Legacy T H E J O U R N A L O F T H E R E N O C O U N T Y H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y

20mine storageroom gives upsecrets fromlast century

14new namefor saltmuseum

explained

SUMMER 2013

FOCUS ON

SALT

the atomic energy commission conducts testing in carey mine…page 4

I N S I D E

h

HISTORICAL SOCIETY STAFF (full-time)

Linda Schmitt, executive director, rchs linda@underkansas.org

Jamin Landavazo, chief curator, rchs jamin@underkansas.org

Gayle Ferrell, director of operations, strataca gayle@underkansas.org Tonya Gehring, docent supervisor, strataca tonya@underkansas.org

Dave Unruh, maintenance supervisor, strataca dave@underkansas.org

Lynn Ledeboer, curatorial assistant, rcm lynn@renocomuseum.org

Tina Moore, administrative assistant, rcm tina@renocomuseum.org

Kourtney Krehbiel, visitor services, strataca kourtney@underkansas.org

Myron Marcotte, mine specialist, strataca myron@underkansas.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Shannon Holmberg, president • Richard Shank, presi-

dent-elect • Billy Klug, treasurer • Laura Snyder,

secretary • Nan Hawver • John Doswell • Tim Davies • Sherry

Mundhenke • Michael Armour • Elaine Fallon • Mary Wilson

Conrad Koehler • Bill Pfenninger • Lee Spence, ex-officio

Mike Carey, ex-officio

4 salt mine tested for storage ...of reactors’ radioactive waste

13 we’re preserving history ...thanks to our loyal supporters

14 “strataca” is our new name ...directors explain the reasons why

19 collection care fund vital ...helping protect and preserve artifacts

20 mine room provides window on past ...documents date back to early 1900s

22 meet strataca’s tonya ...overseeing docents, do’s and don’t’s

24 music, murder, miners and more ...filling up strataca’s calendar 26 go ahead … “bee” a little bad ...don’t resist the lure of naughty napkins

27 peek inside our jewelry box ...rcm exhibit gives a glimpse of past finery

Volume 25, No. 3Legacy is published quarterly by The Reno County Historical Society, Inc. 100 S. Walnut St., P.O. Box 664, Hutchinson, Kansas 67504-0664For advertising or membership information, call 620-662-1184.

© 2013 The Reno County Historical Society, Inc. ISSN 1045-3423All rights reserved. The RCHS disclaims responsibility for statements

of fact or opinion made by contributors.

THE JOURNAL OF THE RENO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Legacyh

ON THE COVERhutchinson’s carey mine was the scene of testing in 1959-60 by the atomic energy com-mission. the aec was trying to determine the feasibility of stor-ing radioactive waste in salt deposits.

T

4

two men work on a control panel boxsituated behind apyramid-shaped cover to testequipment.

By Myron Marcotte, Mine Specialist, Strataca

Atomic age…comes to Hutchinson mine

he Atomic Age and

the salt mine might

seem like polar opposites

in the technological arena

of science.

But in 1958 these two

opposites were merged in

an attempt to solve the

growing and, I might add,

still relevant problem of

atomic reactor waste.

It is not clear whether

Howard Sr. and Jake Car-

ey sought out the Atomic

Energy Commission (AEC)

or the AEC came to them,

but in the fall of 1958

negotiations between the

two began.

AEC COMES TO TOWN

The goal of the AEC

was to secure a location

in a salt mine where they

could conduct field exper-

iments to determine the

feasibility of storing radio-

active waste from atomic

reactors in salt deposits.

In a December 23, 1958

Associated Press arti-

cle from The Hutchinson

News, it was announced

that the AEC was coming

to Hutchinson to consider

using the Carey Mine for

5

(See GEOLOGY, page 6)

at top, a large rigging of railroad ties was constructed to allow the undercutter to create the testing stage area. on the ladder is frank parker.

below, three unidentified men work in the larger aec testing cavity.

non-radioactive testing

using simulated waste.

This mantra of no

radioactivity must have

been a worrisome point

to the Careys because it

is repeated three times in

just this one article.

Howard Carey states

that “…the experiments

will in no way affect our

salt mining operations …

no actual atomic material

will be used.”

This announcement

must have caused quite

a stir of emotions in the

public.

SENATOR OPPOSED

U.S. Senator Andrew

Schoeppel of Kansas came

out against any plans to

“…bury radioactive wastes

from the nation’s reactors

and chemical plants in

Kansas,” according to a

January 21, 1959 article

in The News.

He went on to declare

that “…those who feast-

ed on this magnificent

19-billion-dollar atomic

bird [can] dispose of this

atomic garbage.”

I believe there was a lot

of confusion on this topic

in the early stages.

Despite all the negative

emotion generated in the

public, negotiations be-

tween Carey Salt and the

AEC continued until an

agreement was reached

sometime around March

1, 1959.

