There have been chal-lenges galore but it’s all been worth it. There are those of us who provide the public face of the museums and we often get the credit and recognition. The truth is that growing and sustain-ing the museums would be impossible without volunteer board members working tirelessly behind the scenes: making tough decisions, raising money, providing support, spend-ing hours of volunteer time and, yes, donating blood, sweat and tears. Here are some of my top picks for Super Board!

The Management Com-mittee was formed in 2006 to pull KUSM back from the brink. Bruce Buchanan, Cynda Wright and Kim Moore met for hours each week for months to figure out how to overcome budget and design challenges. With the help of Frank Alexander, Project Manag-er, solutions were hashed

out and KUSM rose from the ashes.

Jerry Wray is the best friend and honorary staff member of both KUSM and RCM. He is not only our best advisor when it comes to construction and repair, but he also regu-larly rolls up his sleeves and digs in. Jerry was instrumental in both the

Salt Mine Express and underground bathroom projects. He is also always the first one on the scene when there is a water leak or if a creative idea is needed at either museum.

Patty Foss, Sherry Mundhenke and Shan-non Holmberg are fund-

raisers extraordinaire. They have spent hours planning and staffing events, hand-addressing envelopes, working on databases, and contribut-ing their own resources to both museums. I have been so fortunate to have had all three of them serve as fundraising chair while at RCHS.

Board Treasurer Charles Studt has had a big job and has performed it tirelessly over the last five years. With his help and wisdom, the muse-um’s finances are not only on solid ground but are transparent and under-standable.

Board, supporters have been invaluable to RCHS success alexander armour buchanan doswell foss holmberg marcotte

long-time rchs

friends jerry

wray, left,

and jim gruver

man the grill

during rcm’s

2009 auction.

19

The Greater Hutchinson Convention/Visitors Bu-reau recently recognized Reno County Historical Society Executive Director Linda Schmitt during the National Tourism Week Awards Luncheon May 11 underground in the Kansas Underground Salt Museum. Schmitt received the Hospitality Award, pre-sented by CVB Director LeAnn Cox and last year’s recipient, Jill Leslie.

The award is given to “a person who contributes to the positive impact of tourism in the Hutchin-son/Reno County area.” The framed certificate, which now hangs proudly behind Linda’s desk at KUSM, is a reminder of the payoff for hard work and a welcoming attitude. The RCHS staff and board would like to con-gratulate Linda and com-mend her on a job well done!

Linda honored

Lois Schlickau hasn’t been an actual board member for at least six years, but she is always willing to give her time and talent to the muse-ums. She not only serves on the collections and fundraising committees but also generously con-tributes the best-baked goods in the world to our events.

Barbara Withrow first came on the board to finish out the term of a re-signing member. She then came back to serve two terms of her own. She has been a valuable member of the fundraising and col-lections committees and always brings a great “joie de vivre” to meetings and events.

Lee Spence and Myron Marcotte, ex-officio mem-bers of the board, provide support and services to the museums way beyond their roles as Hutchinson Salt and Underground Vaults & Storage rep-resentatives. They are always there to volunteer their time, and actively look for ways to enhance the salt museum. We are

so fortunate to have them not only as landlords but also as collaborators and friends.

I have been privileged to work with outstand-ing board presidents who have generously donated their leadership skills to the organization and their wisdom to me. • Cynda Wright: 2006• Kim Moore: 2007 & 2008• Patty Foss: 2009 & 2010• John Doswell: 2011• Michael Armour: 2012

I have tried to single out board members who have given extraordinary ser-vice to RCHS in the past five years.

MANY OTHERSDESERVE THANKS There are many oth-ers who have given much more than what has been required. I have had the honor of working alongside them and thank them all for the valuable service that they provide to both museums.

Board, supporters have been invaluable to RCHS success moore mundhenke schlickau spence studt withrow wright

“i have been privi-

leged to work with

outstanding board

presidents who have

generously donated

their leadership

skills to the organi-

zation and their

wisdom to me.”

20

project that blends technology, learning andcommunity involvement while providing benefits to a school and its students may sound too good to be true. But it is! Great things happened when the Reno County Historical Society’s two museums teamed up with students from Graber Elementary School to create Quick Response (QR) codes for museum visitors. (What is a QR code? See page 21.)

