Legacy T H E J O U R N A L O F T H E R E N O C O U N T Y H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y

20rcm helpingyou saveyour familytreasures

12don’t miss

world war iiexhibits

at strataca

SUMMER 2014

FOCUS ON

SALT

this monstrous crusher (dustrag, please) edged out the aging big bertha…page 4

I N S I D E

h

HISTORICAL SOCIETY STAFF (full-time)

Linda Schmitt, executive director, rchs linda@underkansas.org

Ashley Maready, chief curator, rchs ashley@underkansas.org

Gayle Ferrell, director of operations, strataca gayle@underkansas.org Tonya Gehring, operations manager, strataca tonya@underkansas.org

Dave Unruh, maintenance supervisor, strataca dave@underkansas.org

Myron Marcotte, mine specialist, strataca myron@underkansas.org

Lynn Ledeboer, curatorial assistant, rcm lynn@renocomuseum.org

Paula Dover, administrative assistant, rcm paula@underkansas.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard Shank, president • Nan Hawver, president-elect

Billy Klug, treasurer • Laura Snyder, secretary • Michael

Armour • Tim Davies • Elaine Fallon • Mary Wilson • Bill Pfen-

ninger • Carol Carr • Cris Corey • Katherine Goodenberger

Arlyn Miller • Frank Alexander • Lee Spence, ex-officio

4 the most modern mine in the world ...in a constant state of change

12 world war ii focus of three exhibits ...topside and underground at strataca

14 strataca…a tale of survival ...the worst of times…the best of times

19 strataca is worth the trip ...according to tripAdvisor ranking

20 rcm helping families save treasures ...new classes offer tips and treats

21 hiring older workers pays dividends ...award cites strataca workplace

22 colorful art adorned sidewalks ...until rain washed the chalk away

23 smallville comicCon arrives ...strataca introduced to new audience

24 goodbye and hello ...bye to kourtney…hello to new website

26 mark your calendars now! ...for events and exhibits at both museums

Volume 26, No. 3Legacy is published quarterly by The Reno County Historical Society, Inc. 100 S. Walnut St., P.O. Box 664, Hutchinson, Kansas 67504-0664For advertising or membership information, call 620-662-1184.

© 2014 The Reno County Historical Society, Inc. ISSN 1045-3423All rights reserved. The RCHS disclaims responsibility for statements

of fact or opinion made by contributors.

THE JOURNAL OF THE RENO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Legacyh

ON THE COVERPOOR BIG BERTHA. AFTER 60 HARD-WORKING YEARS AS A TOPSIDE CRUSHER, SHE WAS DEEMED OBSOLETE WHEN THIS NEW SECONDARY CRUSHER WAS INSTALLED UNDERGROUND IN 1983. (STORY P. 4)

T

4

By Myron Marcotte, Mine SpecialistStrataca

A change of mine

he Carey Salt Mine and the methods of mining along with the equipment used have changed many times over the years. The day the mine opened in Hutchinson, on June 23, 1923, a mining plan was in place de-signed to hoist 500 tons a shift, if needed. That plan was designed by the Allen-Garcia engineering firm from Chicago. The Carey family, own-ers of the mine, wanted a turnkey design when they

hired Allen-Garcia. When Governor Jonathan Davis inaugurated the mine by throwing the switch to start hoisting salt, the Carey family declared the mine, “...the most modern mine in the world....”

LABOR-INTENSIVE ERAThey could call it the most modern mine because it used electricity extensive-ly. Battery-powered loco-motives were used instead of mules as in nearby salt

mines. Electric post drills and electric under-cut-ters replaced traditional air-powered equipment. But the mine was still heavily dependent on physical labor to load the mine cars and move rail track. The mining plan re-flected the labor-intensive hand-loading operation that called for a series of dead-end 50- by 300-foot panels. These rooms were connected by a pair of 30- by 1,000-foot intake

THIS DOTY JAW-TYPE

CRUSHER SMASHED

LARGE SALT BOUL-

DERS INTO SMALL

USABLE PIECES

UNDERGROUND,

ABOUT 1957.

(7-209359)

(See EFFICIENCY, page 6)

and exhaust tunnels or entries. Typically there were 12 to 15 of the 300-foot panels on the intake entry and the same number along the exhaust entry. This plan provided for fresh air intake from the shaft and stale air re-turn to the shaft. The rails always ran along the exhaust entry and then cut over to the fresh air side. This plan was efficient for hand-loading. Rail would run off the main line down the center of each room and right to the face. Salt was then blasted right down on top of the rail. This made it easy to hand-load the cars

as the salt was as close as possible to the rail. Each blasted room yield-ed about 121 tons or 30 mine cars. The primary use for rock salt in 1923 was to

ice down refrigerated rail cars carrying

produce cross- country. The busy season was spring and summer. As there

were few roads at that time, road ice

control was unheard of. But the country was growing, so Allen-Garcia incorporated expansion into every aspect of the mine design. From the hoist to the mill to the mine, every operation could be upgraded and expanded.

THE FIRST MECHANI-ZATION ERA Hand-loading of the mine cars continued with enough efficiency to keep everything going until

expansionbuilt into

every aspectof mine

TWO MINERS, BELOW, LOAD SALT INTO RAIL CARS. ALTHOUGH THE MINE WAS CONSID-ERED QUITE MODERN IN 1923, THE LOADING PROCESS WAS STILL HIGHLY LABOR-INTEN-SIVE. (1997.40.02)

IN 1923 THIS SINGLE ELECTRIC POST DRILL WOULD HAVE BEEN TOP OF THE LINE, ADDING CREDIBILITY TO CAREY’S BOAST OF BEING “…THE MOST MODERN MINE IN THE WORLD….”ALSO SHOWN IN THE BACK IS A VERY EARLY UNDERCUTTER. (1997.40.02)