A March 7, 1959 AEC

news release announced

that an agreement had

been reached between the

6

this column of control panels and equipment was barely complete in january of 1960, as evidenced by the tool box in the low-er left corner of the photo.

Geology, facilitiesperfect for tests

messageclear: no

radioactivematerials

AEC’s Oak Ridge Nation-

al Laboratories (ORNL),

which was run by Union

Carbide Corporation, and

the Carey Salt Company.

It went on to say that

this was a small-scale

field study based on

promising results from lab

experiments conducted at

ORNL and the University

of Texas.

The Hutchinson mine

was selected, it continued,

because of the geology of

the area, its geographic

location, and the facilities

available at the mine.

Fees for the use of the

mine were based on a

cost-plus, fixed-fee sub-

contract expected to

be $42,000. Tests were

expected to be finished by

January 1960.

The following

talking points

were released to

all employees by

Howard Carey Sr.

on March 9, 1959:

n No radioactive materials

would be used; instead

chemicals would be used to

simulate such materials.

n The AEC would not be buy-

ing the mine. If the tests indi-

cated salt was a good storage

medium, there was no reason

to assume Kansas would auto-

matically be selected.

n The mined and shipped salt

would not be radioactive.

This was not a big fat con-

tract, rather Carey Salt simply

hoped not to lose money on

the venture. The main rea-

son Carey Salt entered

into the arrangement

was its interest in the

problem and particu-

larly the salt formation

aspect.

Dr. E.G. Struxness of the

ORNL was in charge of the

(Continued from page 5)

three men at right begin jackhammer-ing at the square testing cavity.

7

pieces of testing devices like the one above can still be found littering the floors of the mine.

three unidentified men, below, work in the aec testing cavity in the hutchinson mine on april 21, 1959.

project and coincidentally

had a brother, Dr. E.B.

Struxness. who was living

in Hutchinson.

Jess Willoughby, Carey

photographer who docu-

mented much of Carey’s

history, took detailed pho-

tographs of the prepara-

tions and final completion

of the testing and staging

area.

TEST SITE CHOSEN

The area of the mine se-

lected to conduct the AEC

tests was relatively close

to the salt shaft just to the

north and west.

It was located in old

workings from the 1920s

or ‘30s and had an orig-

inal ceiling height of six

feet.

The ceiling height was

raised to 12 feet by a

method referred to by

miners as “high topping” –

blasting the higher ceiling

down. The ceiling was

then painted white to help

with lighting.

The floors in this area

were very smooth with the

undercutter kerfs filled in

with salt to help remove

the potential for tripping

hazards posed by the un-

evenness.

I was told by the old-

timers that this was an

area of the mine where

parties were held during

Prohibition but there is no

proof of that.

This rumor may have

been founded on the

stage-like structure cut

into the wall of one of the

rooms. Photographs taken

at the time support the

fact that the stage was

built specifically for the

AEC experiments.

WIRES EVERYWHERE

Wires were running out

of holes in the floor and

walls everywhere in this

area. These holes were

used for thermal conduc-

tive experiments. Still in

this area of the mine are

large graphite electrodes

used to heat up the salt

to observe its thermal

conductivity and heat

dissipation.

(See TESTING, page 8)

8

answers sought on

waste storageissues

Most of the major

reactivity experiments oc-

curred in an area contain-

ing two large pits, each

four-feet square. These

pits were filled with acid

which is chemically simi-

lar to radioactive wastes.

Large graphite elec-

trodes were placed in

the pits, and a pyra-

mid-shaped hood was set

above the pits, sealing

them off from the outside.

Vapors generated were

pulled off by a pump,

condensed and stored in

stainless steel tanks.

The acids were

heated, and

thermocouples

were set in the

salt around the

pits to measure

the migration of heat

from the pit. Strain gaug-

es were attached from the

floor to the ceiling and

wall to wall to monitor any

movement of salt during

heating.

A control room was built

and chart recorders were

used to record the mea-

surements as they oc-

curred. The control room

remains in the area along

with a tent-like structure

that still houses rolls of

charts.

MAJOR PROBLEMS

What ORNL hoped to

understand from these

tests were the an-

swers to three

major problems

resulting from

the storage of

liquid radioactive

waste in salt cavities:

n How would the salt en-

vironment be affected by

the heat from the decay

and dissipation of fission-

able products?

n What would the chemi-

cal reaction do to the salt?

n How would the integrity

of the salt caverns be affect-

ed by the radiation, heat,

liquids and pressure?

In an October 21, 1959

Testingdone inlarge pits

(Continued from page 7)

“project cowboy”was the name of the aec testing project in carey’s winnfield, la., mine. it represented the quintessen-tial name given to such operations during the height of the cold war.

this smaller pyramid-shaped cover with eight

rods rests on metal drums before being lowered

over a testing hole.

9

the aec’s oak ridge national laboratory was only one of many organizations

involved in the aec testing. others included the u.s. geological survey,

university of texas, harvard university and the geotechnical corporation

of dallas.

