SOME NEWCOMERS to town recently shared with us that one of the special things they’ve come to discover about living in Emporia is all the “free activities and events” our community has to offer. From arts and entertainment to recreational events and educational programs, there is always something in town for the public to enjoy.
And coming from a big city where long commutes are the norm, these folks are still getting used to how easy it is to take advantage of it all.
Well, Beth and Charles, here’s another one to put on your calendar:
Sunday, The William Allen White Community Partnership and the Kansas State Historical Society are hosting a family carnival at the William Allen White State Historic Site at 927 Exchange St.
And, yes, it’s free.
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the public is invited to enjoy an afternoon of games, food, activities and prizes on the lawn of the historic site and be among the first to visit the newly opened “Children’s Room” in the home, a room designated to tell the stories of William Allen White’s children, William Lindsay White and Mary White.
Thanks to organizations and businesses in town including Dieker Dairy, Emporia Arts Council, Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Emporia Gazette, Emporia Public Library, Emporia Recreation Commission, Emporia State University, Flint Hills Music, Girl Scouts of the Flint Hills, Lyon County Historical Society, Lyon County State Bank, RedRock Photography and Waters True Value, activities will include face painting, balloon creations, an inflatable jumpy house, crafts, carnival games, popcorn, ice cream and even an opportunity to get a photo with William Allen White and Mary White.
There will also be prize giveaways all afternoon from businesses and organizations including Emporia Main Street, Flint Hills Lanes, Gambino’s, High Gear Cyclery, John Deere PrairieLand Partners, Kansas State Historical Society, Pizza Ranch and Walmart.
And those who buy a ticket to tour the home will be eligible to win family passes to The Renaissance Festival, Science City and the Narnia exhibit at Union Station in Kansas City .
But perhaps most intriguing of all will be a small room on the second floor of the old house that has never been open to the public until now. It is a room that in many ways has brought back to life a young girl who has been a larger-than-life figure in Emporia ’s history since her death on May 13, 1921.
In the room, which is shown above, visitors will meet Mary White, the 16-year-old daughter of William Allen White, who was struck by a low-hanging branch while riding her horse down north Merchant Street and later died from the accident. But as visitors will discover, there was much more to this girl than her untimely death.
Visitors to the room will meet…
• “Mary, the free spirit,” whose perfect cure for daily pressures was a ride through town on her horse. Mary’s horse whip, that she referred to as “The Persuader” and a spur she used for riding her stubborn pony, Trixie, will be on display.
• “Mary, the precocious teen,” whose schoolbooks were filled with more mischievous comments about teachers and fellow classmates, doodling, writing and sketches, than notes for her lessons. Visitors will see a page from her daily calendar, her 1910-1911 grade card from Emporia City Schools, her botany book, a chemistry assignment and even the books she was reading at the time of her death.
• “Mary, the social activist,” who thought it a thrill to chair the committee to provide a massive turkey dinner for the poor at Christmastime and whose last effort before her death was to get a restroom for the “colored girls” at the high school.
• “Mary, the socialite,” who made friends with everyone, but who was often most comfortable among the disenfranchised. Among some of her best friends were a traffic cop, a teacher, a farmer-politician, a preacher and a judge. “Her car was always full of them,” her father wrote in her obituary. “Everybody rode with Mary White…she liked nothing better than to fill the car with long-legged High School boys and an occasional girl and parade the town.” On display in the Children’s Room is a photo album page that contains photos of Mary that were collected in response to an Emporia Gazette ad her classmates posted following her death requesting photos of their friend.
A party at Mary White’s house for anyone and everyone in town would be just her thing!
So, come for the food, come for the prizes and come to meet one young Emporian who did her part many years ago to make this town a very special place to live.
See you there!
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