6

checker-board mining

pattern adopted

NEW MAP OF MINE

(Continued from page 5)

the mid- to late 1930s. Around this time a me-chanical means to load cars was developed to reduce labor costs and improve efficiency. The first mechanical method, according to long-time miner Bennie Pallister, was a scrap-er device pulled around by winch-es. This is com-monly referred to in mining as a slusher. Miners fastened a sheave wheel to the rib with pins. Cables were strung out from a winch between the muck pile (blasted-down pile of salt) and mine car. The scraper dug into the loose salt and the winch would pull the load up a ramp and into the car. When the corner, usu-ally the right corner, was cleaned out to the wall, the sheaves were moved closer to the salt until the

room was completed. With this mining method, they were able to load a car with only one man rather than two. They realized rather quickly, according to Pal-lister, that a change in the mining pattern would be

needed to make moving the new slusher and

ramp from room to room easier. This change is evident when you look at a map of

the mine. At first they exper-

imented with cross-cut-ting the 20-foot pillar of the 300-foot-deep rooms with a 10-foot-wide entry every 80 feet. They only did this for a few rooms before they started mining the familiar checkerboard pattern used today. The checkerboard pat-tern consisted of 50- by 50-foot pillars with 50-foot entries and crosscuts. This meant that at any

given time the next room was never more than 50 feet away, compared to the old 300-foot dead-end panel mining where a room could be 600 feet away. The progression of these three changes in the mining plan occurred within a few years, and can be seen in a small area of the mine map.

THE SECOND MECHANIZATION ERA The second mechanization of the mine began in the early 1940s when the company ad-opted coal mining methods. They had already switched to the room-and-pillar mining method, commonly referred to as checkerboard mining. A gathering arm loader was pur-chased which used claw-like arms to pull material toward a flight conveyor that then el-evated the material so it could be loaded into a shuttle car. About the same time they purchased the gathering arm loader, two Joy battery shuttle cars were purchased. These cars transferred the salt from the face of the mine

Efficiencyimproved

THIS WINNFIELD DRAGLINE SCOOP, ALSO KNOWN AS A SCRAPER OR SLUSHER, WAS USED AT CAREY’S WINNFIELD MINE. IT WAS PART OF THE FIRST MECHANIZA-TION ERA OF THE MINES. (2005.09 14-14)

7

new miningmethod boosts

efficiencyand tonnage

(See LHDs, page 8)

800-760-5315 620-662-5315

to a fixed loading sta-tion where the mine cars were loaded using a flight conveyor. The shuttle car operators discharged their load (about eight tons) into the conveyor that lifted the salt and emptied it into the car. This mining method made it possible to move the track once, and mine for months. This new technique, borrowed from coal mining, greatly increased efficiency and tons per man-hour. There was still a flaw in this system, however. No matter how well you strive to create a perfect blast, large boul-ders will still appear. In the hand-loading days, these boulders were bro-ken with a metal spike called a gunior (rhymes with junior) and a sledge-hammer. In the first mechanized era, this action graduated to using an air-powered jackhammer next to the flight conveyor. If a large rock was in the shuttle car, the operator had to break it up with the jackhammer. If the loader operator at the face noticed the boul-der, he could move it to the side. There the driller could drill it and a charge could be set in it to blast later.

THE UNDERGROUNDCRUSHING ERA In the late 1950s, a plan was developed to remedy the boulder problem. Up until this time, all primary and secondary crushing was done on the surface by a crusher fondly re-ferred to as “Big Bertha.” The new plan, designed by the F.O. Doty engineer-ing and manufacturing company from Pittsburg, Kansas, was to move the primary crushing under-

ground and rele-gate Big Bertha to secondary crushing. The new under-ground crusher was a

giant jaw-type crushing system. Salt was dis-charged into a pit from the shuttle car. A flight conveyor then lifted the salt and dumped it into the jaw crusher. The jaw crusher discharged into another flight conveyor

which discharged into a set of screens. The salt fines were separated out and sent on a belt to be stored underground for later use. The medium and over-size salt rocks – some-times as big as eight inch-es across – were loaded into mine cars via a belt and chute system that allowed for a continuous flow even while changing cars.

EARL BUSH, LEFT, USES A JACKHAMMER TO BREAK LARGE BOULDERS THAT CAME OFF THE SHUTTLE CARS DURING THE SECOND MECHANICAL ERA, THE LATE 1950s AND EARLY ‘60S. (6-52753)

MINER PAUL LIN-SCHEID, ABOVE, OPERATES AN ELEC-TRIC SHUTTLE CAR LOADED WITH SALT. SHUTTLE CARS HAULED SALT TO THE DOTY CRUSH-ER. THEY WERE DRIVEN OVER A PIT INTO WHICH THEY DUMPED THEIR EN-TIRE LOAD WITHOUT EVEN STOPPING. (KUSM06.02.52)

8

(Continued from page 7)

Crushing the salt un-derground allowed for more efficient mining and more tonnage hoisted. Since the overall size of the salt was smaller, more could be loaded into the hoist bucket.

THE BELTLINEERA In the late 1970s, there was a high demand for salt when the Cargill mine in Louisi-ana exploded. The Carey Salt mine went into overdrive to help supply salt for the void left by the Louisiana mine disaster. It quickly became evident that the outdated rail system could not hold up under the stress of nearly continuous use. Rail broke and ties split, causing derailment after derailment. Management at the corporate level knew they had to do something soon and fast. They called once

again upon the F. O. Doty engineering firm to help convert from rail to a con-veyor system. A plan to replace the mining equipment was put into place. In 1980 four small battery-pow-ered load-haul dumpers (LHDs) were purchased and put into service.

These “S&S scoops,” as the min-ers called them, were problematic from the beginning. The scoops were originally designed to handle coal, a lighter substance. As a result, axles broke down and cylinders snapped under the heavier load of salt. The batteries on these machines were lead acid wet cells like the old car batteries. A unique feature of these scoops was the ability to swap batteries when the charge ran low.

THREE-TON BATTERIES The batteries were set in a tray in the back of the scoop and hydraulic jacks would lift them up. The scoop was then backed over a stand where the batteries were unloaded. Ca-bles were connected to the charged batteries, and they were set into the compartment. These batteries weighed around three tons a set and were very large.

Now, with four scoops in service, the shuttle cars and arm loaders were parked – never to be used again. A Stamler mobile feeder breaker was purchased along with several feet of a Continental snap-together rigid conveyor systen. The Stamler feeder breaker is a mobile crush-ing machine. The LHDs dumped their loads into the end of the Stamler, then a conveyor chain dragged the salt under a rotating break-er wheel. The salt was then

lifted slightly and dumped onto the end of the conveyor belt. When it became necessary to move the crusher farther out to be closer to the face, the Stamler could lift it-self up on hydraulic jacks and drive off on crawler tracks. This made for fast conveyer belt extensions.

