Legacy 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
20mine storageroom gives upsecrets fromlast century
14new namefor saltmuseum
explained
SUMMER 2013
FOCUS ON
SALT
the atomic energy commission conducts testing in carey mine…page 4
I N S I D E
h
HISTORICAL SOCIETY STAFF (full-time)
Linda Schmitt, executive director, rchs [email protected]
Jamin Landavazo, chief curator, rchs [email protected]
Gayle Ferrell, director of operations, strataca [email protected] Tonya Gehring, docent supervisor, strataca [email protected]
Dave Unruh, maintenance supervisor, strataca [email protected]
Lynn Ledeboer, curatorial assistant, rcm [email protected]
Tina Moore, administrative assistant, rcm [email protected]
Kourtney Krehbiel, visitor services, strataca [email protected]
Myron Marcotte, mine specialist, strataca [email protected]
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Shannon Holmberg, president • Richard Shank, presi-
dent-elect • Billy Klug, treasurer • Laura Snyder,
secretary • Nan Hawver • John Doswell • Tim Davies • Sherry
Mundhenke • Michael Armour • Elaine Fallon • Mary Wilson
Conrad Koehler • Bill Pfenninger • Lee Spence, ex-officio
Mike Carey, ex-officio
4 salt mine tested for storage ...of reactors’ radioactive waste
13 we’re preserving history ...thanks to our loyal supporters
14 “strataca” is our new name ...directors explain the reasons why
19 collection care fund vital ...helping protect and preserve artifacts
20 mine room provides window on past ...documents date back to early 1900s
22 meet strataca’s tonya ...overseeing docents, do’s and don’t’s
24 music, murder, miners and more ...filling up strataca’s calendar 26 go ahead … “bee” a little bad ...don’t resist the lure of naughty napkins
27 peek inside our jewelry box ...rcm exhibit gives a glimpse of past finery
Volume 25, 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.
© 2013 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
Legacyh
ON THE COVERhutchinson’s carey mine was the scene of testing in 1959-60 by the atomic energy com-mission. the aec was trying to determine the feasibility of stor-ing radioactive waste in salt deposits.
T
4
two men work on a control panel boxsituated behind apyramid-shaped cover to testequipment.
By Myron Marcotte, Mine Specialist, Strataca
Atomic age…comes to Hutchinson mine
he Atomic Age and
the salt mine might
seem like polar opposites
in the technological arena
of science.
But in 1958 these two
opposites were merged in
an attempt to solve the
growing and, I might add,
still relevant problem of
atomic reactor waste.
It is not clear whether
Howard Sr. and Jake Car-
ey sought out the Atomic
Energy Commission (AEC)
or the AEC came to them,
but in the fall of 1958
negotiations between the
two began.
AEC COMES TO TOWN
The goal of the AEC
was to secure a location
in a salt mine where they
could conduct field exper-
iments to determine the
feasibility of storing radio-
active waste from atomic
reactors in salt deposits.
In a December 23, 1958
Associated Press arti-
cle from The Hutchinson
News, it was announced
that the AEC was coming
to Hutchinson to consider
using the Carey Mine for
5
(See GEOLOGY, page 6)
at top, a large rigging of railroad ties was constructed to allow the undercutter to create the testing stage area. on the ladder is frank parker.
below, three unidentified men work in the larger aec testing cavity.
non-radioactive testing
using simulated waste.
This mantra of no
radioactivity must have
been a worrisome point
to the Careys because it
is repeated three times in
just this one article.
Howard Carey states
that “…the experiments
will in no way affect our
salt mining operations …
no actual atomic material
will be used.”
This announcement
must have caused quite
a stir of emotions in the
public.
SENATOR OPPOSED
U.S. Senator Andrew
Schoeppel of Kansas came
out against any plans to
“…bury radioactive wastes
from the nation’s reactors
and chemical plants in
Kansas,” according to a
January 21, 1959 article
in The News.
He went on to declare
that “…those who feast-
ed on this magnificent
19-billion-dollar atomic
bird [can] dispose of this
atomic garbage.”
I believe there was a lot
of confusion on this topic
in the early stages.
Despite all the negative
emotion generated in the
public, negotiations be-
tween Carey Salt and the
AEC continued until an
agreement was reached
sometime around March
1, 1959.
A March 7, 1959 AEC
news release announced
that an agreement had
been reached between the
6
this column of control panels and equipment was barely complete in january of 1960, as evidenced by the tool box in the low-er left corner of the photo.
Geology, facilitiesperfect for tests
messageclear: no
radioactivematerials
AEC’s Oak Ridge Nation-
al Laboratories (ORNL),
which was run by Union
Carbide Corporation, and
the Carey Salt Company.