(See OTHER, page 10)

article in The Hutchinson

News, Dr. Struxness stat-

ed that the preliminary

tests were completed and

that they were delighted

with progress to date.

INCONCLUSIVE

In an Internet search

on the subject, however, I

found a story that stated

that the Hutchinson tests

were too inconclusive to

determine if salt was suit-

able for waste storage.

While the chemical tests

were being conducted, a

long-range study was also

in effect at the mine.

MORE TESTING

At various other loca-

tions in the mine, stations

had been set up to mea-

sure flow and movement

of the salt in the forma-

tion.

I know of five of these

stations in the mine. Two

were located east of the

museum and two were

south of the museum.

One was in the AEC test-

ing area.

These stations consisted

of two stands with metal

rods that were connected

into the ceiling and floor.

Measurements were taken

in a gap in the rods to

determine if the floor and

ceiling were creeping clos-

er together.

Wires also ran from

floor to ceiling and pillar

to pillar with tensioning

fragile glass tubing for testing is wrapped and taped in soft insulation and rests in an old powder box near the testing stage in this august 27, 1959 photo.

the cartoonishlettering on this 1960 shipping safety booklet from the u.s. atomic energy commission belies the potentially toxic and dan-gerous nature of the tests being done in the carey mine.

at right, page 9 of the booklet shows the proper (top photo) and improper (bottom photo) rigging of radioactive ship-ping.

10

springs attached to the

wires and steel rulers.

On the rulers, a vertical

or horizontal wire served

as a measurement refer-

ence point. Measurements

were taken and charted

to study the closure rate

of the mine in various

locations.

Several old-timers told

me that the reason waste

was never stored here was

because this mine moved

very slowly. It was just not

a suitable candidate for

storage.

WINNFIELD TARGETED

Soon after Carey ne-

gotiated a contract

with the AEC for use of

the Hutchinson mine,

it seems that another

contract was negotiated

for use of the Winnfield,

Louisiana mine.

An article in the July

2, 1959 edition of The

Winnfield Enterprise

News focused on the use

of explosives to test how

well underground nuclear

tests could be muffled and

hidden.

It seems there was great

concern that the Rus-

sians could be conducting

underground nuclear

tests. Ten explosions were

scheduled to be conduct-

ed with as much as five

tons of dynamite shot at

one time.

EMPLOYEES REASSURED

In a July 17, 1959

company memo from Jake

Carey to all salesmen and

district managers, Carey

apologized to them for not

telling them in advance

about the negotiations.

He stated that appar-

ently the story was leaked

and he was not authorized

to release information at

the time. He went on to

say that they were still

Othermines

involved(Continued from page 9)

concern overrussian testingprompted tests

in louisiana mine.

ben houser is shown at left evaluating salt samples, a process conducted throughout the testing period in the mine.

11

a smaller square testing hole is surrounded by elec-

trodes and wires in this august 27, 1959 photo.

in negotiations with the

AEC and that it had yet to

conclude.

Carey added that if they

were to go forward with

the explosions a new-

ly mined tunnel would

be constructed just for

the explosions and that

production would not be

affected. He emphasized

that there would be no

nuclear or radioactive

materials involved.

RIDE ‘EM COWBOY!

A July 30, 1959 Enter-

prise News story an-

nounced that the plan

was finalized and that a

new 36-inch shaft would

be constructed into the

mine to carry test cables

and exhaust air from the

mine. The fee for the proj-

ect was set at $420,000.

A more recent article

on the website, Louisiana

PoliticalMuseum.com,

stated that the Winnfield

mine project was known

as Project Cowboy, a part

of Project Plowshare,

designed to advance the

use of nuclear energy in

industry.

This article states that

the explosive testing

occurred from January to

March, 1960. It was con-

cluded that indeed such

tests could be conducted

and concealed.

PROJECT SALT VAULT

The Lyons project was

known as Project Salt

Vault. Begun in 1963, it

was designed to show the

feasibility of storing and

handling high-level waste

in the mine environment.

A special Cat-built

transporter was con-

structed and lowered

(See NO GO, page 12)

PHOTONUMBERING

SYSTEM

in a note written to howard carey, photog-rapher jess willough-by explains his num-bering system for the photos. “X10” referred to the aec testing proj-ect in the hutchinson mine. the next three numbers were the month, day and year. at the end was the individual sequential number assigned to each photograph taken on that day. for exam-ple, “X104215957” re-fers to a photo of the aec project, taken on april 21, 1959, and was the 57th photo taken on that day.

12

(Continued from page 11)

at left is the journal that contains measurements from september 18, 1959, through january 17, 1961. among them are extensometer readings that enable geotechnical engi-neers to determine if wall or roof failures are imminent.

underground to move the

nuclear fuel assemblies

from a specially construct-

ed shaft to lined holes in

the mine floor.

The hoist for that shaft

is now the escape shaft

hoist at the Hutchinson

Mine.