IN THE 1980S, DIESEL LOAD/HAUL/DUMP (LHD) VEHICLES TOOK THE PLACE OF THE SHUTTLE CARS AND ARM LOADERS. A SET OF LHD BATTERIES WEIGHED ABOUT THREE TONS. (01.69 LHD)

THIS JOY MECHANI-CAL LOADERS MAN-UAL WAS FOUND UNDERGROUND, REPRESENTING THE MINE’S TRANSITION INTO A MORE MECH-ANIZED ERA.

LHDssavethe day

9

(See FIRST, page 10)

agingbig berthaput out topasture

With the Stamler in service, the old Doty jaw crusher was decommis-sioned and left where it was last used. What also made for fast conveyor belt exten-sions was the use of the snap-together conveyor structure. Typically the conveyor belt is extended with every 250 feet of mining. Belts came in rolls of 500 feet, exactly what was needed for the mine as each conveyor belt has a carrying belt and a return belt. All these pieces snap together for quick assembly. After the purchase of this equipment, a hybrid system using both convey-or belt and rail was used from 1980 until 1983.

MINE CLOSES FOR IMPROVEMENTS In 1983 the mine shut down for two weeks to install a secondary crush-er, a surge bin, and a skip-loading system de-signed by F.O. Doty. Such a system was already used by both the Lyons and Independent Salt mines. The system received salt from the conveyor belt and dumped it into a 100-ton surge bin, which metered out salt as the skip pockets needed it. When the bin got low on salt, it would start the conveyor belt and run

until it was full. With the new second-ary crushers installed underground, Big Bertha topside was no longer

needed. After 60 years of service, the

old crusher was scrapped. Once this portion of the

conveyor belt was completed, the

entire rail system was decommissioned. The locomotives and cars, now on display at the muse-

um, were pushed to the north of the shaft and the rail was ripped out along the south entry.

As the miners now had no way to get from the face to the shaft, the company bought several battery-powered Cush-man utility trucks.

THE DIESEL ERA After the installation of the conveyor belt system, the company focused on the face-loading system. By this time it was more than apparent that the battery-powered S&S scoops could not hold up as desired. The

MULES LIKE THIS ONE IN THE LYONS MINE WERE NEVER FOUND IN THE AL-WAYS UP-TO-DATE HUTCHINSON MINE.

CLINTON SANDERS, BELOW, STANDS ON THE OUTSIDE OF “BIG BERTHA,” THE TOPSIDE CRUSHER USED FOR 60 YEARS UNTIL 1983. (06-10852)

(Continued from page 9)

10

frames of the machines were fatiguing under the relentless weight of the salt over the roughness of the mine floor. The cost of maintaining these machines was enormous so the company decided to try something they had resisted so far: diesel. In 1984 the company purchased a rebuilt Eimco LHD. It had a Deutz air-

cooled diesel engine. It was big and heavy with six-foot-tall tires and a four-yard bucket, spe-cifically built for under-ground work. We called it the “915,” its model number, and later just called it “Number 1.” This machine is now on display

at the museum. With the purchase of this first diesel-powered machine came a flood of diesel equipment. An Eim-co 210 diesel LHD was purchased and the battery S&S scoops were relegat-ed to moving oil and fuel barrels from the shaft to the face.

MORE DIESEL EQUiP-MENT PURCHASED An S10 diesel pick-up was purchased for the foreman as the Cushmans started wearing out. Then a small Ford tractor was bought to be used to pull around powder machine wagons. The Pontiac Bonneville, also now in the museum, was added for use by the maintenance crew. The list goes on and on with more than 30 diesel-pow-ered pieces bought and

First dieselboughtin 1984

THIS SHUTTLE CAR OPERATED ON BATTERIES.

(PHOTO ON LOAN FROMMYRON MARCOTTE)

ONCE THE CONTI-

NENTAL CONVEYOR

BELTLINE BELOW

WAS FULLY IN

PLACE, THERE WAS

NO LONGER ANY

NEED FOR THE RAIL

SYSTEM WITH ITS

OUTDATED WOODEN

CARS. (01.69)

11

BEFORE THE CON-VEYOR BELT SYS-TEM WAS INTRO-DUCED, SALT WAS MOVED FROM THE FACE OF THE MINE BY SHUTTLE CARS AND LOADED ONTO RAIL CARS. THIS PHOTOGRAPH REP-RESENTS THE COM-BINATION OF OLD MINING METHODS (RAIL CARS) AND THE NEW (SHUTTLE CARS AND FLIGHT CONVEYORS).(2005.09 6-60353)

h

used the last 30 years. More recently, two Cat R1600G LHDs with 7.7- yard buckets, Numbers 8 and 9 in the LHD series, were purchased. These bigger machines made it possible to run only one loader rather than two.

WHAT’S AHEAD FOR SALT MINING? The salt mining industry mirrors the coal mining industry by adapting coal-mining equipment to salt mining. The recent trend in salt mining has been to go to continuous min-ing machines used in coal mining. Morton and Cargill both have intro-duced continuous mining techniques to a number of

their mines. Continuous mining technology is the use of a machine that somewhat resembles an arm loader. It has the ability to grind out the salt from the wall of the mine face without the use of explosives. It can then load the salt into shuttle cars for a quick trip to the feeder breaker at the belt head. This process eliminates the use of explosives, drilling and undercutting. The LHDs could be used

instead of shuttle cars but the shuttles carry more salt in one trip. The drawback is that these machines are ex-tremely expensive, and some of the smaller opera-tions will never be able to justify the cost. The mine has responded to changes in demand by increasing the amount of salt they produce as well as their efficiency in pro-ducing that salt. The mine and mining will forever change.

THE MOST RECENT

CHANGE IN MECH-

ANIZATION HAS

BEEN THE ADDI-

TION OF TWO CAT

R1600G LHDS,

SUCH AS THIS ONE.