It went on to say that
this was a small-scale
field study based on
promising results from lab
experiments conducted at
ORNL and the University
of Texas.
The Hutchinson mine
was selected, it continued,
because of the geology of
the area, its geographic
location, and the facilities
available at the mine.
Fees for the use of the
mine were based on a
cost-plus, fixed-fee sub-
contract expected to
be $42,000. Tests were
expected to be finished by
January 1960.
The following
talking points
were released to
all employees by
Howard Carey Sr.
on March 9, 1959:
n No radioactive materials
would be used; instead
chemicals would be used to
simulate such materials.
n The AEC would not be buy-
ing the mine. If the tests indi-
cated salt was a good storage
medium, there was no reason
to assume Kansas would auto-
matically be selected.
n The mined and shipped salt
would not be radioactive.
This was not a big fat con-
tract, rather Carey Salt simply
hoped not to lose money on
the venture. The main rea-
son Carey Salt entered
into the arrangement
was its interest in the
problem and particu-
larly the salt formation
aspect.
Dr. E.G. Struxness of the
ORNL was in charge of the
(Continued from page 5)
three men at right begin jackhammer-ing at the square testing cavity.
7
pieces of testing devices like the one above can still be found littering the floors of the mine.
three unidentified men, below, work in the aec testing cavity in the hutchinson mine on april 21, 1959.
project and coincidentally
had a brother, Dr. E.B.
Struxness. who was living
in Hutchinson.
Jess Willoughby, Carey
photographer who docu-
mented much of Carey’s
history, took detailed pho-
tographs of the prepara-
tions and final completion
of the testing and staging
area.
TEST SITE CHOSEN
The area of the mine se-
lected to conduct the AEC
tests was relatively close
to the salt shaft just to the
north and west.
It was located in old
workings from the 1920s
or ‘30s and had an orig-
inal ceiling height of six
feet.
The ceiling height was
raised to 12 feet by a
method referred to by
miners as “high topping” –
blasting the higher ceiling
down. The ceiling was
then painted white to help
with lighting.
The floors in this area
were very smooth with the
undercutter kerfs filled in
with salt to help remove
the potential for tripping
hazards posed by the un-
evenness.
I was told by the old-
timers that this was an
area of the mine where
parties were held during
Prohibition but there is no
proof of that.
This rumor may have
been founded on the
stage-like structure cut
into the wall of one of the
rooms. Photographs taken
at the time support the
fact that the stage was
built specifically for the
AEC experiments.
WIRES EVERYWHERE
Wires were running out
of holes in the floor and
walls everywhere in this
area. These holes were
used for thermal conduc-
tive experiments. Still in
this area of the mine are
large graphite electrodes
used to heat up the salt
to observe its thermal
conductivity and heat
dissipation.
(See TESTING, page 8)
8
answers sought on
waste storageissues
Most of the major
reactivity experiments oc-
curred in an area contain-
ing two large pits, each
four-feet square. These
pits were filled with acid
which is chemically simi-
lar to radioactive wastes.
Large graphite elec-
trodes were placed in
the pits, and a pyra-
mid-shaped hood was set
above the pits, sealing
them off from the outside.
Vapors generated were
pulled off by a pump,
condensed and stored in
stainless steel tanks.
The acids were
heated, and
thermocouples
were set in the
salt around the
pits to measure
the migration of heat
from the pit. Strain gaug-
es were attached from the
floor to the ceiling and
wall to wall to monitor any
movement of salt during
heating.
A control room was built
and chart recorders were
used to record the mea-
surements as they oc-
curred. The control room
remains in the area along
with a tent-like structure
that still houses rolls of
charts.
MAJOR PROBLEMS
What ORNL hoped to
understand from these
tests were the an-
swers to three
major problems
resulting from
the storage of
liquid radioactive
waste in salt cavities:
n How would the salt en-
vironment be affected by
the heat from the decay
and dissipation of fission-
able products?
n What would the chemi-
cal reaction do to the salt?
n How would the integrity
of the salt caverns be affect-
ed by the radiation, heat,
liquids and pressure?
In an October 21, 1959
Testingdone inlarge pits
(Continued from page 7)
“project cowboy”was the name of the aec testing project in carey’s winnfield, la., mine. it represented the quintessen-tial name given to such operations during the height of the cold war.
this smaller pyramid-shaped cover with eight
rods rests on metal drums before being lowered
over a testing hole.
9
the aec’s oak ridge national laboratory was only one of many organizations
involved in the aec testing. others included the u.s. geological survey,
university of texas, harvard university and the geotechnical corporation
of dallas.