An article by Robert

Peltier, “U.S. Spent Fuel

Policy: Road To Nowhere,”

stated that the project was

designed to be reversible

and never intended to be

a permanent solution.

FIRE PROBLEMS

He pointed out that a

fire at the Rocky Moun-

tain flats facility left high

levels of plutonium-con-

taminated materials

that were stored in

Idaho.

Looking for a

fast fix, the AEC

declared that the

Lyons mine would

be a suitable stor-

age facility for such

waste. Public out-

rage ensued and the

project was aban-

doned in 1967.

The Kansas Geological

Survey also determined

that without further study

to understand the migra-

tion of water through salt

and the rock mechanics

involved, they could not

recommend the storage of

waste in the Lyons mine

based on the study alone.

This is despite the fact

that they fully endorsed

Project Salt Vault.

POTENTIAL DISASTER

It was stated many

times in The Hutchinson

News articles that if the

Hutchinson experiments

had been successful it

would have lead to an

atomic waste reprocessing

plant here in Hutchinson.

The reasoning was that

it was much easier to

store the waste from a re-

(See AEC, page 13)

No go

this certificate com-memorates project salt vault in carey’s lyons mine. the pro-gram was designed in 1963 to show the fea-sibility of storing and handling high-level waste in the mine envi-ronment.

13

T

processing plant close by than to transport it long distances. From my experiences with ground movement and the closure rates in Hutchinson, I believe such a storage facility here might have been a disaster. If such a facility had been built in the Hutchin-son mine, we would most certainly not have Under-ground Vaults & Storage or Strataca, the Kansas Underground Salt Muse-um. These two facilities have helped put Hutchinson on the map, and are a source of pride for the community.

(Continued from page 12)

AEC…

hank you to these renewing members from April 3 through June 26, 2013. Your continued gener-ous support of the Reno County Historical Society allows us to preserve and interpret history for future generations.

FriendsGladys BosKaren Hall Orr

Wayne & Polly LoweCliff & Polly ShankMr. & Mrs. Clark Wesley

SupportersElwin & Margaret CabbageKenneth & Jo HedrickMr. & Mrs. Ron LeslieDr. & Mrs. Robert T. MorrisonSam & Judy OntjesTom & Kyle PhilbeckDel RuffLaura Snyder

Barry & Gale WallMichael & Kelly Wesley

BackersButch & Tremenda DillonMartha FeeGary & Sue PolteraJerry & Joan Wray

PreserversHelen Rogers

Donors’ CircleDowntown Hutchinson Revitalization Partnership

h

h

Preserving history…thanks to our supporters

What’s in a name? By now, many of you have heard that the Kansas Underground Salt Museum has changed. It is still the same fan-tastic underground expe-rience and adventure but now a new moniker has emerged: STRATACA! This change took a lot of people by surprise and

14

new name,new brand,new shirts!

n the next few pages, Linda Schmitt, Execu-tive Director of the Reno County Historical Society, and Gayle Farrell, Director of Operations for Strataca, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum, will ad-dress the much-discussed change to the Strataca name.

some were even shocked, so I guess we’ve got some “splaining” to do. Why would we decide to take a perfectly good self- explanatory name and change it to a made-up word that doesn’t explain anything? We’ve been hearing that a lot lately, so please allow me to make my case.

By Linda Schmitt, Executive Director, RCHS

O

15

sporting their new strataca t-shirts at the media roll-out (page 14) are kusm managers. kneeling, from left, are maintenance supervisor dave unruh; executive director linda schmitt; operations assistant gaylon green. back row, from left, are mine specialist myron marcotte; assis-tant director of operations/docent supervisor tonya geh-ring; director of operations gayle ferrell; and jay brown and chrisi fuhrman, both in docent/visitor services.

surveysshow poor

understandingof museum

REALITY CHECK WITHGOOD NEWS FIRST! We have been tremen-dously successful at events, and their numbers are increasing now that the underground restroom complex is completed. School attendance this year was the best ever at more than 7,000 students. Scouts come from surround-ing states for camp-outs and our new geology badge program. We also have a powerhouse muse-um store that brings in revenue hand over fist. It has taken hard work to develop these areas of our business, particularly designed to carry KUSM through the off-season.

AND NOW THE CHALLENGE! Ticket sales have re-mained stagnant at about 55,000 a year for the last five years, and nothing we’ve tried has been effec-tive. This past year (May 2012 through April 2013) the total was 53,000, so the trend is not favorable. The obvious conclusion is that if we are to grow and prosper we must in-crease the number of feet through the door. To help identify why the numbers are disappoint-ing, we joined with five other Reno County enti-

ties to conduct profession-al market research. Focus groups were convened in Dodge City and Wichita, and phone surveys were conducted throughout the state. The results verified what we had been suspecting and hearing for a long

time.

n Although 80 percent of those in Wich-ita surveyed had heard of

KUSM, most didn't differentiate

it from the salt mine and Underground Vaults & Storage. n A museum about salt didn't sound compelling enough to visit.n KUSM was viewed primarily as a place for kids, schools and other

educational groups but not as an experience or adventure.n Millennials, the largest generation since the baby boom, don't frequent mu-seums. They want unique and authentic experienc-es.

