Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning
Date: Between 1872 and 1874
This is a photograph of Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning with their daughters Eva born January 12, 1869 and Hallie born February 5, 1871. Aaron Lanning was a farmer and the family lived near Melvern, Kansas.

Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning
Date: Between 1920 and 1930
This is a photograph showing Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning standing in front of their house located near Melvern, Kansas.

Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning
Date: Between 1900 and 1910
This is a postcard showing Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning standing in front of their house near Melvern, Kansas.

Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning family
Date: Between 1900 and 1910
This is a photograph showing members of the Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning family. People in the photograph are identified as front row (left to right) Frank Athon, Lourah King, Oliver Green and Emma Athon; second row Pauline King, Aaron Lane Lanning, Sarah Emma Preston Lanning, Hallie Athon with a baby; third row Howard Athon, Eva Green, __________, Pauline Green.

Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning with their daughters
Date: 1930
This is a photograph showing front row (left to right) Sarah Emma Preston Lanning and Aaron Lane Lanning; and second row (left to right) Pauline Lanning King, Hallie Lanning Athon, and Eva Lanning Green.

Aaron Lane Lanning's household expense ledgers
Date: May 01, 1926-December 31, 1933
Here are two household expense ledgers belonging to Aaron Lane Lanning, Melvern, Kansas. Early in his life, Aaron's parents moved the family to Jerseyville, Illinois where in April 1862, he joined the 122nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to sergeant in 1864 and discharged in June 1865. After the war, Aaron, his parents and siblings settled in Mound City, Kansas. He married Sarah Emma Preston on November 3, 1867, and they eventually moved near Melvern, Kansas where he farmed. Aaron and Emma had five children.

Aaron Lanning standing in front of his house near Melvern, Kansas
Date: Between 1910 and 1919
This is a photograph showing Aaron Lane Lanning standing in front of his house near Melvern, Kansas. He was born in Middlesex, New Jersey, November 3, 1845. Lanning came to Kansas in the summer of 1865 after he was discharged from the Army. He brought his parents and siblings to Mound City, Kansas, and it was here he married Sarah Emma Preston on November 3, 1867. Lanning settled in Melvern where he farmed, served as a township clerk, township trustee, county commissioner superintendent of the Maxon Presbyterian Sunday School, officer on the school board, and post commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Aaron and Sarah had five children and three of them were living when he died on March 12, 1935.

An illustrated historical atlas of Osage County, Kansas
Creator: Edwards Brothers of Missouri
Date: 1879
This atlas was compiled, drawn and published from personal examinations and surveys. It contains a History of Osage County, Kansas, by Hon. James Rogers. It contains portraits, Lithographs and a list of patrons.

Arvilla "Peggy" Jones and Michaeline Chance-Reay
Date: 2011
Three photographs of Arvilla "Peggy" Jones and Michaeline Chance-Reay, Ph.D. During her youth, Peggy was a Harvey Girl for the Harvey House restaurants. Chance-Reay was speaking to Peggy regarding Peggy's Harvey Girl experiences. The photographs were taken at a United Methodist Women's meeting possibly in Melvern, Kansas.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Melvern, Kansas
Date: Between 1910 and 1920
This postcard shows the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot in Melvern, Kansas.

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot, Melvern, Kansas
Creator: Killam, H.
Date: February 19, 1956
This photograph shows the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company depot in Melvern, Kansas. The wooden structure was part of the Eastern Lines, Eastern Division, Second District at milepost 79.6. The depot no longer stands.

Descriptive atlas of Osage County, Kansas
Creator: Hennessey Brothers (Firm)
Date: 1899
This atlas shows maps of each township with the names of landowners. It has a patrons' directory, and plats of towns as of the year of publication.

Hallie and Eva Lanning
Date: 1876
Here is a photograph showing (left to right) Hallie Lanning, age 5, born February 5, 1871, and Eva Lanning, age 7, January 12, 1869. They are the daughters of Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning and grew up near Melvern, Kansas.

Hallie Lanning
Date: Between 1885 and 1890
This a carte de visite showing Hallie Lanning, the daughter of Aaron Lane Lanning and Sarah Emma Preston Lanning. Hallie was born February 5, 1871 near Melvern, Kansas. She married Nathaniel Dean Athon.

Kansas Film Commission site photographs, subject businesses
Creator: Kansas Film Commission
Date: 1980s-2000s
These are panoramic photographs of locations in Kansas created by the Kansas Film Commission to promote scenes to film companies. The panoramics were created by taking individual photos and taping them together. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject and then location. The subject of this part of the collection is businesses, including banks, bars, general stores, food stores, funeral homes, gas stations, hotels, malls, miscellaneous buildings, newspaper offices, restaurants, toy stores, and workshops.

