The Wakefield Museum Association continues the process to dissolve the Republican River Valley Farm Machinery Museum in Wakefield, Kan. A key step in the process is keeping the public and museum supporters updated on current plans.
“We’ve completed an inventory of equipment, toys, local memorabilia, and tools in the Farm Museum,” said Joy Luthi Shandy, Wakefield Museum Association president.
“The Wakefield Museum Board has started planning which items will be moved to the Wakefield Museum into current displays and which can be used to create new, special displays.”
The Wakefield Museum Board is dedicated to preserving examples of the farm tools and equipment used by farmers in the Republican River Valley.
Agriculture was the backbone of the community, and the Farm Museum collection was a unique showcase of that history. The items curated to be moved to the Wakefield Museum will continue to represent that history.
Shandy shared that the collection of 115 memorial bricks, which feature names of many families who have lived in the Republican River Valley, have already been taken to the Wakefield Museum.
The bricks will be displayed in a special location in the new Cooper-Newell addition of the Museum.
The Wakefield Museum Board has contacted Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri museums that feature connections to agriculture to determine their interest in equipment and tools from the Farm Machinery Museum.
The goal is to have all items moved to other museums to continue to display the history of the pieces and the connection to the Republican River Valley.
“It’s important that people can continue to enjoy the history of these pieces of equipment and their significance in the progress of agriculture,” said Shandy.
“Keeping the history of each piece will connect patrons at other museums back to Wakefield, Kan., the Wakefield Museum, and the Republican River Valley.”
Shandy stressed that the action of closing the Farm Machinery Museum does not impact the continued operation and management of the Wakefield Museum, the Sts. John and George Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Cemetery and Glebe, and the Sunny Slope School. All remain open.
The Wakefield Museum Association board will continue to update the Republican River Valley Farm Machinery Museum members, the Wakefield Museum members, and the public as plans progress.
Questions can be emailed to: wakefieldmuseumks@gmail.com or you can contact Wakefield Museum Association board members, Joy Shandy, Marilyn Sherbert, Kathy Yarrow, Kathy Tremont, Jim Leatherman, or Jackie Leatherman.