(See OTHER, page 10)
article in The Hutchinson
News, Dr. Struxness stat-
ed that the preliminary
tests were completed and
that they were delighted
with progress to date.
INCONCLUSIVE
In an Internet search
on the subject, however, I
found a story that stated
that the Hutchinson tests
were too inconclusive to
determine if salt was suit-
able for waste storage.
While the chemical tests
were being conducted, a
long-range study was also
in effect at the mine.
MORE TESTING
At various other loca-
tions in the mine, stations
had been set up to mea-
sure flow and movement
of the salt in the forma-
tion.
I know of five of these
stations in the mine. Two
were located east of the
museum and two were
south of the museum.
One was in the AEC test-
ing area.
These stations consisted
of two stands with metal
rods that were connected
into the ceiling and floor.
Measurements were taken
in a gap in the rods to
determine if the floor and
ceiling were creeping clos-
er together.
Wires also ran from
floor to ceiling and pillar
to pillar with tensioning
fragile glass tubing for testing is wrapped and taped in soft insulation and rests in an old powder box near the testing stage in this august 27, 1959 photo.
the cartoonishlettering on this 1960 shipping safety booklet from the u.s. atomic energy commission belies the potentially toxic and dan-gerous nature of the tests being done in the carey mine.
at right, page 9 of the booklet shows the proper (top photo) and improper (bottom photo) rigging of radioactive ship-ping.
10
springs attached to the
wires and steel rulers.
On the rulers, a vertical
or horizontal wire served
as a measurement refer-
ence point. Measurements
were taken and charted
to study the closure rate
of the mine in various
locations.
Several old-timers told
me that the reason waste
was never stored here was
because this mine moved
very slowly. It was just not
a suitable candidate for
storage.
WINNFIELD TARGETED
Soon after Carey ne-
gotiated a contract
with the AEC for use of
the Hutchinson mine,
it seems that another
contract was negotiated
for use of the Winnfield,
Louisiana mine.
An article in the July
2, 1959 edition of The
Winnfield Enterprise
News focused on the use
of explosives to test how
well underground nuclear
tests could be muffled and
hidden.
It seems there was great
concern that the Rus-
sians could be conducting
underground nuclear
tests. Ten explosions were
scheduled to be conduct-
ed with as much as five
tons of dynamite shot at
one time.
EMPLOYEES REASSURED
In a July 17, 1959
company memo from Jake
Carey to all salesmen and
district managers, Carey
apologized to them for not
telling them in advance
about the negotiations.
He stated that appar-
ently the story was leaked
and he was not authorized
to release information at
the time. He went on to
say that they were still
Othermines
involved(Continued from page 9)
concern overrussian testingprompted tests
in louisiana mine.
ben houser is shown at left evaluating salt samples, a process conducted throughout the testing period in the mine.
11
a smaller square testing hole is surrounded by elec-
trodes and wires in this august 27, 1959 photo.
in negotiations with the
AEC and that it had yet to
conclude.
Carey added that if they
were to go forward with
the explosions a new-
ly mined tunnel would
be constructed just for
the explosions and that
production would not be
affected. He emphasized
that there would be no
nuclear or radioactive
materials involved.
RIDE ‘EM COWBOY!
A July 30, 1959 Enter-
prise News story an-
nounced that the plan
was finalized and that a
new 36-inch shaft would
be constructed into the
mine to carry test cables
and exhaust air from the
mine. The fee for the proj-
ect was set at $420,000.
A more recent article
on the website, Louisiana
PoliticalMuseum.com,
stated that the Winnfield
mine project was known
as Project Cowboy, a part
of Project Plowshare,
designed to advance the
use of nuclear energy in
industry.
This article states that
the explosive testing
occurred from January to
March, 1960. It was con-
cluded that indeed such
tests could be conducted
and concealed.
PROJECT SALT VAULT
The Lyons project was
known as Project Salt
Vault. Begun in 1963, it
was designed to show the
feasibility of storing and
handling high-level waste
in the mine environment.
A special Cat-built
transporter was con-
structed and lowered
(See NO GO, page 12)
PHOTONUMBERING
SYSTEM
in a note written to howard carey, photog-rapher jess willough-by explains his num-bering system for the photos. “X10” referred to the aec testing proj-ect in the hutchinson mine. the next three numbers were the month, day and year. at the end was the individual sequential number assigned to each photograph taken on that day. for exam-ple, “X104215957” re-fers to a photo of the aec project, taken on april 21, 1959, and was the 57th photo taken on that day.
12
(Continued from page 11)
at left is the journal that contains measurements from september 18, 1959, through january 17, 1961. among them are extensometer readings that enable geotechnical engi-neers to determine if wall or roof failures are imminent.
underground to move the
nuclear fuel assemblies
from a specially construct-
ed shaft to lined holes in
the mine floor.