12

T

h

hree new displays at Strataca are all related to World War II. The topside case, “Remembering World War II,” traces America’s involvement in World War II and features military patches, hats, a purple star and a Carey Salt war atlas. It closes at the end of summer. A second display underground showcases two plaques found un-derground that contain names of Carey employees who served in the

military. A permanent display, it also includes a fascinating WW II libera-tion map sponsored by the Carey Salt Company. The third case, in the Underground Vaults & Storage exhibit area, dis-plays props and costume clothing used in the current movie, “Mon-uments Men,” on loan from Sony Pictures. Be sure to stop by soon to see all these fascinating exhibits.

Strataca’s WW II Exhibits

MATT DAMON WORE THIS

ARMY UNIFORM AND BOOTS AND

GEORGE CLOO-NEY HANDLED

THE MAP IN THE MOVIE “MONU-MENTS MEN.”

CLIPS FROM THE MOVIE AND A

PROMOTIONAL POSTER ROUND

OUT THE EXHIBIT.

FOUND UNDERGROUND, THESE TWO PLAQUES LIST CAREY EMPLOY-EES WHO SERVED IN THE MILITARY. “PROUD-LY WE PAY TRIBUTE TO THE MEMBERS OF OUR ORGANIZATION WHO ANSWERED THE CALL TO COLORS” IS INSCRIBED ON EACH PLAQUE. THE LARGE MAP, SPONSORED BY THE CAREY SALT COM-PANY, TRACES THE LIBERATION FRONT DURING WW II.

13

orld War II overshad- owed the 1940s, in-cluding the Carey Salt Company in Hutchinson. The company played its part in the war with pro-motional maps, booklets that encouraged thrifty spending and cooking, and the supreme sacrifice of mine employees in the military. With all efforts focused on the war, it was per-haps not so surprising that we discovered the scarcity of Carey Salt Company items from the 1940s in the museum collection. If you are interested in donating items related to the local salt industry from that era, we would love to talk to you about them. Please contact the museum curatorial staff.

620-662-1184

Call for salt items

h

u u u

THE CAREY SALT COMPANY PRODUCED THIS WORLD WAR II ATLAS AND OTHER WAR MAPS, BELOW, AS PATRIOTIC AND

PROMOTIONAL DOCUMENTS. IMAGES IN BLUE ARE FROM THE ATLAS. AT RIGHT,

STRATACA DOCENT KERRY MORRIS TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT MILITARY PATCHES.

MYRON MAR-COTTE HOPES TO SEE MORE WORLD WAR II ITEMS LIKE THIS PERIOD MAP IN STRATA-CA’S COLLEC-TION.

W

14

F our score and seven years ago … well okay, it has not been that long. But there are days when it feels like decades have passed since we opened STRATACA, initially known as the Kansas Un-derground Salt Museum, to the general public on May 1, 2007. Among the eight op-erations managers at Strataca, six have been here since we opened, one has been here three years, and one was "here" before anything. Do you realize how special and unusual that is? Jay Brown and I are the only ones who actively gave tours to bus groups

Strataca has come a....

LONG waybefore there was a build-ing. (We love to say, "I remember when…") And when the managers gather together, the pool of knowledge is priceless.STRATACA is very lucky.This group of warriors has seen a lot of tough times and carries some bat-tle wounds that only we discuss. The past seven-plus years could be described as immense financial struggle, but I prefer to think of them as years of financial survival. At any rough spot, there was not one of them who didn't step forward and say, "What do we need to do to survive?" and "Tell

me what you need me to do."

BLESSED... In the beginning:n A $7 million fundraising campaign stalled at $3.5 million in 2001 due to the terrorist attacks and stock market decline.n We agreed to jointly develop a new shaft with Underground Vaults & Storage with a projected museum opening in 2004. The opening was moved to mid-2006, and then delayed until May 2007.n The Justice Foundation pledged $1 million over a 10-year period starting in 2001. n Kansas STAR Bonds

By Gayle Ferrell, KUSM Director of Operations

THE STRATACA MAN-

AGEMENT TEAM

SHOWN HERE ARE:

BACK ROW, FROM

LEFT, GAYLON GREEN,

CHRISI FUHRMAN,

MYRON MARCOTTE,

JAY BROWN, DAVE

UNRUH

FRONT ROW, FROM

LEFT, ASHLEY

MAREADY, LINDA

SCHMITT, GAYLE

FERRELL, TONYA

GEHRING

f

(See LESSONS, page 16)

LET’S PARTY! THE

OPENING OF THE

SALT MINE EXPRESS

TRAIN WAS REASON

TO CELEBRATE …

WITH CAKE, OF

COURSE!

were pursued as a new source of funding. Re-quest submitted for $4.8M with the project now at about $10.5 million and 50 percent matching funds required. (They were paid off three years early.)n Interactive and technol-ogy-savvy exhibit plans were commissioned.n A study by an indepen-dent firm estimated first- year attendance should be 135,000-150,000.n Full-time staff was hired in spring 2006 based on the revised opening date. n Volunteers were expect-ed to cover the majority of staffing needs, so recruit-ing and training began. (Jay Brown, Shirley Fick and I started volunteering in August 2006, the only ones still active.)n Bus groups had booked trips for 2006 and were offered the chance to see construction. About 80 percent accepted, and the route underground was decided each day based on saltcrete pours.n We rented two yellow port-a-pots for five years and additional units for events. They were trans-ported topside weekly for cleaning.

