Past and Present

Past and Present: Preservation

Jay Price — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

My research includes the study of buildings constructed from about World War II to the 1970s.

It began with a study of Route 66 and the features along the “Mother Road.” Since then, my interest in the postwar built-landscape has extended to suburban ranch homes, one of which I just purchased, and to the religious landscape of 1950s and 1960s America.

Past and Present: Demographics, Education and Economics

Robert E. Weems Jr. — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

One of the consequences of the Presidential election of 2012 is an increased awareness of the changing demographics of American society. Specifically, it is projected that, by the year 2050, non-whites will constitute the majority of the American population.

Past and Present: The Ludlow Massacre

Robin Henry — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:30:00 +0000

On April 20, 1914, the management at the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, owned by the Rockefeller Family, ordered an attack on a tent colony just outside the town of Ludlow.

This decision resulted in the deaths of 20 people, including 2 women and 11 children who burned to death in tents that had been soaked in kerosene and set on fire.

Past and Present: The Reality of History

Jay Price — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Many in the general public think of history as dry textbooks and the memorization of lists of dates, wars, kings and presidents. But memorizing facts is no more history than practicing free throws is basketball.

Past and Present: Dunbar Theater

Robert E. Weems Jr. — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Kudos are in order for Wichita’s James Arbertha and the Power Community Development Corporation for their long standing efforts to renovate the historic Dunbar Theater at 10th and Cleveland.

Past and Present: Rights Won, Rights Lost

Robin Henry — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:30:00 +0000

March is often a time to think about women’s contributions, and how far women have come toward equality. However, it is also important to consider moments when women have lost rights.

Past and Present: Architect Behind Some Well-Known Wichita Buildings

Jay Price — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:30:00 +0000

Historians study those who shape the world in which we live, including those who designed the physical space around us. One such person was architect Uel Clifton Ramey.

Past and Present: Wichita's Black Entrepreneurs

Robert E. Weems Jr. — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:15:41 +0000

Compared to other major cities, Wichita has a relatively small African-American population.

Because of this large, black-owned commercial enterprises, such as insurance companies, never developed here. Nevertheless, there exists a strong tradition of smaller-scale African-American entrepreneurship in this city.

Past and Present: Kellogg, The Lost Thoroughfare

Jay Price — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:30:00 +0000

More than just a road, Kellogg is a major landmark, separating the main downtown and upscale districts of central and northern Wichita from the aviation plants and blue-collar neighborhoods that lie “south of Kellogg.”

Past and Present: Privacy

Robin Henry — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:30:00 +0000

Living in the age of the internet and social media challenges our right to be left alone. Historically, technological developments rush ahead of legal protections, leaving the Supreme Court to apply 18th century language to a brave new world.