Kansas Film Commission site photographs, subject residences
Creator: Kansas Film Commission
Date: 1980s-2000s
These are panoramic photographs of locations in Kansas created by the Kansas Film Commission to promote scenes to film companies. The panoramics were created by taking individual photos and taping them together. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject and then location. The subject of this part of the collection is residences, arranged alphabetically by city.

Kansas Film Commission site photographs, towns Leavenworth-Norway
Creator: Kansas Film Commission
Date: 1988-2001
These are panoramic photographs of Kansas towns beginning with Leavenworth and ending with Norway. The Kansas Film Commission created the photos to promote Kansas locations to film companies. Many of the photographs show business districts and buildings. The panoramics were created by taking individual photos and taping them together. Towns and cities included in this part of the collection are: Leavenworth, Ludell, Luray, Lyndon, Lyons, Manchester, Manter, Marion, Mayetta, McCune, McDonald, McFarland, McPherson, Medicine Lodge, Melvern, Menlo, Meriden, Merriam, Milan, Miltonvale, Mission, Moline, Monument, Morganville, Morrill, Moscow, Mulberry, Mullinvale, Mulvane, Munden, Narka, Natoma, Nekoma, Neodesha, Neosho Falls, Neosho Rapids, Netawaka, New Albany, Newton, Nicodemus, Norcatur, Norton, Nortonville, and Norway. Photos of courthouses are included for several communities. Some of the photos of communities show churches, grain elevators, water towers, parks, public/government buildings, railroad depots and tracks, and residences. There are some aerial photographs for McFarland and Melvern.

Lanning family gathering at Melvern, Kansas
Date: 1917
This is a postcard showing a Lanning family gathering at Melvern, Kansas. Some of the people are identified by number: 1. Frank Bearley, 2. Aaron Lane Lanning, 3. Sarah Emma Lanning, 4. Hallie Lanning Athon, 5. Ed King, 6. Pauline King, 7. Loure King (Collins), 8. Fred Athon, 9. Emma Athon Andrews, 10. Dean Athon, 11. Frank Athon and 12. Homer Athon.

Marian Lanning
Creator: Drum Rail Road Photo Car
Date: Between 1900 and 1901
This is a photograph of Marian Lanning, born January 26, 1883, the daughter of Aaron Lane Lanning and Sara Emma Preston Lanning. Marian died in a drowning accident or suicide on January 18,1902. A newspaper article published in The Melvern Review, January 23, 1902, states her body was found in the Marais des Cygnes River below the bridge north of Melvern, Kansas.

Melvern High School boys' basketball team, Melvern, Kansas
Date: 1909
This postcard shows members of the Melvern High School boys' basketball team from Melvern, Kansas.

Melvern State Bank parade float
Date: Between 1900 and 1910
This is a postcard showing a Melvern State Bank parade float possibly taken in Melvern, Kansas.

Orvel Criqui video interview on experiences in World War II (transcript)
Creator: Criqui, Orvel
Date: August 23, 2007
Orvel Criqui enlisted in the Navy in 1944 and served until 1946. He was sent to Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa for Navy Aviation training. He was then sent to Las Vegas, New Mexico but he became ill with pneumonia and scarlet fever. He was sent to a hospital in San Diego. He was slow to recover and received an honorable medical discharge. Interviewed by Pattie Johnston on Aug 23, 2007, Criqui talked about military experiences in the Second World War. Criqui was born on a farm near Melvern, Osage County on May 28, 1924. He married his wife Eleanor while he was in the hospital in San Diego. After the war, he attended Emporia State University on the G. I. Bill and became a teacher. The 2005 Kansas Legislature passed a bill funding the WWII Veterans Oral History grant program. This transcript is from one of the community institutions receiving grants. The transcript of the interview is presented here; the original video copy of the interview is available through the Watkins Community Museum of History (Lawrence) and through the Kansas State Historical Society.

Reminiscences and articles by Aaron Lane Lanning
Creator: Lanning, Aaron Lane, b. 1845
Date: 1919-1927
Here are "Reminiscences", "Against sunday games", "Pioneer life of Emma Preston Lanning" and "Some recollections of early days in Kansas" all written by Aaron Lane Lanning.

Sarah Emma Preston Lanning, Hallie Lanning Athon, and Aaron Lane Lanning
Date: Between 1930 and 1935
This is a photograph showing (left to right) Sarah Emma Preston Lanning, Hallie Lanning Athon, and Aaron Lane Lanning possibly at the Lanning home in Melvern, Kansas.

Southern Kansas Railway Company
Creator: Southern Kansas Railway Company
Date: 1886
Map and timetable of the Southern Kansas Railway, previously known as the Kansas City, Lawrence and Southern Kansas Railroad. The railway was "the most direct route to all points in Southern Kansas and the Indian Territory" and encouraged settlement along the Oklahoma border.