Leavenworth County Historical Society & Carroll Mansion Museum

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Soon after the Kansas-Nebraska Act was signed in 1854, Leavenworth became the first city of Kansas. When Leavenworth County was organized a year later, several other towns in the vicinity, such as Kickapoo and Delaware, vied with Leavenworth to be awarded the county seat. Leavenworth, awarded that honor, soon became known as the great jumping off place for western travelers. The rapidly growing town represented hope and promise to many pioneers and in many ways, characterized the people who would eventually explore and settle in the West. Few had a realistic idea of the trials that the Great Plains presented. Nevertheless, they saw Leavenworth, the budding river city, everything that beckoned them to an unknown future.

Leavenworth continued growing through the latter years of the 1800s and by the 1880s and 1890s, Leavenworth was the most important manufacturing city in Kansas and one of the largest in the entire United States, boasting sixty-seven prosperous and growing industries. It was third in furniture production in the United States, had the second largest mill-machinery plant in the country, led in the manufacture of stoves, and produced over 250,000 tons of coal per year within the city limits.

The historical society was formed during the Leavenworth Centennial Celebration year, 1954. Miss Ella Carroll was a charter member of the society, and donated her Victorian home in 1964 for a museum.

It is listed on the National Historic Register and is the oldest continuously operating museum in Leavenworth County. It is here the rich history and heritage of Leavenworth County is collected, preserved, and shared. The museum attracts visitors year round from all over the world and offers an experience of not only stepping back in time to the Victorian era in Leavenworth but learning some local history.

A feature of the museum is the Miss Everhard Glass Plate Negative collection. Nearly 30,000 glass plate negatives depicting a century of Leavenworth history in portraits was purchased in 1997 by the historical society. Since most of the collection is identified by name, the researcher of Leavenworth or family history may discover a portrait not previously known.

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