Ness County Historical Society Museum

11/03/2025

The official flyer! Please join us on November 16th for Dakota's presentation........

11/02/2025

SAVE THE DATE!
November 16th @ 2:00 pm WW I presentation by Dakota Weeks in honor of Veterans Day on the 3rd floor of the Ness County Bank Building Foundation, Inc

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10/30/2025

We had a great time taking pictures of all that came by the museum during the Spook Parade yesterday! Thanks for visiting us and helping us get rid of our candy!

10/30/2025

NEEDING HELP!!!

Can anyone identify the buildings in this photo. It is a picture of Ness City. The row of larger buildings in the center of the picture is what has me stumped. ( Direction photo was taken might be helpful, also)

10/26/2025

A couple weeks ago in the Ness County Newspaper the headline in the “Bygone Days” it said the first set of twins were born in the new Ness County Hospital in 1955, but the articles didn’t go back to 1955. Through a stroke of luck I found this article by accident. So for those of you wondering, here’s the answer!

10/24/2025

This old postcard says that the "Skyscraper of the Plains" in Ness City, Kansas was once a US Post office. The four-story building was constructed to house the Ness County Bank, and was completed in 1890.

10/16/2025

Some more pictures of the inside of the Lions Block.

10/16/2025

A couple years ago I did a historical talk on the Lions Block building. I was granted permission from the owner to go in and take pictures. The building was used as a school for a little while after the old school house got too small. Chy Barrows went to school in the Lions Block. Some of the writing on the west wall is (faded but still visible) from some of those young school children. The boys remember as youngsters watching the current courthouse being built while attending school in the Lion Block. The Lion on top is in disrepair but still sits as king watching for the train to arrive from the west as one old article in the newspaper stated.

10/06/2025

When the town was founded, it was first called Vansburgh. The town’s name was changed to Brownell in May 1888. Brownell’s population peaked at 207 in 1930; today, it still has a post office, but only a couple of dozen residents remain.

More on Brownell, KS: https://legendsofkansas.com/brownell-kansas/

[Brownell, Kansas, around 1905. Touch of color by LOA.]

10/01/2025

In connection to the article in the 10-02-25 Ness County News!

09/24/2025

“Merci” train in Ness City in 1949. Article in 9-25-25 Ness County News! Arriving in Ness City. Parked on the East Side of Pennsylvania Avenue before being moved the Legion building. Tall building in back is the current Pizza Plus.

09/23/2025

Since posting and writing about Gene Johnson, I have heard from several people who had stories and pictures of the “Black and White” band. Here are a few more pictures. The older gentleman in one is Henry Barber, the gentleman who gave Gene a job and a place to live in the 1920’s. Article in the Sept. 11th, Ness County News. Gene must have been quite a guy! Pictures courtesy of John Sekavec!