Johnson County Library and the Johnson County Museum each have a devoted patron base and a cherished community mission. But a partnership that began in 2004 has greatly enhanced both organizations, broadening their outreach and impact.
The most tangible result of that partnership is the JoCoHistory website that provides the public with an incredible array of digitized historical documents and thoughtful perspectives. It’s a vital resource for promoting the understanding of the area’s history and development.
Want to browse photos of schools, businesses and local landmarks dating to the late 1800s? Unearth maps and information about long lost Johnson County towns? Explore oral histories, obituaries and newspaper archives? Or search Shawnee Mission yearbooks featuring celebrities like Jason Sudeikis and Paul Rudd?
It’s all at JoCoHistory.org, along with lots of other weird and wonderful materials, painting a fascinating portrait of Johnson County’s transformation and place in American society.
Since 2017, this collaboration has been championed by Amanda Wahlmeier, Regional Librarian with Johnson County Library, and Andrew R. Gustafson, Curator of Interpretation for Johnson County Museum. They each write monthly blog posts for the website, providing rich analysis and context to the materials.
They emphasize how the partnership uses the strengths and expertise of each organization to mutual benefit.
“The Library, when it comes to history, is more about access than preservation. We are really looking for ways to provide access to the public,” Wahlmeier said. “It’s an invaluable partnership to have the Museum on board to provide that preservation aspect.”
Gustafson said the Museum benefits from the Library hosting the website and providing the technical infrastructure. He uses website materials regularly to inform his exhibits. Plus, the partnership connects the Museum to Library patrons.
“The Library brings in a whole different audience that are able to see the Museum’s collections,” he said.
The initial phase of the project began in Fall 2004 and was made possible by funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and from the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners through the Heritage Trust Fund.
Initial contributors were the Museum, Johnson County and Olathe Libraries, and Johnson County Archives. Additional partners now include the Kansas School for the Deaf, the Shawnee Mission School District and the Lenexa, Olathe and Overland Park historical societies.
The website has been well used, especially during the pandemic, when it attracted nearly 110,000 users in 2021. It served more than 32,000 users in 2023. People frequently search for information about farming, suburbanization, historic preservation, famous people and places, and cultural and political change.
Most users are from Johnson County, but one of Gustafson’s favorite stories involves the discovery of a World War I soldier’s ID disc in a French farm field. The ID, uncovered by a metal detector, belonged to Frank Hagaman. The men who found the ID searched the internet in 2018 and traced Hagaman to Johnson County Museum through JoCoHistory.org. Hagaman was a decorated soldier and Johnson County legislator who also briefly served as Kansas governor.
Gustafson wrote a blog post about this wonderful discovery, and the ID became part of the Museum’s collections.
Gustafson also selected website photos and documents to enhance recent exhibits about the old County courthouse’s 1951 time capsule and about a revolution in 1960s fashion. It’s also been invaluable for an upcoming 2025 exhibit about water as a critical Johnson County resource.
“I help people access their history. I help people learn their history and I help explain it,” Gustafson said. “This provides a way to do that through the blog, through old newsletter articles and through the collections.”
This collaboration has grown and blossomed over the past 20 years, and Wahlmeier said the Library is delighted to continue promoting and cultivating it. She said the website’s rich link to so many historical resources is exactly the type of access and outreach that Johnson County Library desires to provide.