Graber contacted the Reno County Museum and the Kansas Under-ground Salt Museum at the end of 2011 to let us know that they had been awarded a technology

By Jamin Landavazo, Chief Curator

QUICK!grant through the state’s Technology Rich Class-room Program. Through the program,

Graber teachers and students in grades 4, 5 and 6 received technology equipment for use in their classrooms. To fulfill one aspect of the grant, they were asked to provide a com-munity service using the skills they had acquired with their new equipment. They decided that our museums would be a great fit. They proposed using their new equipment to create QR codes for exhibits at each museum as well as other museums and attractions in the area. A fourth grade class was assigned to RCM, and a fifth grade class worked with KUSM. Each class

A

a variety of hand-

held devices, such

as this cell phone,

are able to read

the qr codes on

the bookmarks

created by graber

elementary school

fifth graders.

TRY IT OUT!scan the qr code at

right and retrieve

information on the

reno county museum’s

exhibit, “bisonte

hotel: the best

in the west.” this

is one of many qr

codes created for

both museums by the

graber students.

21

sent representatives to their respective museum along with Jean Rowland, Technology Grant Facilita-tor for USD 308. They took pictures and notes about the exhibits, and then wrote informa-tional paragraphs show-casing their knowledge. They wrote about every-thing from pickle place-ment and Harvey Girls to the mine hoist and joy loader at KUSM. Each write-up was combined with a photo and code, then printed in bookmark form so that visitors to the museums could take them home as souvenirs. We believe that allowing our visitors at both muse-ums to use technology to interact with our exhibits in this way is an exciting step forward.

BOOKMARKS POPULAR It seems our visitors agreed! The first two batches at KUSM flew off the information table, and the RCM bookmarks have also been disappearing quickly. As the busy sum-mer season progresses, they will likely get even more popular! We are already thinking about other ways to inte-grate QR codes into our exhibits and information at both museums. And, we’re happy that Graber Elementary stu-dents chose to share their knowledge with RCHS, our visitors and the com-munity.

QR codes, which have risen in popularity in the past two years, allow busi-nesses, organizations and individuals to provide a variety of information to others in a small space. The process is fairly simple: an organization comes up with a block of text, contact information, or a website that it would like to share. A software program is used to convert the information to a small square full of black and white spaces. The square resembles a barcode in size and shape, using pixi-lated dots instead of lines. It works much the same way as a barcode.

After the square is created, it is printed on packaging, signage or anywhere else the target audience might see it. To use the code, a per-son with a smartphone downloads an application (“app”) that uses the cam-era in the phone to scan the barcode. The user opens the app, and places the phone’s camera lens over the code. The program automati-cally scans the code and displays the information embedded in the code. The process also works on the iPod Touch and tablet computers.

What are QR codes?

students from

sharon ensz’s fifth

grade class at

graber deliver the

qr code bookmarks

to the kansas

underground salt

museum.

technology grant

facilitator jean rowland

speaks to graber fourth

graders who participated in

the qr code project at the

reno county museum.

T

22

FOCUS ON COLLECTIONS

We’re proud to share our hometown with you.How fortunate we are to live in a community with such diverse and high quality amenities -- including the Reno County Museum and Kansas Underground Salt Museum!

4 Hutchinson locations to serve you

barges, above,

unload salt from

carey’s cote

blanche mine.

(all photos on pages 22

and 23: 1987.61.38,

unless otherwise

noted.)

Selling Carey’s salt he Carey Salt Company’s expansion

into other mine locales precipitated a

major change in marketing materials for

the company.

Images from Carey’s early red-and-

white-themed sales brochure from the

late 1940s or early 1950s (see next

page) highlight Carey’s “...three big

plants...” in Hutchinson and Lyons,

Kansas, and Winnfield, Louisiana.

After Carey’s acquisition of the Cote

Blanche Island mine, also in Louisiana,

and subsequent purchase of the com-

pany by Interpace in 1969, the fonts

became “groovier,” the colors more

neon, and a more global approach was

adopted in marketing materials.

Either way, red-and-white or neon,

Carey Salt always provided “sweet salt

& service.”

a conveyor belt,

right, takes salt

from the mine to

barges waiting

along the mississippi-

gulf and inter-

coastal waterways.

the hoist tower,

below, brings salt

to the surface.

