Andover Historical Museum

Stop by today! Lots of residents have told us about items they have, but they won't help us if you don't bring them to the museum. We are open today to collect pieces of the

IN 1980, Greater Andover Days celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Andover. The Town was platted 1880, the post office was established as Andover in 1880, and the St. Louis - San Francisco Railway (Frisco) reached the area by 1880. This is why 1980 was celebrated as the Centennial (1880-1980) theme for Greater Andover Days. This year buttons were sold telling of the 100th year for that years big raffle. The nigh show was the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce Medicine Show, equipped with Professor Stills and Madam Mazurka with bottles of elixir sold after the show. After the Finale turtle race, Mayor Gene Rump held his own magic show. An interesting time when Gary Harmon got a restraint placed around his neck. Following the magic show, Jack and Mike Theobald performed bluegrass county music.

The museum is selling these two display cases. We will take the best offer! They are wood and can be painted.

The lighter one measures:
21deepx6widex37.5tall

Top glass cabinet, darker stain:
6’wide x 2’deep x42.5”tall

THE GREAT ANDOVER TRAIN ROBBERY OF 1898

On this date 128 years ago, July 16, 1898, while nearly everyone in Andover was attending an ice cream social at the Methodist Church, two outlaws robbed the train depot. They stole about $95 from the agent and then they boarded the arriving train and stole approximately $500 from the express safe. The depot agent escaped and ran to the church to summon help. Citizens confronted the robbers in a gunfight and Andover's own, William Belford, who was 28, was fatally shot while helping defend the town. He passed 5 weeks later of his wounds on August 22, 1898. The robbers, Sam Smith and Tom Wind had already escaped from the Kansas State Penitentiary before they robbed the train in Andover. After the robbery, they fled and were captured three weeks later. They were then held in the Sedgwick County Jail in Wichita awaiting trial, as it was thought to be more secure at the time than the Butler County Jail. Sam Smith was convicted of first degree murder for the death of William Belford and sentenced to death. However, historical records indicate the ex*****on was never carried out, and he ultimately served a life sentence in prison. Tom Wind pleaded guilty to second degree murder and received a 20 year prison sentence.

One interesting detail about this story is that when Smith and Wind were brought back through Andover by train, on their way to El Dorado, townspeople gathered at the depot. There was so much anger over William Belford's shooting that authorities feared vigilante justice, and several local residents were brought aboard the train to positivity identify the two men before it continued on.

Though the robbers were eventually brought to justice, the events of that July night secured the train robberies place as one of the most unforgettable chapters in Andover's history and major part of the

Today we share our current vision board for the new exhibit entitled "How the Frisco Established a Permanent Town". Let us know if you have ideas to add, or items to include. We would even love to have some community members step up when it's time to build this inside the museum!

Do you have items that could help make the new museum even better? We will be open this Saturday from 11am-3pm to receive donated items, or show you what we have been collecting. It's best to bring the items to the museum before we begin renovations so that we can include them in the design. Or, simply come by and throw us your ideas and memories to build a visual Story of Andover!

The Fairplay Cornet Band was the first organized instrumental band in Andover, Kansas. As a ten-man group they always received high reviews and played many social events, even for neighboring towns. This clipping comes after they played in El Dorado in August of 1890.

At first glance, this may just look like another traffic photo from Andover's past. It was taken in July of 1973 and if you look in the back, you will notice the motel that once stood on the corner of Kellogg and Andover Road and believe was called "Midway Motel". What can you tell us, Andover?!

Andover High School student, Florence Vivian Hanshaw passed away on Wednesday eventing, December 19, 1928 at the young age of 18 years old. We came across some hand written notes in the diary of her beloved friend, Helen Smith. Florence was the daughter of Oliver and Nora Hanshaw. She was a member of the Andover High School Orchestra, the Girls Glee Club and the Girls Quartet. Florence played basketball during the years the female players were known as the "Bloomer Girls". During her service her friends of the girls quartet sang for her, and she wore her glee club dress and class ring. The Senior Boys were her Pallbearers and the girls basketball team were the honorary Pallbearers. Florence was buried at the Seltzer Cemetery and her memory has been preserved in the notes and stories that one of her best friends, Helen Smith captured.

Scrapbooks were the social media of the day. Where friends often wrote poems, advice and jokes to their friends. The message Florence wrote in Helens Memory Book during her junior year reads, " If you expect to reach Heaven and all of its joys, think more of the Lord and less of the Boys." The verse offers a glimpse into teenage life nearly a century ago, when friendships, faith and the occasional schoolgirl crush all found their way into the pages of a treasure memory book. Today they serve as a small part of the .

Hoyle Grocery and Oil Company published their 1954 Homemakers Calendar complete with recipes, useful tips and entertaining ideas. Here is the front cover and the recipes for July of that year, which were listed for "picnic or party fare, try these for appetite appeal".

This clipping from the Andover Journal shows Andover, Ks Mayor Zack Wilkerson inspecting the new cabinet work a the newly finished Andover Wastewater Treatment Facility. This original facility was built in 1982. The City of Andover has been working on building a new plant with more modern features.

"The expansion of the Andover Wastewater Treatment plant is completed and final inspection of the facilities was done by city council members last Saturday.
Mayor Zack Wilkerson, O.J. D'Amato, and Jay McEndree were on hand to view the project.
The laboratory space in side the plant has more than doubled, with the addition of a 14x21 foot room, with gives city personnel a much larger work area than they previously had. The new room also has an office area and a new cabinet and sink.
A room of 13,22 foot also was added on the back of the building. This space is a workroom, with a garage door on one side which will enable city personnel to work indoors in bad weather.
The cost of the entire project was about $30,000. The architectural firm Platt, Adams & Braht were designers for the plant expansion. "
- Andover Journal Newspaper November 1982.