IF ONLY WE HAD KNOWN THEN...n The Board might have never started the project if they had known how real-ly difficult it would be. n No matter what the Uni-form Commercial Codes or any engineer or archi-tect say, DO NOT install aluminum parts in a salt mine. They will corrode (not rust) and must all be replaced.n We were unique. No other facility in North America has faced the same challenges posed

by mechanical engineer-ing and communication installations in an under-ground salt mine open to the public. Above-ground applications may not work. This fact resulted in multiple delays and exten-sive unexpected costs. n The Fire Chief can be – and is – our friend and ally.n Contractors should be shown once, told twice, and checked on three times about leaving gaps for the movement of salt.n Our visitors buy souve-nirs in the gift shop, not

NEW SIGN FOR STRATACA

16

(Continued from page 15)

Lessonslearned

eclectic home decorating items.n Volunteers do not work weekends or hol-idays. (There are a few exceptions.) An attraction requiring a specific ratio of staff to visitors needs paid employees held account-able under an employee policy.n The original budget was based on 100,000 annual visitors. The first seven months attracted 43,000 rather than the budgeted 69,000. n A temporary occupan-cy permit is sometimes issued when a building opens. You need to apply for a permanent occupancy per-mit shortly after opening.n Back-up parts are expensive to stock but can be priceless—such as the $700 fuse that blew the day before our busiest weekend of the year. We had to remain closed.n The main draw is the chance to go under-

ground. Most visitors do not see what we know couldn't be finished or started due to funds running out.n We are a seasonal attraction. Staffing and budget must follow suit.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

– Vivian Greene

So we DANCED! Be-cause waiting meant drowning!n We cut the budget based on 100,000 vis-itors to 85,000 and on

to 54,000. The only expenses safe from cuts were hoist maintenance and utilities.n We cut staff

positions, not just employees. Duties

were distributed, mean-ing more hours but not more pay. n To generate revenue, a Scout Overnight Un-derground was held on

December 8, 2007. Addi-tional overnights quickly sold out, and staff took turns spending the night in addition to their regular work week.n A fire protection engi-neer was hired in 2008 to evaluate our fire safety and life protection sys-tems. The final document was approved by the State Fire Marshal and local Fire Chief in February 2012, four long years – and additional expense – later. Permanent occu-pancy was approved.n Winter days were staffed by four managers who drew straws when visitors arrived. Short straw “won” to go under-ground!n We opened evenings with free admission for registered voters when the City Council changed the quarter-percent sales tax allocation to include us. Ap-proved overwhelmingly in 2008, our five percent pro-vides us with approximately $100,000 per year which goes toward marketing.

THE SALT MINE EXPRESS TRAIN OPENS FOR RIDES ON MARCH 16, 2011.

we dancedbecause

waiting meantdrowning

17

n We purchased a used train (engine and three cars) in July 2009, and started retrieving rails and ties from the mine to build an underground train ride. Our hope? "Build it and they will come." Lack-ing funds for additions, we asked donors to con-tribute to the "Salt Circle." We raised $28,100. The cost was $40,800 plus thousands of hours of staff labor. It opened on March 16, 2011. n For five years, I called the unfinished under-ground bathroom complex my "pipe dream" as pipe stubs were all we had. We kicked off another "Salt Circle" and started running supply lines in January 2012. Donors contributed $31,500 toward the $81,000 cost, and bathrooms opened in late March. Motto? “Build it and they will GO!”(photo pg 18)n Murder in the Mine dinner theatres changed from fancy dinners to buf-fet-style BBQ with regular dates each year—and sold out time after time.n Our line of credit bal-ance was $345,000 in December 2008. It was only $34,000 in Decem-ber 2010, paid off shortly after, and has remained zero to this day.

NOW WHAT?n A geology badge was added to some scout over-nights in 2012. A mining badge will be added soon.n We hired a new market-ing agency to change our

image to being an adven-ture rather than a muse-um. STRATACA was born on June 1, 2013!n More dollars are still needed for marketing to reach more people and increase attendance.n Our events are highly

successful but handled by the same staff

needed for dai-ly operations. Our goal: more visitors = higher revenue = budget

for more staff.n The new Salt Safari

Mine Adventure, a rug-ged trek into the mine, opened in November 2013 – another new revenue stream, yet again, using the same staff.n Grants have been received from Shell Oil to begin design and devel-opment of a real geology exhibit with a total cost of

$385,000. It will be the fo-cus of our next Salt Circle.n Progress continues in the Miner's Life exhibit, including a trash cube, “Dirty Jobs” vehicle, video of current miners, and military artifacts.n Snacks and bottled wa-ter are now offered for sale underground as visitors are now lingering longer in the galleries where new items are continually added.n A small topside gift shop has been added for those who cannot go underground or just need a gift.n We’re raising money for the "Boom Room" that will simulate the experience of standing at the mine face during a blast!n Our corner sign has been updated to feature the new STRATACA logo.n A grant has been submitted to fund paint-

THE ATTIC, A TOP-

SIDE GIFT SHOP

SHOWN BELOW,

OFFERS A VARIETY

OF MEMENTOS.

pipe dreamturns into

undergroundbathrooms

(See page 18)

“D

18

ONLY THE PIPE STUBSPOPULATED THE WOULD-BE UNDER-GROUND BATHROOM COMPLEX FOR YEARS BEFORE ITS COMPLE-TION IN MARCH.

h

(Continued from page 17)

ing our exterior that has taken a "salt and wind" beating and needs rust attention.

“Success consists of going from failure to failure with-out loss of enthusiasm.”

– Winston Churchill

This sign has been on my wall as long as I can remember. I prefer to think that we have moved from challenge to chal-lenge. Frederick Douglass said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." That being true, we must be on the road to huge success!

“D

19

(See related story, “KOURTNEY,” on page 24)

Linda SchmittExecutive Director,

Reno County Historical

Society

o what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”

– Walt Disney

If you google “customer service quotes,” you will find hundreds of exam-ples, some more than a thousand years old. And they all emphasize the im-portance of the consumer. Competition is so in-tense today for all prod-ucts and services that we have almost limitless choices. First impressions often make all the differ-ence in what we choose.

KEY TO SUCCESS Books are written about customer relations, cours-es are taught, degrees are issued, and training is offered because great service is paramount if a business is to succeed. At Strataca we always put customer service first. From the first phone inquiry until the guest leaves the parking lot, we do everything possible to ensure that each visitor feels informed, safe and valued. If for some reason they don’t, we go the extra mile to make it right.

WE’RE WORTH IT! Recently this was proven by the selection of Strataca by FlipKey, an affiliate of TripAdvisor, for inclusion in its “50 States Series, Top Museums Worth Traveling For.”

Strataca was chosen largely based on scores of positive customer reviews. Until the list was pub-lished online, we didn’t even realize we were being considered. TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel web-site, boasting 260 million users a week and more than 100 million Internet users. Everyone at Strataca loves being recognized for

providing an incredible underground adventure. We are true believers in the following quote from Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO: “We see our customers as invited guests to a par-ty, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer ex-perience a little bit better.”

