JUDD WEIL
Hutch Post
RENO COUNTY, Kan. — The Reno County Museum will celebrate 60 years of community culture and history on July 15. The celebration will take place in George Pyle Park in Hutchinson.
"The big to do is that we are having a movie in the park. We're showing a League of Their Own," Brianna Buller, Reno County Museum Event Coordinator, said. "But before that, we're going to have yard games and dunk tank and food trucks and a photo booth, all leading up to till it gets dark."
The Reno County Museum’s personal history began when the Reno County Historical Society, the umbrella of the museum as well as Strataca, was founded in 1960. There were 13 charter members.
Eventually they decided to start a museum, and in 1963 the first location of the Reno County Museum opened in the J.P. Harsha House in Hutchinson, Kansas. J.P. Harsha was a former mayor of Hutchinson, and the house was donated as the Reno County Museum’s first location.
The official opening of the Reno County Museum was July 6, 1963.
However, in 1967, the museum was moved to Haven’s township hall. The deteriorating condition of the township hall, including flooding issues, caused the Reno County Historical Society to move the museum back to Hutchinson in 1986. Since then, the museum is at 100 South Walnut.
Buller has been with the museum for four years and finds it exciting to be part of its legacy.
"It's a major milestone for not only the museum, but for Reno County as a whole, as a community," Buller said. "I think that this institution is essential in telling the story of Reno County, and it plays a pivotal role in continuing to preserve and tell the stories of the past. Its an honor to work here, it really is."
According to Buller, the Reno County Museum has been working hard in recent years to be of service to the community.
The Reno County Museum features several exhibits about Reno County and Reno County people who had parts in history. People like Civil War General Jesse L. Reno, the county’s namesake, whose saber is one of the first pieces people see when entering the museum.
The Reno County Museum also features a Carey Salt exhibit, reflecting how much of a big deal the salt industry is to the Reno County area, specifically to Hutchinson.
Buller said her personal favorite exhibit in the museum is the semipro baseball display, showcasing the 1982 baseball team.
Additionally, the Reno County Museum hosts resources to help people with family and genealogy research to help them understand their personal history.
"You know, everybody says it, but without knowing your past, you can’t know your future, which is a very true statement," Buller said. "The Reno County Museum is important to this community because it is an institution that is actively working towards preserving and telling the stories of Reno County, and in doing so allows for the community to feel connected, to feel important."
Buller is passionate about the purpose of the Reno County Museum.
"You can come here, and you can learn and read and ask questions," Buller said. "We are a resource to the community, and people should use us more because we love the community, we are here for the community, and we were built by the community."
Come celebrate Reno County Museum’s 60th anniversary on July 15 in George Pyle Park from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The event is free to attend, but donations are welcome.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to the 1982 baseball team as the "Broncos." Hutch Post regrets the error.
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