The hoist for that shaft
is now the escape shaft
hoist at the Hutchinson
Mine.
An article by Robert
Peltier, “U.S. Spent Fuel
Policy: Road To Nowhere,”
stated that the project was
designed to be reversible
and never intended to be
a permanent solution.
FIRE PROBLEMS
He pointed out that a
fire at the Rocky Moun-
tain flats facility left high
levels of plutonium-con-
taminated materials
that were stored in
Idaho.
Looking for a
fast fix, the AEC
declared that the
Lyons mine would
be a suitable stor-
age facility for such
waste. Public out-
rage ensued and the
project was aban-
doned in 1967.
The Kansas Geological
Survey also determined
that without further study
to understand the migra-
tion of water through salt
and the rock mechanics
involved, they could not
recommend the storage of
waste in the Lyons mine
based on the study alone.
This is despite the fact
that they fully endorsed
Project Salt Vault.
POTENTIAL DISASTER
It was stated many
times in The Hutchinson
News articles that if the
Hutchinson experiments
had been successful it
would have lead to an
atomic waste reprocessing
plant here in Hutchinson.
The reasoning was that
it was much easier to
store the waste from a re-
(See AEC, page 13)
No go
this certificate com-memorates project salt vault in carey’s lyons mine. the pro-gram was designed in 1963 to show the fea-sibility of storing and handling high-level waste in the mine envi-ronment.
13
T
processing plant close by than to transport it long distances. From my experiences with ground movement and the closure rates in Hutchinson, I believe such a storage facility here might have been a disaster. If such a facility had been built in the Hutchin-son mine, we would most certainly not have Under-ground Vaults & Storage or Strataca, the Kansas Underground Salt Muse-um. These two facilities have helped put Hutchinson on the map, and are a source of pride for the community.
(Continued from page 12)
AEC…
hank you to these renewing members from April 3 through June 26, 2013. Your continued gener-ous support of the Reno County Historical Society allows us to preserve and interpret history for future generations.
FriendsGladys BosKaren Hall Orr
Wayne & Polly LoweCliff & Polly ShankMr. & Mrs. Clark Wesley
SupportersElwin & Margaret CabbageKenneth & Jo HedrickMr. & Mrs. Ron LeslieDr. & Mrs. Robert T. MorrisonSam & Judy OntjesTom & Kyle PhilbeckDel RuffLaura Snyder
Barry & Gale WallMichael & Kelly Wesley
BackersButch & Tremenda DillonMartha FeeGary & Sue PolteraJerry & Joan Wray
PreserversHelen Rogers
Donors’ CircleDowntown Hutchinson Revitalization Partnership
h
h
Preserving history…thanks to our supporters
What’s in a name? By now, many of you have heard that the Kansas Underground Salt Museum has changed. It is still the same fan-tastic underground expe-rience and adventure but now a new moniker has emerged: STRATACA! This change took a lot of people by surprise and
14
new name,new brand,new shirts!
n the next few pages, Linda Schmitt, Execu-tive Director of the Reno County Historical Society, and Gayle Farrell, Director of Operations for Strataca, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum, will ad-dress the much-discussed change to the Strataca name.
some were even shocked, so I guess we’ve got some “splaining” to do. Why would we decide to take a perfectly good self- explanatory name and change it to a made-up word that doesn’t explain anything? We’ve been hearing that a lot lately, so please allow me to make my case.
By Linda Schmitt, Executive Director, RCHS
O
15
sporting their new strataca t-shirts at the media roll-out (page 14) are kusm managers. kneeling, from left, are maintenance supervisor dave unruh; executive director linda schmitt; operations assistant gaylon green. back row, from left, are mine specialist myron marcotte; assis-tant director of operations/docent supervisor tonya geh-ring; director of operations gayle ferrell; and jay brown and chrisi fuhrman, both in docent/visitor services.
surveysshow poor
understandingof museum
REALITY CHECK WITHGOOD NEWS FIRST! We have been tremen-dously successful at events, and their numbers are increasing now that the underground restroom complex is completed. School attendance this year was the best ever at more than 7,000 students. Scouts come from surround-ing states for camp-outs and our new geology badge program. We also have a powerhouse muse-um store that brings in revenue hand over fist. It has taken hard work to develop these areas of our business, particularly designed to carry KUSM through the off-season.