(photos on this pageare from a cote blanche promotionalbrochure.)

these photos and illustrations from cote blanche marketing brochures include the map showing locations of the mine and processing plant on the island; a brochure page (1987.61.39), a processing plant diagram, and the mine’s primary crusher.

the centerfold of

this “nothing but the

truth” promotional

brochure points out

carey’s three plants

in hutchinson, lyons

and winnfield.this

earlier brochure

predates acquisition

of the cote blanche

mine. (2001.66.01)

23

24

KANSAS UNDERGROUNDSALT MUSEUM

9 am–6 pm Tues–Sat 1–6 pm Sunday

closed Mondays

last tour departsat 4 pm each day.

reservations strongly recommended

call us or check our website for holiday

hours.

NEW SALT BLAST PASSour best deal

includes gallery tour,dark ride (both handi-

capped-accessible) and new train ride.

adults: $19seniors (60+) and aaa: $17

children (4-12) & members: $12.50

reno county residents: $14military: free

through labor day

children under 4 not admitted

due to mine safetyregulations.

pricing availableto add only dark ride

or train ride togallery admission.

all prices include sales tax.

special pricing forgroups over 28 and school groups witharrangements made

one week in advance.

3504 e. avenue g (at airport road)

hutchinson, ks 67501

620-662-1425toll-free 866-755-3450

MINERS’ TRASH DISPLAY

See this fascinating new display case of items left behind by miners. It’s a preview of the larger Min-ers’ Break Room exhibit coming later.

SALT MINE EXPRESS

Hurry aboard to ride the thrilling new underground train on the original rails and ties used underground.

SALT SECRETS Salt secrets exposed!

KANSAS UNDERGROUND SALT MUSEUM EVENTS

PERMIAN PLAYGROUND Go interactive and explore the incredible varieties of salt. First hand!

MINE CORRIDOR Explore the general history of salt mining in Hutchinson.

THE IODINE DEFICIENCY DISORDER STORY Explore the efforts of Kiwanis International and UNICEF in using salt to combat IDD.

KUSM EXHIBITS

INTERACTIVE MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE PRODUCTIONS

“Once Upon a Murder” Saturday, August 25$50 per person / Table of eight: $360Doors open at 5 p.m.Last trip underground: 6:15 p.m.For details and reservations:620-662-1425 • 866-755-3450

Find out who will live happily ever after – and who won’t – in this adults-only mystery spoof.

“Mayan Madness in the Mine” Friday, December 21$60 per person / Table of eight: $440Doors open at 5 p.m.Last trip underground: 6:15 p.m.For details and reservations:620-662-1425 • 866-755-3450

On December 21, the Mayan calendar comes to an end, marking the end of the world. What better place to be than 650 feet underground! Only 200 will survive!

(This adults-only event strictly limited to the fi rst 200 paid reservations. Tables must be purchased by one person. Full price charged if one or more cancels. Price includes meal, theater production, access to Gallery and Gift Shop, plus the chance to win survival prizes!)

TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT Discover how live bacteria were extracted from ancient Permian salt.

MYRONMOBILE

Come see the “Myronmobile,” from TV’s “Dirty Jobs,” fi lmed in the Hutchinson Salt mine.

THE STORY OF UNDER-GROUND VAULTS & STORAGE View costumes and props from your favorite movies.

access to Gallery and Gift Shop, plus the chance to win survival prizes!)

check out details below on the two interactive mystery dinner theatre productions coming up – under-ground, of course. you don’t want to miss a murder – or the end of the world!

EXHIBITS & EVENTS

_________________________

OVERNIGHT SCOUTINGDates have been set for underground overnights in the salt mine, includ-ing those for the new Geology Merit Badge. Details on page 27.

25

C

HAIL TO THE HALL: 100 YEARS OF CONVENTION HALL This exhibit traces the history of Convention Hall and offi cially displays the items from the Conven-tion/Memorial Hall 1911 time capsule box.

ICE CREAMSOCIAL

RENO COUNTYMUSEUM HOURS

9 am–5 pm tues-Fri

11-5 saturday

closed sunday

and monday

free admission

unless

otherwise

noted

100 S. Walnut

620-662-1184

Thursday, July 195:30 to 7:30 p.m.(...or until the ice cream runs out!)

What is summer with-out ice cream? Come

and cool off at the Reno County Museum while you are downtown on July’s Third Thursday.

“On the Road”Partridge Library: 23 S. Main St.Mon, Tues, Thurs: 1-6 pm; Friday: 9 am-2 pm 620-567-2467

Nickerson Library: 23 N. NickersonTuesday-Thursday: 12-6 pm Friday-Saturday: 9 am-3 pm 620-422-3361

RENO COUNTY MUSEUM EXHIBITS

RCM ON THE ROAD…Don’t miss these tempo-rary exhibits highlighting items unique to small communities in Reno County. Schedule below.