Since day one, the com-ment that we get every day is, "This is so much better than I expected!" So, the question for the marketing committee and the board became: “How do we get the people that know we exist to make the decision to actually come?” The board decided that throwing more money at an underwhelming image probably wouldn't yield better results and that something bold was nec-essary. (See INITIAL, page 16)

linda

schmitt,

left, and

gayle fer-

rell, both

of rchs, un-

veil the new

strataca

logo for the

media.

16

(Continued from page 15)

h

Initialrisk

paid off

IDENTITY CRISIS;WHAT IS IT REALLY? There was a lot of con-cern prior to the opening of the salt museum in 2007 that there wouldn't be enough finished under-ground and visitors would be disappointed. We opened with a very limited underground ven-ue consisting of the Min-ing Gallery and a primitive Dark Ride. What we discovered im-mediately was that people didn't care. They loved the experience of going under-ground. That was great because there was no money for the expensive exhibits that had been

planned. Those of us who were trying to figure out KUSM’s development had no choice but to work hard to enhance the experience itself. That's how KUSM has developed – not as a museum about salt but as an under-ground attraction. And that destination is now known as Strataca.

WHY “STRATACA?” Strataca is an indefin-able word that we hope will interest people in find-ing out more, visiting, and then defining the experi-ence for themselves. The idea isn't any

different from the Sedg-wick County Science and Discovery Center chang-ing its identifying name to "Exploration Place," or the non-word "Cosmosphere," which historically also ran into controversy when it was introduced. It is important to keep in mind that Strataca is a tourist attraction that must excite and entice visitors to be successful. The rebrand was an economic decision that we believe will reap dividends that will in turn profit Hutchinson and Reno County.

The name, Kansas Under-ground Salt Museum, re-mains part of the logo and will continue to be used in many different ways. Just as the Cosmos-phere became known as the world-class attraction that it is today, Strataca will soon be definable as a singularly unique and amazing underground destination and adven-ture.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES Those of us who work at Strataca and think about its evolution are very excited about the end-less possibilities that this re-imaging affords. One thing we know for sure is that Strataca sounds like an incredibly exciting place to be!

So what happens now? Since I have been asked several times, let's start with making sure every-one knows how this new identifier is pronounced:Strataca rhymes more or less with Galactica. Doesn't seem like a foreign or made-up word to me because it is mainly “strata,” meaning layers. And that is what this mine is – layers of sedi-mentary rock. The museum was

formed very much like the salt bed: the dark layers are dry seasons and hard times, while the white lay-ers represent prosperity and good times.

So back to our question. What happens now? "Time Changes Every-thing" is the title of a new CD being released by the Diamond W Wranglers. It seemed like an appropri-ate theme for our summer

So whathappens now?

By Gayle Ferrell,Director of

Operations forStrataca

(See A LOT, page 18)

a new logo and

branding make a

splash on a t-shirt

held by jajo’s

steve randa.

17

C

18

f

h

(Continued from page 16)

even when spoken aloud, the name sounds brighter and more fun.

– gayle ferrell

celebration to be under-ground on July 27. Picture red checkered tablecloths and a picnic menu of fried chicken, potato salad and baked beans with the Diamond W Wranglers singing cow-boy country western while guests relax in a non-hu-mid 68-degree environ-ment. Picture celebrating our new identifier – Strata-ca – with a new look that retains a tie to all that got

us to this point. Even the sound of it when spoken aloud sounds brighter and more fun. Try it! After recording phone greetings for the past six years, I found myself sounding more fun just by the way the word sounded in the newest greeting. And answering the phone? I can't even count how many callers now say, "Why thank you!" when I say, "Welcome to Strataca." They never thanked me for answering the phone as the Under-

ground Salt Museum. I find that pretty interest-ing!

There’s more to our metamorphosis than just a name change:

n A new – and still grow-ing – website makes it easier to find information about us and conveys a more adventurous look.

n New staff vests will clearly identify those who

can help a visitor or an-swer a question.

n A color change will be seen on the outside of the building when the bud-get permits. Maybe the cost can be carved out of the current budget for some sort of banner to be placed on the noticeably vacant east side of the building yet this year.

n Visitors and/or sup-porters from around the world can be invited to “Become a Citizen” of Strataca with a certificate

proclaiming their annual lease of one square inch of mine space. (See below.)

n We’ll see the completion and opening of the Salt Safari Adventure Hike. This rough and rugged trek into the raw mine will be led by two past members of the local mine rescue team. Content will not be scripted but guided in large part by the ques-tions and interests of the participants.

n Our annual Hunt for Red Rock-tober is sched-uled for October 5 and Jazz Underground will return on November 8. We also have a total of three interactive dinner theatres scheduled this year. We continue to receive numerous inquiries about events as word spreads about the completion of our underground restroom complex.