AND NOW THE CHALLENGE! Ticket sales have re-mained stagnant at about 55,000 a year for the last five years, and nothing we’ve tried has been effec-tive. This past year (May 2012 through April 2013) the total was 53,000, so the trend is not favorable. The obvious conclusion is that if we are to grow and prosper we must in-crease the number of feet through the door. To help identify why the numbers are disappoint-ing, we joined with five other Reno County enti-
ties to conduct profession-al market research. Focus groups were convened in Dodge City and Wichita, and phone surveys were conducted throughout the state. The results verified what we had been suspecting and hearing for a long
time.
n Although 80 percent of those in Wich-ita surveyed had heard of
KUSM, most didn't differentiate
it from the salt mine and Underground Vaults & Storage. n A museum about salt didn't sound compelling enough to visit.n KUSM was viewed primarily as a place for kids, schools and other
educational groups but not as an experience or adventure.n Millennials, the largest generation since the baby boom, don't frequent mu-seums. They want unique and authentic experienc-es.
Since day one, the com-ment that we get every day is, "This is so much better than I expected!" So, the question for the marketing committee and the board became: “How do we get the people that know we exist to make the decision to actually come?” The board decided that throwing more money at an underwhelming image probably wouldn't yield better results and that something bold was nec-essary. (See INITIAL, page 16)
linda
schmitt,
left, and
gayle fer-
rell, both
of rchs, un-
veil the new
strataca
logo for the
media.
16
(Continued from page 15)
h
Initialrisk
paid off
IDENTITY CRISIS;WHAT IS IT REALLY? There was a lot of con-cern prior to the opening of the salt museum in 2007 that there wouldn't be enough finished under-ground and visitors would be disappointed. We opened with a very limited underground ven-ue consisting of the Min-ing Gallery and a primitive Dark Ride. What we discovered im-mediately was that people didn't care. They loved the experience of going under-ground. That was great because there was no money for the expensive exhibits that had been
planned. Those of us who were trying to figure out KUSM’s development had no choice but to work hard to enhance the experience itself. That's how KUSM has developed – not as a museum about salt but as an under-ground attraction. And that destination is now known as Strataca.
WHY “STRATACA?” Strataca is an indefin-able word that we hope will interest people in find-ing out more, visiting, and then defining the experi-ence for themselves. The idea isn't any
different from the Sedg-wick County Science and Discovery Center chang-ing its identifying name to "Exploration Place," or the non-word "Cosmosphere," which historically also ran into controversy when it was introduced. It is important to keep in mind that Strataca is a tourist attraction that must excite and entice visitors to be successful. The rebrand was an economic decision that we believe will reap dividends that will in turn profit Hutchinson and Reno County.
The name, Kansas Under-ground Salt Museum, re-mains part of the logo and will continue to be used in many different ways. Just as the Cosmos-phere became known as the world-class attraction that it is today, Strataca will soon be definable as a singularly unique and amazing underground destination and adven-ture.
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES Those of us who work at Strataca and think about its evolution are very excited about the end-less possibilities that this re-imaging affords. One thing we know for sure is that Strataca sounds like an incredibly exciting place to be!
So what happens now? Since I have been asked several times, let's start with making sure every-one knows how this new identifier is pronounced:Strataca rhymes more or less with Galactica. Doesn't seem like a foreign or made-up word to me because it is mainly “strata,” meaning layers. And that is what this mine is – layers of sedi-mentary rock. The museum was
formed very much like the salt bed: the dark layers are dry seasons and hard times, while the white lay-ers represent prosperity and good times.
So back to our question. What happens now? "Time Changes Every-thing" is the title of a new CD being released by the Diamond W Wranglers. It seemed like an appropri-ate theme for our summer
So whathappens now?
By Gayle Ferrell,Director of
Operations forStrataca
(See A LOT, page 18)
a new logo and
branding make a
splash on a t-shirt
held by jajo’s
steve randa.
17
C
18
f
h
(Continued from page 16)
even when spoken aloud, the name sounds brighter and more fun.
– gayle ferrell
celebration to be under-ground on July 27. Picture red checkered tablecloths and a picnic menu of fried chicken, potato salad and baked beans with the Diamond W Wranglers singing cow-boy country western while guests relax in a non-hu-mid 68-degree environ-ment. Picture celebrating our new identifier – Strata-ca – with a new look that retains a tie to all that got
us to this point. Even the sound of it when spoken aloud sounds brighter and more fun. Try it! After recording phone greetings for the past six years, I found myself sounding more fun just by the way the word sounded in the newest greeting. And answering the phone? I can't even count how many callers now say, "Why thank you!" when I say, "Welcome to Strataca." They never thanked me for answering the phone as the Under-
ground Salt Museum. I find that pretty interest-ing!