______________

Check out all the honorees at: http://www.flipkey.com/

blog/2014/03/17/50-states-series-top-muse-

ums-worth-traveling-for/

Strataca named one of thetop museums worth visiting

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Preserving Reno County

Treasures new program series, introduced this year by the Reno County Muse-um, is already half over!

As of this writing, three of our six programs have come to pass, and we are looking ahead to the final three! We conceived of Reno County Trea-sures: Talks, Tips, & Treats as a way to reach out to Reno

County citizens and teach them a little more about caring for their family treasures as well as give them an opportunity to enjoy delicious treats and show off some of their favorite things. Coming up next are: On August 14 “No Dog Ears Allowed!” will be a workshop on book care and repair. Participants must RSVP to the Reno County Museum and pay

to participate as we will be providing materials and instructions for repairing your treasured books! On October 28 we’re putting on a Halloween party with “Dragons, Gar-goyles, & Cauldrons!” Bring your creepy collect-ibles along! And to “wrap” up the year, “Christmas Orna-ments: Past & Present” will focus on caring for and showing off your favorite Christmas tree ornaments and holiday décor.

GOOD START In February our first program was “Whatev-er Happened to Cousin Phil? Saving Family Photos.” We are proud to offer it as a permanent addition to our collection of educational programs for interested groups. Our second program,

“Hello Dolly! Have Some Tea!” was a smash hit in April, drawing nearly 40 guests. We served iced tea, dainty tea cookies, and showed off antique dolls from the 19th and 20th centuries from our collection. Our guests

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IN OUR “HEROES, HELMETS & HOL-STERS” PROGRAM, TIPS WERE GIVEN ON HOW TO AVOID MOTH DAMAGE AND CORRO-SION AS IN THIS MILI-TARY CAP. A DETAIL OF THE CORROSION IS VISIBLE BELOW.(1986.23.42)

THE DAMAGED TIN-TYPE AT RIGHT AP-PEARS TO HAVE BEEN “DOCTORED” ON THE COMPUTER TO HIGHLIGHT THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE MIDDLE. SCANNING A DAMAGED PHOTO CAN HELP PRESERVE AND IMPROVE IT.(1991.48.48)

By Linda Schmitt, RCHS Executive Director

THOSE IN THE PHOTO PRESERVATION CLASS WERE ABLE TO TAKE HOME A PHOTO-HAND-LING KIT: ARCHIVAL PHOTO BOX, COTTON GLOVES, AND PHOTO-SAFE PENCIL AND POCKETS.

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s an (ahem) older worker myself, of course, I heartily concur with this statement! Strataca was in the news for receiving the Kansas Department of Commerce Employer of the Older Worker award April 24 in Topeka. Below are comments made about Strataca at the ceremony:

Outstanding Employer of the Older Worker –Reno County Historical Society: Strataca Strataca is the Kansas Underground Salt Muse-

um, an attraction that is 650 feet below ground in an active salt mine and is part of the Reno County Historical Society. Approxi-mately 50,000 visitors tour the mine each year. Strataca has an excel-lent record of promoting, recruiting and retaining older workers. Of the 36 staff, 27 are older work-ers, including most of the organization’s leadership. The museum offers flexible work hours and provides staff training that reflects the strengths and interests of each employee. Strata-ca’s commitment to older

workers is also important to its young employees who witness the work eth-ic and energy of their older counterparts as they work together.

We are very proud of this designation and of our many mature employ-ees and volunteers!

ON HAND TO ACCEPT THE AWARD WERE, FROM LEFT, DOCENT RALPH HACKLER; OPERATIONS MANAG-ER TONYA GEHRING; DIRECTOR OF OPERA-TIONS GAYLE FER-RELL; AND DOCENT PATTIE BELDEN.

Big Dividends

brought their dolls along and, in a few cases, even dressed up like dolls themselves! Most recently, our military antiques pro-gram, “Heroes, Helmets, & Holsters,” drew in a handful of participants to talk about their service and the helmets, uniforms and other items they keep from that time. Some of the interesting helmets, hats, patches and swords from artifact storage were also brought in for the evening. “Reno County Trea-sures: Talks, Tips, & Treats” is one more way the Reno County Museum is helping you keep your stories alive!

DOLL LOVERS WERE ABLE TO INSPECT THE

MUSEUM’S DOLLS CLOSELY WHILE CURA-TOR ASHLEY MAREADY

DESCRIBES THEM.

...from hiring older workers

Ctony withrow, above, winner in the 18+ age cate-gory, shows off his drawing of super-man vs batman.

top right, rchs executive direc-tor linda schmitt helps two boys register for the drawing.

middle right, rchs board member laura snyder helps a young girl with a whirly-gig at the old-fashioned games area.

at right, vibrant chalk art comes alive as these young artistswork intently ontheir creations.

Chalkfest 2014 halk it up to Kansas weather, but after a cold and rainy April, RCM finally had its 2014 Chalk Fest on May 15. About 100 chalk artists were able to enjoy a fun evening of old-fashioned games, bubbles and, of course, chalk drawing!

Congratulations to this year’s winners:Ages 1-5: Carson WhiteAges 6-11: Anna CullensAges 12-17: Steven HayseAges 18+: Tony Withrow

Thanks to all our vol-unteers: Richard Ewing, Laura Snyder, Karen Fager, Mae Boggs, Mike Massie and Richard Shank. Also thanks to judges: Richard Shank, Myron Marcotte and Aaron Napier.

We really appreciate the support that the following businesses have shown with their generous dona-tions: Strataca, Skateland, Fazoli’s, Wendy’s, Hast-ings and Advertising Spe-cialties and Design. Steven Rousey provided wonderful entertainment

for the evening. And thanks to Ad Astra Per Aspera Broadcasting who came out for a live remote. Thanks to everyone for coming out. We hope to see you all again next year!

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AT STRATACA’S BOOTH, CHIEF CURATOR ASHLEY MAREADY, DECKED OUT IN LOUISE BELCHER BUNNY EARS, STANDS BEHIND A CHUNK OF THE EERIE “KRYPTONITE SALT.”