Throughout the muse-um’s development, we’ve experienced ups and downs, but now we look forward to the white layer, the salt of the earth, be-coming much stronger. But this bold, multi-fac-eted move into the future promises to be especially memorable.

A lothappens

now!

Check out Strataca’s new website:

www.underkansas.organd “Become a Citizen.”

rchs directors

linda schmitt and

gayle ferrell and the

marketing team from

jajo present the new

logo for strataca.

from left are schmitt,

steve randa, ferrell,

ashley devlin, mike

gangwere and mark

rodriguez.

C

19

note the difference that cleaning made in the base of this vulcan heater in detail photo, above left.below, long-time volunteer rich-ard ewing cleans a spool stool in preparation for an exhibit.h

ollection care at its most basic involves pro- cessing an item … hous-ing it in a folder, box or on a shelf … using specific, long-lasting materials such as acid-free tissue and foam as barriers and padding … and providing a cool, dark, dry place to store the artifacts until they are used. These conditions have been shown to extend the life of the artifacts and delay deterioration. Caring for our artifacts requires an ongoing financial commitment to maintain proper environmental conditions and provide replacement materials.

Consider these facts:q The Reno County Muse-um has more than 36,000 items in its collection, and Strataca, the Kansas Un-derground Salt Museum, cares for and preserves items exposed to the salty environment of the mine.

q Storing items to max-imize their longevity is costly. A standard bank-er’s box might cost $2-3, but the acid will cause archival items to deteri-orate more quickly. The solution is an acid-free box at a cost of $10.

q A study done by Wil-comb E. Washburn in 1984, “Collecting Informa-tion, Not Objects,” found the cost of storing one square foot of artifacts or archival materials was $50. Adjusted for infla-tion, that cost has more than doubled to $108.79 today!

q Larger artifacts, such as our Siegrist Claim House, require even more upkeep, such as painting, repairs and preventive mainte-nance throughout the life of such structures.

Please remember our Collections Care Fund in your giving!

This fund will help maintain artifacts in both Strataca and the Reno County Museum. As the Reno County His-torical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization, your do-nation will be 100 percent tax-deductible!

Collection care:why it matters

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strataca mine specialist myron marcotte discuss-es the boxes of records with jay brown who works in visitor services for strataca.

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By Jamin Landavazo, Chief Curator, RCHS

Mine cachereveals secrets

ll 5 feet 3 inches of my height ducked through the brattice cloth curtains, and I continued to hunch over as the low ceiling made it impossible even for me – the shortest of our group – to stand upright. Armed with a camera, marker and notecards, we trekked to our final destina-tion and surveyed stacks of boxes, papers and filing cabinets coated with a thin layer of soot – a reminder of the diesel fuel once used under-ground. Immediately, our clean work gloves traced over box descriptions, gently pried open drawers, and

hefted boxes full of valu-able historical informa-tion. The cliché was true… we were like kids in a can-dy store. A few short weeks ago,

the management staff at Strataca, the

Kansas Under-ground Salt Museum, was given an opportu-

nity we had only dreamed of before.

We received permis-sion to go into the un-derground records room of the Hutchinson Salt Company. The records room holds a wide variety of docu-ments dating back to the early 1900s and relating to the Carey Salt Compa-

ny (original owner of the mine) and subsequent owners. Blueprints for the construction of the shaft, sales receipts from the 1930s, boxes and boxes of signed forms that had once allowed visitors to take a trip down into the mine in the 1950s – all of them and more are there, stacked on shelves or in piles, waiting to be discov-ered.

THEY KEPT IT ALL We owe a debt of grati-tude to these companies. They have preserved a thorough history in those records unlike many companies that would have been quick to dis-card them to make room for the current year’s data. They had the room to store everything under-ground so they kept very nearly everything! We had known that the records room had docu-ments that would provide answers to questions that we have been unable to answer. We hoped we would find information that would shed new light on the mine’s development, the use of different types of

minedocumentsdate backto early

1900s

also found was a plaque, right, list-ing the names of carey salt asso-ciates who served in the u.s. military with the inscrip-tion: “proudly we pay tribute to the members of our organization who answered the call to the colors.”

21h

We’re proud to share our hometown with you.How fortunate we are to live in a community with such diverse and high quality amenities -- including the Reno County Museum and Kansas Underground Salt Museum!

4 Hutchinson locations to serve you

technology, and the work-ers themselves. What we found was better than we could have imagined – correspon-dence about purchasing and maintaining equip-ment, production reports, union negotiations, infor-mation about explosives used underground, and so much more.