There’s more to our metamorphosis than just a name change:
n A new – and still grow-ing – website makes it easier to find information about us and conveys a more adventurous look.
n New staff vests will clearly identify those who
can help a visitor or an-swer a question.
n A color change will be seen on the outside of the building when the bud-get permits. Maybe the cost can be carved out of the current budget for some sort of banner to be placed on the noticeably vacant east side of the building yet this year.
n Visitors and/or sup-porters from around the world can be invited to “Become a Citizen” of Strataca with a certificate
proclaiming their annual lease of one square inch of mine space. (See below.)
n We’ll see the completion and opening of the Salt Safari Adventure Hike. This rough and rugged trek into the raw mine will be led by two past members of the local mine rescue team. Content will not be scripted but guided in large part by the ques-tions and interests of the participants.
n Our annual Hunt for Red Rock-tober is sched-uled for October 5 and Jazz Underground will return on November 8. We also have a total of three interactive dinner theatres scheduled this year. We continue to receive numerous inquiries about events as word spreads about the completion of our underground restroom complex.
Throughout the muse-um’s development, we’ve experienced ups and downs, but now we look forward to the white layer, the salt of the earth, be-coming much stronger. But this bold, multi-fac-eted move into the future promises to be especially memorable.
A lothappens
now!
Check out Strataca’s new website:
www.underkansas.organd “Become a Citizen.”
rchs directors
linda schmitt and
gayle ferrell and the
marketing team from
jajo present the new
logo for strataca.
from left are schmitt,
steve randa, ferrell,
ashley devlin, mike
gangwere and mark
rodriguez.
C
19
note the difference that cleaning made in the base of this vulcan heater in detail photo, above left.below, long-time volunteer rich-ard ewing cleans a spool stool in preparation for an exhibit.h
ollection care at its most basic involves pro- cessing an item … hous-ing it in a folder, box or on a shelf … using specific, long-lasting materials such as acid-free tissue and foam as barriers and padding … and providing a cool, dark, dry place to store the artifacts until they are used. These conditions have been shown to extend the life of the artifacts and delay deterioration. Caring for our artifacts requires an ongoing financial commitment to maintain proper environmental conditions and provide replacement materials.
Consider these facts:q The Reno County Muse-um has more than 36,000 items in its collection, and Strataca, the Kansas Un-derground Salt Museum, cares for and preserves items exposed to the salty environment of the mine.
q Storing items to max-imize their longevity is costly. A standard bank-er’s box might cost $2-3, but the acid will cause archival items to deteri-orate more quickly. The solution is an acid-free box at a cost of $10.
q A study done by Wil-comb E. Washburn in 1984, “Collecting Informa-tion, Not Objects,” found the cost of storing one square foot of artifacts or archival materials was $50. Adjusted for infla-tion, that cost has more than doubled to $108.79 today!
q Larger artifacts, such as our Siegrist Claim House, require even more upkeep, such as painting, repairs and preventive mainte-nance throughout the life of such structures.
Please remember our Collections Care Fund in your giving!
This fund will help maintain artifacts in both Strataca and the Reno County Museum. As the Reno County His-torical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization, your do-nation will be 100 percent tax-deductible!
Collection care:why it matters
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strataca mine specialist myron marcotte discuss-es the boxes of records with jay brown who works in visitor services for strataca.
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By Jamin Landavazo, Chief Curator, RCHS
Mine cachereveals secrets
ll 5 feet 3 inches of my height ducked through the brattice cloth curtains, and I continued to hunch over as the low ceiling made it impossible even for me – the shortest of our group – to stand upright. Armed with a camera, marker and notecards, we trekked to our final destina-tion and surveyed stacks of boxes, papers and filing cabinets coated with a thin layer of soot – a reminder of the diesel fuel once used under-ground. Immediately, our clean work gloves traced over box descriptions, gently pried open drawers, and
hefted boxes full of valu-able historical informa-tion. The cliché was true… we were like kids in a can-dy store. A few short weeks ago,
the management staff at Strataca, the
Kansas Under-ground Salt Museum, was given an opportu-
nity we had only dreamed of before.
We received permis-sion to go into the un-derground records room of the Hutchinson Salt Company. The records room holds a wide variety of docu-ments dating back to the early 1900s and relating to the Carey Salt Compa-
ny (original owner of the mine) and subsequent owners. Blueprints for the construction of the shaft, sales receipts from the 1930s, boxes and boxes of signed forms that had once allowed visitors to take a trip down into the mine in the 1950s – all of them and more are there, stacked on shelves or in piles, waiting to be discov-ered.
