By Way Of Lenexa - Early Modes of Transportation
Exhibit in restored 1912-13 Frisco Depot
By Way of Lenexa
This exhibit tells the story of transportation modes used by pioneers who settled Lenexa. They came by Waterway, by Roadway and by Railway. They came up the River, to the Farmlands, across the Fields, by the Creek, running about, through labor and disaster, to far horizons, by Way of Lenexa!
The exhibit includes a surrey, a horse-drawn sleigh, the story of Indian Jim who laid the Kansas City to Olathe brick road and many interesting railroad artifacts. There is even a working telegraph!
Throughout this exhibit, you will see black panels with white lettering. These denote quotations from Diary of a Country Lad, written and illustrated by Edwin Legler and published, under the name V.S., in 1908, by The News Publishing Company, Lenexa, Kansas.The book narrates a summer in the life of a twelve-year-old during the late 19th century. The entire text can be found in the History Resource Room of the Legler Barn Museum.
The Diary of a Country Lad - exerpt from the beginning.
"When I ete at ant margets i think she can cook the best, but when i ete at hoam i think ma can cook the best."
Monday, June 1, 18--
Me and grampa went to kansas city today and tuck a lode of unyons. grampa told me about 3 yers ago that he wood taik me to the city sum day when i got oalder. i am [coming] 12 yers old. i got up erly and wated nerly tu ours before i seen grampa a [coming] up the rode with oald nancey and nelly hitched to the new bane wagon, and i run to meet him and he sade guten morgen eddy, bist du fartig, and i said yes and then i got in and when we [come] past our hous i holerd to pa nad ma and dolly and rye, and said goodbye we air agoin.
Interpretive exhibit in the Lenexa Frisco Depot has artifacts used by depot agents. A mail agent's sorting box and an engineer's seat is also part of this exhibit.
Another interesting feature of the By Way of Lenexa exhibit, is the extensive use of the Premier Bank Picture Collection. These large photos, from negatives of originals shot by Edwin Legler near the turn of the century, provide a unique perspective on life in late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century Lenexa.