Strataca @

SmallvilleComicCon

he first annual Small- ville ComicCon was held in Hutchinson on June 21 and 22! My better half, Mike Massie, and I ran a booth for Strataca at the con-vention on the Kansas State Fairgrounds. The ComicCon was a smash hit, drawing in about 2,500 people and 60 exhibitors. Many people came costumed as their favorite comic book superheroes or supervil-lains, and there was even a costume contest.

IN THE SPIRIT On Saturday I got into the costume fun by play-ing Louise Belcher, my favorite character from “Bob’s Burgers,” a cartoon sitcom. Booths were devoted to comic books (of course!), costume pieces, jewelry, video games, toys and art. The Strataca booth fea-tured information about the museum, our upcom-ing events and programs, such as the Salt Safari Adventure, Murder in the Mine dinner theatres, and Hunt for Red Rocktober.

SPECIAL OFFERS We offered a special weekend admission deal to ComicCon participants. A ComicCon wristband was good for free gallery admission to Strataca for Saturday and Sunday only, so visitors could see the movie costumes and

props in the Underground Vaults & Storage exhibit. But the highlight of the Strataca booth was a piece of “Kryptonite salt!” We displayed a nice chunk of clear rock salt, lit from beneath by a spe-cial green light bulb, and housed in a black box to enhance its eerie glow. I warned all the Supermen we encountered to be cau-tious and stay back! This was a unique opportunity to promote Strataca to a different crowd, and to entice some new visitors underground to see what we have to offer! The success of this year’s Smallville Comic-Con has ensured that there will be another one next year. And we can’t wait!

By Ashley Maready, RCHS Chief Curator

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(Read about Strataca’s recognition

for outstandingcustomer service

on page 19.)

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n June we said, “Good bye and good luck” to Kourtney Krehbiel who had served as Director of Visitor Services at Strata-ca. Kourtney has been the voice and face of ultimate customer service – first part-time for three years, then full-time for three more years. When she graduated from Kansas State Univer-sity, she was not sure how she wanted to use her degree. We gladly offered her full-time employment until she figured it out. Each year she was told that when she found an opportunity to use her de-gree in a way she wanted, we would be both glad for her and very sad for us. Little did I know when I said it again three weeks ago that her opportunity was on the horizon. She is going to work for the De-partment of Children and

Families located in South Hutchinson. The managers at Strata-ca are fully aware that Kourtney played an in-strumental part in estab-lishing and developing our

reputation for impeccable customer service – and she leaves some pretty big shoes to fill. Someone else will do her job, but no one will replace her.

Goodbye good luck!&

By Gayle Ferrell, KUSM Director of Operations

KOURTNEY KREH-

BIEL HAMS IT UP

FOR THE CAMERA

WITH HER POSI-

TIVE ATTITUDE

AND “PROGRES-

SIVE” CUSTOMER

SERVICE!

RENO COUNTY MUSE-UM’S NEW WEBSITE, DE-SIGNED BY LOGICMAZE OF HUTCHINSON, HAS IT ALL! EASY TO USE, THE SITE FEATURES COLOR-FUL IMAGES AND UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON EVENTS, PROGRAMS, EX-HIBITS AND EVERYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE MUSEUM. VISIT US AT WWW.RENOCOMUSEUM.ORG.

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trataca Citizens and Reno County Museum StoryKeepers – we thank you for your support!*New member

STRATACA CITIZENS

PickersMargaret and Elwin Cabbage*Helen Rosenblad

DiggersLarry and Marilyn Bolton*Jan and David Hickman*Del and Carol HueskeTom and Kyle PhilbeckDr. & Mrs. David and Nancy RichmanSam and Judy Ontjes

BlastersMartha FeeTucker and Nation MeyerMerl Sellers

MinersBoeing Company for Prevost

General DonorsGladys S. BosKaren Hall Orr

RCM STORYKEEPERS

CaretakersMargaret and Elwin CabbageJudith Mielke*Helen Rosenblad

RestorersMartha FeeDan and Georgia Maxwell

GuardiansTucker and Nation MeyerMerl Sellers

General Donors / In-kind DonationsAbe’s Tree RemovalAdvertising Specialties and DesignGladys S. BosDillon StoresFazoli’sHastingsKaren Hall OrrSkatelandStratacaWalmartBogey’s h

ong-time friend, sup- porter, and member of the Reno County His-torical Society, William D. “Bill” Rexroad passed away at 81 years of age on May 6, 2014. For many years, Bill was the plant manager of the Carey Salt Company. He was also the founder and president of Electrex Inc., an electrical harness wiring company. He was also a 33-year member of the Hutchin-son Symphony, a story-teller, an entertainer, and the author of 13 pub-lished books. An avid fan of the creation of the Kansas Underground Salt Muse-um (now Strataca), Bill videoed many Carey Salt miners’ histories.

Thanks to all those who contributed to the Reno County Historical Societyin memory of Bill:

Elizabeth AndrewsSusan & Roger BylerElwin and Margaret CabbageHugh CarterCircles of Hope Reno County, Board, volunteers and participantsLisa & Elza ClarkMary ClineDale ConklingLogan & Cara DaterRoger & Pam DaterBob & Jan DurbinKen & Fifi EckroteBeulah FosterRichard & Karen FulkDuane & Nettie GrahamEldon & Barbara GrayGaylon & Ruby GreenSarah FriesenRandy Henderson

Vernon & Margo ImesKansas Glass: Pam Heimerman, Jeff & Brenda PennickJohnnie & Cindy KogerLawrence Chamber of Commerce: Directors and staffMyrna MoormanKarin RexroadDavid & Rose RobinsonDon & Karla, Mike & Connie RumbackJack & Arvilla SampsonRon & Laverle SchragRet. Col. & Mrs. M.S. ShafferCharles SheppardRobert & Laura SidlingerLouis & Donna SlusserJohn & Barbara SummervillSharon & Frank TammenJames & Betty TaylorMary Al TitusSandra VandevanderDonna & Larry WelchKeith & Barbara Zody h

Thank you!

In memory of Bill …

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STRATACAHOURS

9 am–6 pm Tues–Sat1–6 pm Sunday

closed Mondays

last tour departs at 4 pm

advance reservations strongly recommended

allow about two hours for your adventure

SALT BLAST PASSour best deal

includes gallery tour,dark ride (both handi-

capped-accessible) and train ride:

adults: $19seniors (60+), AAA

and active military: $17children (4-12): $12.50

reno county residents: $14

strataca citizens: $7

children under 4 not admitted

due to mine safetyregulations.

pricing availableto add only dark ride

or train ride togallery admission.

all prices include sales tax.

special pricing forgroups over 28 and school groups witharrangements made

one week in advance.