“86.121” Meet past Reno County resident Mildred Hobbs (donor #86.121) through the vast collection of arti-facts she and her family generously donated to RCM. Follow the process of donating artifacts.

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE

THINGS

The Reno County His-torical Society staff chose their favorite artifacts, most never before on exhibit.

TRANSPORTATION GALLERY Come enjoy the Schuttler wagon, an Amish buggy, the Indian motorcycle, sidecar and much more in this fascinating look at the past.

BISONTE HOTEL:THE BEST IN THE WEST Visitors have the opportu-nity to take a long-awaited look at one of Hutchin-son’s most beloved memo-ries – the Bisonte Hotel. Experience the elegance and sparkle of the Bisonte in the early 1900s and its change to more modern times.

in the photo below, an excited crowd of more than 40,000 awaited president taft’s appearance at the

convention hall cornerstone ceremony in 1911. (0368) at right, see this dynamic oversized bill-

board advertising lt. charles benter’s visit to convention hall. see these items and more in rcm’s “hail to the hall” exhibit.

26

thanks to harley’s bicycles for its generous donation of the lovely “blue betty” bicycle to the kansas underground salt museum! under-ground managers will certainly appreciate the added speed and versatility that the bike will provide in the future (not to mention saving wear and tear on sore calf muscles!) shown here with “betty” are, from left, bob upde-graff of harley’s; gayle ferrell, kusm director of opera-tions; kourtney kreh-biel, visitor services; dave unruh, kusm maintenance. supervi-sor.

A big thank you to new and renewing members, March 9 through May.

FriendsDarrell & Lori BryanHeart of Kansas Quilt GuildWayne & Polly LoweKaren Orr*Laura Snyder

THANKS!...to our

supportersSupportersNorman & Gladys BosElwin & Margaret CabbageDr. William & Kris DavisJohn & Jane EriksenD.R. & Virginia FeslerKen & Jo HedrickKenneth & Barbara KeeferDallas & Shirley MacklinDan & Georgia MaxwellStephen Mills & Denny Vick

William RexroadWarren SchmittBarry & Gale WallMary Anne Wright*Brenda & Joseph Weber

BackersMartha FeeTom & Kyle PhilbeckJerry & Joan Wray

PreserversRoger & Shirley Fick

Corporate/ Donors’ CircleDowntown Hutchinson Simpson Capital, LLC

*New Members___________

Thank you to everyone who generously donated to the Reno County His-torical Society from March through June, 2012. We couldn’t do it without sup-porters such as you!

• Jane Rogers –lava rock RCM• Norma Cape and Wen-dy’s – Frosty coupons, RCM • Tyson – hot dogs, RCM • Central States Hydroseal – basement waterproofing, RCM• Chris McCarthy, Sher-win-Williams – paint, RCM• Harley’s Bicycles –bicycle, KUSM

27

Participants of the nearby Cinco de Mayo activities in Pyle Park and on Main Street had the opportunity to make their own “turquoise” bracelets at the Reno County Museum. In honor of the May 5 celebra-tion, the bracelet craft reflects

the history and tradition of local Mexican-American residents. Creative crafters were able to make a variety of bracelets, like the one above, using cut cardboard rolls, aluminum foil and blue paint. The event was “mucho divertido” – very fun!

Gather the troops and spend the night 650 feet underground. Boy Scouts must be 10-18 years of age. Minimum one adult chaperone for each five scouts, and no more than one adult per four scouts.

OVERNIGHT SCOUTING ADVENTURE:• October 13• November 10• January 12• February 16Cost is $30/person.

Call Tonya Gehring or Kourtney Krehbiel620-662-1425 • 866-755-3450

GEOLOGY MERIT BADGEOVERNIGHT The Geology Merit Badge Overnight event for boys is $75 per scout and $60 per chaper-one. Fifty to 100 participants required. Troops may combine to reach minimum. Dates:• October 20• November 3• January 25• February 2 Special tours will be conducted for chaperones while scouts are working on their badges.

OVERNIGHT & UNDERGROUND

Cinco de Mayo

BLING!

reno county historical societyp.o. box 664hutchinson, kansas 67504-0664

return service requested

THE MANY MINES

OF THE CAREY EMPIRE

PAGE 4

If your address changes, please call us at 620-662-1184.