Freedom's Frontier

The Franklin County Records and Research Center is the Historical Society’s archives facility. Paper and textile artifacts are stored here, and visitors are welcome to research family history in Franklin County, and small town life in the area.

The Franklin County Historical Society is home to more than 30,000 photographs and 30,000 objects and archival documents. Only a very small portion of this collection is on display at the Old Depot Museum at any given time. The rest of the collection is safely housed at the Franklin County Records and Research Center. The Records Center also houses searchable biographical files, school records, and other information useful to researchers and genealogists.

The building is open to the public, and visitors are always welcome. Two of our biggest collections include the J.B. Muecke Photographs and the Rural School Records of Franklin County.

The archives at the Records Center contain the records of the Grand Army of the Republic and many City of Ottawa, Franklin County, school and legal records. Kansas Historical Society recently donated the hard copies in their collection of Franklin County newspapers. The Records Center holds numerous examples of original 19th and 20th century greeting cards, trade cards, certificates, diplomas, stock certificates, and business papers. Databases of the Early Settlers file from Ottawa Library and many indexes of vital records, census, and books make the collection well-rounded.

The Records Center houses many artifacts, documents, and photographs that provide valuable information to genealogists and researchers. If you are working on a specific research project, it is helpful to call ahead so staff is prepared to give you the best assistance possible.

Admission to the Records Center is free. The first hour of assistance is always free, but fees may apply to additional hours of staff time as well as photocopying and scanning.