MIND-BOGGLING The amount of materi-al we found boggled our minds! We identified about 20 of the hundreds of boxes that looked the most interesting and promising. After carefully documenting them, we hauled them back to the museum for further pro-cessing. It will take months to go through the boxes, com-pile lists of the contents, and decide what infor-mation can be used in our exhibits. We need to determine where we might be able to display some of these original documents that tell the story of the mine. The project will be long-term but the rewards will be great. We cannot wait to discover and share more of the history with you, our visitors!

dimly lit and somewhat overwhelming, row upon row of wooden shelving fills the records room, above left. some records, however, were stacked along walls on uneven and rocky ground, shown at top. above, original blueprints were found neatly rolled and stored along with boxes in the records room.

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Tonya wearslots of hats

“I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, coura-geous and strong, and respon-sible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.”

– The Girl Scout Law

After hearing that law,

one might just say that

Tonya Gehring, Kansas

Underground Salt Muse-

um’s Docent Supervisor

and Assistant Director of

Operations, embodies that

law.

And

that’s high-

ly appropri-

ate as one

of Tonya’s

favorite

activities

at the

museum

is working the Girl Scout

Overnight program.

Tonya admits that one

reason she so enjoys the

overnights is that she “…

reminisces about being a

scout…” on those nights

underground with giggly

and whispery Girl Scouts.

And there are other

reasons.

“You can’t capture pic-

tures well enough to show

the salt reflecting the light

in the morning,” Tonya

explains.

Being in charge of the

scout overnights is only

one of the many hard hats

Tonya wears.

Her

respon-

sibilities

include

overseeing

everything

involved

with do-

cents, from

scheduling, to training, to

making sure visitors are

enjoying themselves.

Tonya must lay down

the law of all the “do’s

and don’t’s” for visitors

underground. She also

schedules school trips

and special events.

All those hats would

keep anyone busy so To-

nya spends much of her

she overseeseverything

from docents todo’s and don’t’s

23

800-760-5315 620-662-5315

h

free time with 11-month-

old grandson, Kalib.

Tonya probably wonders

if Kalib will grow up to be

like his father, Adam, a

firefighter in McPherson

… or his grandfather,

Darin (Tonya’s husband),

Battalion Chief for the

Hutchinson Fire Depart-

ment.

BUSINESS CAREER

Tonya may be the ex-

ception in her firefighting

family as her career in

the past has centered on

accounting, bookkeeping

and data processing.

She attended Cran-

ford Business College in

Hutchinson, majoring in

those very subjects.

From there, she worked

as a bookkeeper at a bank

and later Hambelton

LaGreca, then served as

Deputy City Clerk and

Municipal Court Clerk for

the City of Buhler until

salt lured her away in

2007.

ANIMAL LOVER

Born in Fort Riley,

Tonya graduated from

Hutchinson High School.

She and her husband live

on 40 acres where she

loves to be outside.

An animal lover, Tonya

spends much of her sum-

mer swimming in their

pool – often accompanied

by her two dogs.

Although it’s been a

“few” years since she wore

the Girl Scout sash, Tonya

is still guided by those

commendable values

when working with staff

and visitor alike.

tonya shows off a piece of salt rock,left, and works on scheduling and coordinates her many other tasks below.

24

KANSAS UNDERGROUNDSALT MUSEUM

9 am–6 pm Tues–Sat1–6 pm Sunday

closed Mondays

last tour departs two hours before closing.

advance reservations strongly recommended

allow about two hours for your adventure.

call us or check our website for holiday hours.

SALT BLAST PASSour best deal

includes gallery tour,dark ride (both handi-

capped-accessible) and new train ride.

adults: $19seniors (60+) and aaa: $17

children (4-12) & members: $12.50

reno county residents: $14

children under 4 not admitted

due to mine safetyregulations.

pricing availableto add only dark ride

or train ride togallery admission.

all prices include sales tax.

special pricing forgroups over 28 and school groups witharrangements made

one week in advance.

3650 e. avenue g (at airport road)

hutchinson, ks 67501

620-662-1425toll-free 866-755-3450

Dinner & ConCert

“Time Changes Everything”Diamond W WranglersSaturday, July 27$35 per person / includes admission, dinner and concertDoors open at 5 p.m.Dinner at 6:30 p.m.Concert at 7:15 p.m.Enjoy dinner and a concert presented by the Diamond W Wranglers, a West-ern music singing group, below.

MurDer in the MineinteraCtive Mystery Dinner theatres

“The Case of the Deadly Killer”6:30 p.m. Saturday, August 24$55 per person / $400 for table of 8Doors open at 5 p.m.Last trip underground: 6:15 p.m.Must be 18 years old due to adult humorSherlock Holmes is at it again. Help him solve a dastardly crime and save London from yet another band of crimi-nal masterminds.

“It’s a Wonderful Knife”6:30 p.m. Friday, December 13$55 per person / $400 for table of 8Doors open at 5 p.m.Last trip underground: 6:15 p.m.Must be 18 years old due to adult humor

Join George, Mary and Clarence in this wonderful Christmas classic with a murderous twist!

