The Lyon County History Center has new exhibits for the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Discussed for months, the History Center now has a traveling exhibit, “Declaration at 250,” courtesy of Kansas Humanities and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. It also has an exhibit it developed, “Life, Liberty and Happiness: Red, White and You.” Director Lisa Soller says the History Center package is a way to demonstrate how Emporia and Lyon County have fit into the nation’s history, even though the country started in the 1770s and the Flint Hills weren’t settled in many cases until the 1850s.
The “Declaration at 250” exhibit involves a series of informational panels, including the impact of the Declaration of Independence on civil rights, women’s rights and international affairs. “Red, White and You” contains artifacts, some from the History Center, some from the general public, and Soller is encouraging people to add to the History Center’s display.
Soller comes from a family of immigrants and veterans, giving her a unique perspective on the American story. So do the items she she is considering for “Red, White and You:” her great-grandfather’s citizenship papers and her father’s camera.
The traveling exhibit is underway through June 21, while the History Center exhibit continues through Aug 1.