THEY KEPT IT ALL We owe a debt of grati-tude to these companies. They have preserved a thorough history in those records unlike many companies that would have been quick to dis-card them to make room for the current year’s data. They had the room to store everything under-ground so they kept very nearly everything! We had known that the records room had docu-ments that would provide answers to questions that we have been unable to answer. We hoped we would find information that would shed new light on the mine’s development, the use of different types of
minedocumentsdate backto early
1900s
also found was a plaque, right, list-ing the names of carey salt asso-ciates who served in the u.s. military with the inscrip-tion: “proudly we pay tribute to the members of our organization who answered the call to the colors.”
21h
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
technology, and the work-ers themselves. What we found was better than we could have imagined – correspon-dence about purchasing and maintaining equip-ment, production reports, union negotiations, infor-mation about explosives used underground, and so much more.
MIND-BOGGLING The amount of materi-al we found boggled our minds! We identified about 20 of the hundreds of boxes that looked the most interesting and promising. After carefully documenting them, we hauled them back to the museum for further pro-cessing. It will take months to go through the boxes, com-pile lists of the contents, and decide what infor-mation can be used in our exhibits. We need to determine where we might be able to display some of these original documents that tell the story of the mine. The project will be long-term but the rewards will be great. We cannot wait to discover and share more of the history with you, our visitors!
dimly lit and somewhat overwhelming, row upon row of wooden shelving fills the records room, above left. some records, however, were stacked along walls on uneven and rocky ground, shown at top. above, original blueprints were found neatly rolled and stored along with boxes in the records room.
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Tonya wearslots of hats
“I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, coura-geous and strong, and respon-sible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.”
– The Girl Scout Law
After hearing that law,
one might just say that
Tonya Gehring, Kansas
Underground Salt Muse-
um’s Docent Supervisor
and Assistant Director of
Operations, embodies that
law.
And
that’s high-
ly appropri-
ate as one
of Tonya’s
favorite
activities
at the
museum
is working the Girl Scout
Overnight program.
Tonya admits that one
reason she so enjoys the
overnights is that she “…
reminisces about being a
scout…” on those nights
underground with giggly
and whispery Girl Scouts.
And there are other
reasons.
“You can’t capture pic-
tures well enough to show
the salt reflecting the light
in the morning,” Tonya
explains.
Being in charge of the
scout overnights is only
one of the many hard hats
Tonya wears.
Her
respon-
sibilities
include
overseeing
everything
involved
with do-
cents, from
scheduling, to training, to
making sure visitors are
enjoying themselves.
Tonya must lay down
the law of all the “do’s
and don’t’s” for visitors
underground. She also
schedules school trips
and special events.
All those hats would
keep anyone busy so To-
nya spends much of her
she overseeseverything
from docents todo’s and don’t’s
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800-760-5315 620-662-5315
h
free time with 11-month-
old grandson, Kalib.
Tonya probably wonders
if Kalib will grow up to be
like his father, Adam, a
firefighter in McPherson
… or his grandfather,
Darin (Tonya’s husband),
Battalion Chief for the
Hutchinson Fire Depart-
ment.
BUSINESS CAREER
Tonya may be the ex-
ception in her firefighting
family as her career in
the past has centered on
accounting, bookkeeping
and data processing.
She attended Cran-
ford Business College in
Hutchinson, majoring in
those very subjects.
From there, she worked
as a bookkeeper at a bank
and later Hambelton
LaGreca, then served as
Deputy City Clerk and
Municipal Court Clerk for
the City of Buhler until
salt lured her away in
2007.
ANIMAL LOVER
Born in Fort Riley,
Tonya graduated from
Hutchinson High School.
She and her husband live
on 40 acres where she
loves to be outside.
An animal lover, Tonya
spends much of her sum-
mer swimming in their
pool – often accompanied
by her two dogs.
Although it’s been a
“few” years since she wore
the Girl Scout sash, Tonya
is still guided by those
commendable values
when working with staff
and visitor alike.
tonya shows off a piece of salt rock,left, and works on scheduling and coordinates her many other tasks below.
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KANSAS UNDERGROUNDSALT MUSEUM
9 am–6 pm Tues–Sat1–6 pm Sunday
closed Mondays
last tour departs two hours before closing.
advance reservations strongly recommended
allow about two hours for your adventure.
call us or check our website for holiday hours.
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: $14
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.
3650 e. avenue g (at airport road)
hutchinson, ks 67501
620-662-1425toll-free 866-755-3450
Dinner & ConCert
“Time Changes Everything”Diamond W WranglersSaturday, July 27$35 per person / includes admission, dinner and concertDoors open at 5 p.m.Dinner at 6:30 p.m.Concert at 7:15 p.m.Enjoy dinner and a concert presented by the Diamond W Wranglers, a West-ern music singing group, below.
