Shawnee Town 1929 hosted an Arts & Crafts Fair featuring handmade goods and live music. Visitors were invited to make a $1 suggested donation to Friends of Shawnee Town.
The fair featured handmade items.
Where the Money Goes
Beyond the crafts and live music, the fair serves a bigger purpose for the museum. Fundraiser proceeds support the museum's educational programs.
That mission traces back decades. The non-profit behind the museum first formed in 1966 as the “Sheriff's Posse,” a group of local residents determined to save a historic stone building from demolition, before evolving into the Shawnee Historical Society in 1967 and eventually becoming the Friends of Shawnee Town. That grassroots preservation effort laid the groundwork for the 501c3 non-profit that now supports museum programming under the Shawnee Town 1929 name.
A Living Window Into 1920s Shawnee
The museum's focus on that specific year isn't arbitrary. A county newspaper began covering the Shawnee, Kansas, community more extensively in 1929, according to Olio in Iowa. That documentation now informs the period-correct business displays and market goods used to recreate daily routines from the era.
The site highlights Shawnee's history of truck farming, and the grounds include a historic farmstead. Visitors can also walk a recreated 1920s Main Street.
National Recognition and New Additions
Shawnee Town 1929's tour app includes audio stories from more than 50 voices.