3650 e. avenue g (at airport road)

hutchinson, ks 67501

620-662-1425toll-free 866-755-3450

underkansas.org

Murder in the Mineinteractive Mystery dinner theatre

$55 per person / $400 for table of 8Doors open at 5 p.m.Last trip underground: 6:15 p.m.Must be 18 years or older due to adult humor

Should you attend, we promise to deliver murder, mayhem and hilariousmadness. Make your reservations soon as these events fill up quickly.

August 23: “A Very Brady Murder”Come and learn the real story behind that nice Brady family. And you thought they were such sweet kids!

December 12: “I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus”What’s that Mommy up to? Is she naughty? Or is she nice?? You’ll have to be there to find out what happensin this merry Christmas spoof.

salt safari Mine adventure

Select Fridays and Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m.Limit: 20 hikersMust be 13 years or olderAdvance online reservations requiredThis challenging, rugged hike will explore raw areas of the mine, cover many miles, and last up to three hours. Hike is not handicapped-accessible.

For details and reservations for all events:underkansas.org

620-662-1425 or 866-755-3450

spaghetti Westerndinner & Music

Sunday, September 213 to 7 p.m. $35 per personStrataca UndergroundHear the Diamond W Wranglers sing selections from all your favorite “spa-ghetti westerns” while you enjoy deli-cious spaghetti!

hunt for red rocktober

Saturday, October 43 to 6 p.m.$25 per personStrataca UndergroundSearch for that elusive perfect red salt rock! Must be at least 13 years old.

CHECK OUT STRATACA ATTRACTIONS ON BACK COVER.

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RCM on the Road…CoMes hoMe

From 2011 to 2012, RCM travelled to 14 Reno County communities to display artifacts from those towns. The exhibits stayed up for six months. Now we are bringing this exhibit back to Hutchin-son for all to see. Also we are accepting photographs of current and historical items relating to any of the Reno County cities. We’ll display them along with this exhibit.

RENO COUNTY MUSEUM

EVENTS & EXHIBITS

RENO COUNTYMUSEUM HOURS

9 am–5 pm tues-Fri

11-5 saturday

closed sunday

and monday

free admission

unless

otherwise

noted

100 S. Walnut

620-662-1184

tough, Rough & Ready: Reno County tools a-ZThis tool-tally awesome exhibit displays an amaz-ing variety of tools that built Reno Countyfrom the ground up.

a Peek InsIde Reno County’s JewelRy Box

From rhinestones to fine gold, see what adornment Reno Countians have been wearing from themid-1880s through the 1960s.

see these stickpins in reno county’s “jewelry box.”

email us snapshots

of your community

and we will post

them along with

the “on the road”

exhibit. send to:

lynn@renocomuse-

um.org.

fhaIl to the hall: 100 yeaRs of ConventIon hall This exhibit traces the history of Hutchinson’s historic Convention Hall and officially displays the items from the Conven-tion/Memorial Hall 1911 time capsule box.

tRansPoRtatIon galleRy See the Schuttler wag-on, an Amish buggy, the Indian motorcycle, sidecar and much more.

EXHIBITS

Reno County tReasuRes: talks, tIPs, & tReatsThese fun, informal work-shops will focus on educa-tion and preservation with show-and-tell and treats! (See related story, page 20)

August 14 – No Dog Ears Allowed: Book repair and preservation, 7-9 p.m. ($15; registration required)

October 28 – Dragons, Gargoyles, & Cauldrons: 7-9 p.m. ($)

December 6 – Trimming the Tree: Ornaments Past & Present: 1-2:30 p.m.

old-fashIoned ChRIstMasDecember 13, 10-noonCreate some crafty, cheery holiday gifts. ($1.50 per child for crafts)

CookIe deCoRatIngDecember 18, 5:30-7:30Time to pile on icing, sug-ar crystals and sprinkles.

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this little guy will join us for the octo-ber program, “drag-ons, gargoyles & cauldrons” in octo-ber. he was donated to our collection by phyllis hopper in 2005.

reno county historical societyp.o. box 664hutchinson, kansas 67504-0664

return service requested

THE ONLY CONSTANTIN THIS MINE IS CHANGE

PAGE 4

If your address changes, please call us at 620-662-1184.

The ShaftSee this engineering mar-vel that houses the six-ton double-decker hoist that transports visitors 650’ below ground.

StratadomeIntriguing and palatial, experience the grandeur of this vaulted salt room. Play in the Permian Playground filled with a variety of hands-on salt.Salt secrets exposed!

Mining GallerySee the Myron-mobile, a post-apocalyptic looking car driven by Mike Rowe, the host of the TV show “Dirty Jobs.” Discover modern day mining prac-tices versus mining in the past. Find out what a day in the life of a miner is really like.

Harry’s Habitat(Dr. Vreeland’s Fluid In-clusion Exhibit) The world’s oldest living organism, nearly 250 million years old and once encapsulated inside a salt crystal, is a resident of Strataca. Learn about its discoverers, Dr. Russell Vreeland and his team.

Salt Mine ExpressThis 15-minute train ride is a narrated, guided tour through a part of the mine that was active in the 1940s and ‘50s.

The Dark RideYour personal guide de-livers fascinating informa-tion on a 30-minute tram ride where you experience true “mining dark” and collect your souvenir piece of salt.

GE Engine No. 2One of only three such engines ever built, it is now on display outside of Strataca. Built in 1919, the train ran along a short railway line from 1928 to 1963 that provided switching services for the Carey plant and mine.

The Iodine Deficiency and Disorder StoryExplore the efforts of Kiwanis International and UNICEF in using salt to combat the devastating effects of iodine deficiency.

The Story of Under-ground Vaults & StorageView costumes and props from your favorite movies in this exhibit focusing on a unique underground storage business.

STRATACA ATTRACTIONS

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EXHIBITS AND EVENTS AT OUR MUSEUMS, SEE PAGES 26-27.