MurDer in the MineinteraCtive Mystery Dinner theatres
“The Case of the Deadly Killer”6:30 p.m. Saturday, August 24$55 per person / $400 for table of 8Doors open at 5 p.m.Last trip underground: 6:15 p.m.Must be 18 years old due to adult humorSherlock Holmes is at it again. Help him solve a dastardly crime and save London from yet another band of crimi-nal masterminds.
“It’s a Wonderful Knife”6:30 p.m. Friday, December 13$55 per person / $400 for table of 8Doors open at 5 p.m.Last trip underground: 6:15 p.m.Must be 18 years old due to adult humor
Join George, Mary and Clarence in this wonderful Christmas classic with a murderous twist!
Coming “Murder” event: Feb. 22, 2014
other upCoMing events
“Hunt for Red Rock-tober”3:30 p.m. Saturday, October 5Return topside at 6:30 p.m.Must be 18 years of age or olderJoin staff members on a fun excursion into the mine to select unique and colorful salt rocks for your personal collection.
“Spooktacular”Sunday, October 27Return topside at 6:30 p.m.Must be 18 years of age or olderWear a costume to Strataca and get free admission (rides not included). Hard hat required and provided, so plan masks and wigs accordingly.
Jazz UndergroundFriday, November 8Strataca Event CenterTickets go on sale in the fall for this Hutchinson Community College Jazz Concert.
STRATACAEVENTS
For details and reservationsfor all events listed above, call:620-662-1425 • 866-755-3450
AA
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check out this fascinating display featuring video interviews with miners in this preview exhibit.
Miners’ trash Display
See this fascinating new display case of items left behind by miners. It’s a preview of the larger “A Miner’s Life” exhibitcoming soon to KUSM.
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!
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.
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,” filmed in the Hutchinson Salt mine.
the story of unDer-grounD vaults & storage View costumes and props from your favorite movies.
STRATACA EXHIBITS SCOUTING OVERNIGHTSnov. 2: boy scout merit
Dec. 7: boy scout overnight
2014
Jan. 11: boy scout merit
Jan. 18: boy scout overnight
Jan. 25: boy scout overnight
Feb. 1: boy scout merit
Feb. 8: boy scout overnight
Feb. 15: boy scout overnight
March 1: girl scout
overnight
to reserve, call:620-662-1425866-755-3450
read about reno county museum exhibits and events on page 27.
26h
Looking for a unique pro-gram for your adult group? A fun outing for Red Hat ladies or an alternative to card night? Try the Reno County Mu-seum’s adults-only Naugh-ty Napkin program. Collector and Hutchin-son resident, Alice Perry, amassed more than 3,000 fascinating specimens of ev-ery type of paper napkin. Within the collection is a whole subcategory that we call “Naughty Napkins.” They’re risqué, over the edge, politically incorrect … and totally entertaining! They represent a vastly different era – from the ear-ly 1960s when the cocktail napkin flourished to about the late 1980s. The private-showing events are relaxed and more than a little entertain-ing. We offer two pricing packages that meet any budget. We are unable to show these unique napkins to the general public, so you’ll have to come see what the buzz is all about. You might say it’s an event where it’s okay to “bee a little bad!” Call us now for details and to reserve a program today! All proceeds support the Reno County Museum.
“Bee”a littlebad…it’sall fora goodcause
the napkin below, dated december 13, 1965, typifies the “naughty” nature of alice perry’s napkin collection, now available for special events, such as the april program shown at left.
to make a programreservation, please call:620-662-1184
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Tough, Rough & Ready: Reno CounTy Tools a-ZThis tool-tally awesome exhibit displays an amaz-ing variety of tools that built Reno Countyfrom the ground up.
a Peek InsIde Reno CounTy’s JewelRy Box
From rhinestones to fine gold, see what adornment Reno Countians have been wearing from themid-1880s through the 1960s.
RENO COUNTY MUSEUM
EXHIBITS & EVENTS
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
haIl To The hall: 100 yeaRs of ConvenTIon hall This exhibit traces the history of Convention Hall and officially displays the items from the Conven-tion/Memorial Hall 1911 time capsule box.
TRansPoRTaTIon galleRy See the Schuttler wag-on, an Amish buggy, the Indian motorcycle, sidecar and much more.
ICE CREAM SOCIALJULY 18
It’s ice cream time from 5:30 to 7:30 – or until the ice cream runs out – on July 18. That’s on the Third Thursday in the court-yard at the Reno County Museum. Don’t miss it!
see these stickpins in reno county’s “jewelry box.”
reno county historical societyp.o. box 664hutchinson, kansas 67504-0664
return service requested
ATOMIC TESTING IN HUTCH MINEPAGE 4
If your address changes, please call us at 620-662-1184.