Coming “Murder” event: Feb. 22, 2014

other upCoMing events

“Hunt for Red Rock-tober”3:30 p.m. Saturday, October 5Return topside at 6:30 p.m.Must be 18 years of age or olderJoin staff members on a fun excursion into the mine to select unique and colorful salt rocks for your personal collection.

“Spooktacular”Sunday, October 27Return topside at 6:30 p.m.Must be 18 years of age or olderWear a costume to Strataca and get free admission (rides not included). Hard hat required and provided, so plan masks and wigs accordingly.

Jazz UndergroundFriday, November 8Strataca Event CenterTickets go on sale in the fall for this Hutchinson Community College Jazz Concert.

STRATACAEVENTS

For details and reservationsfor all events listed above, call:620-662-1425 • 866-755-3450

AA

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check out this fascinating display featuring video interviews with miners in this preview exhibit.

Miners’ trash Display

See this fascinating new display case of items left behind by miners. It’s a preview of the larger “A Miner’s Life” exhibitcoming soon to KUSM.

salt Mine express

Hurry aboard to ride the thrilling new underground train on the original rails and ties used underground.

salt seCrets Salt secrets exposed!

perMian playgrounD Go interactive and explore the incredible varieties of salt. First hand!

Mine CorriDor Explore the general history of salt mining in Hutchinson.

the ioDine DefiCienCy DisorDer story Explore the efforts of Kiwanis International and UNICEF in using salt to combat IDD.

take it with a grain of salt Discover how live bacteria were extracted from ancient Permian salt.

MyronMobile

Come see the “Myronmobile,” from TV’s “Dirty Jobs,” filmed in the Hutchinson Salt mine.

the story of unDer-grounD vaults & storage View costumes and props from your favorite movies.

STRATACA EXHIBITS SCOUTING OVERNIGHTSnov. 2: boy scout merit

Dec. 7: boy scout overnight

2014

Jan. 11: boy scout merit

Jan. 18: boy scout overnight

Jan. 25: boy scout overnight

Feb. 1: boy scout merit

Feb. 8: boy scout overnight

Feb. 15: boy scout overnight

March 1: girl scout

overnight

to reserve, call:620-662-1425866-755-3450

read about reno county museum exhibits and events on page 27.

26h

Looking for a unique pro-gram for your adult group? A fun outing for Red Hat ladies or an alternative to card night? Try the Reno County Mu-seum’s adults-only Naugh-ty Napkin program. Collector and Hutchin-son resident, Alice Perry, amassed more than 3,000 fascinating specimens of ev-ery type of paper napkin. Within the collection is a whole subcategory that we call “Naughty Napkins.” They’re risqué, over the edge, politically incorrect … and totally entertaining! They represent a vastly different era – from the ear-ly 1960s when the cocktail napkin flourished to about the late 1980s. The private-showing events are relaxed and more than a little entertain-ing. We offer two pricing packages that meet any budget. We are unable to show these unique napkins to the general public, so you’ll have to come see what the buzz is all about. You might say it’s an event where it’s okay to “bee a little bad!” Call us now for details and to reserve a program today! All proceeds support the Reno County Museum.

“Bee”a littlebad…it’sall fora goodcause

the napkin below, dated december 13, 1965, typifies the “naughty” nature of alice perry’s napkin collection, now available for special events, such as the april program shown at left.

to make a programreservation, please call:620-662-1184

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Tough, Rough & Ready: Reno CounTy Tools a-ZThis tool-tally awesome exhibit displays an amaz-ing variety of tools that built Reno Countyfrom the ground up.

a Peek InsIde Reno CounTy’s JewelRy Box

From rhinestones to fine gold, see what adornment Reno Countians have been wearing from themid-1880s through the 1960s.

RENO COUNTY MUSEUM

EXHIBITS & EVENTS

RENO COUNTYMUSEUM HOURS

9 am–5 pm tues-Fri

11-5 saturday

closed sunday

and monday

free admission

unless

otherwise

noted

100 S. Walnut

620-662-1184

haIl To The hall: 100 yeaRs of ConvenTIon hall This exhibit traces the history of Convention Hall and officially displays the items from the Conven-tion/Memorial Hall 1911 time capsule box.

TRansPoRTaTIon galleRy See the Schuttler wag-on, an Amish buggy, the Indian motorcycle, sidecar and much more.

ICE CREAM SOCIALJULY 18

It’s ice cream time from 5:30 to 7:30 – or until the ice cream runs out – on July 18. That’s on the Third Thursday in the court-yard at the Reno County Museum. Don’t miss it!

see these stickpins in reno county’s “jewelry box.”

reno county historical societyp.o. box 664hutchinson, kansas 67504-0664

return service requested

ATOMIC TESTING IN HUTCH MINEPAGE 4

If your address changes, please call us at 620-662-1184.