Ensor Museum - Ensor Park and Museum

Ensor Museum
Tour Guide Information
18995 W. 183rd St.
Olathe, Kansas 66062
913-592-4141
www.ensorparkandmuseum.org
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TIMELINE of EVENTS leading to the present Ensor Park and Museum
1875 Bill Mc Cabe built a Cabin on the 80 acres of land he bought from the state of Kansas for $750.00.
1889 The North Barn construction was started.
1890 Work on the Main House was started.
1891 Bill Mc Cabe died of pneumonia. There were other owners before the Ensors bought.
1896 The center part of the Cow Barn construction was begun.
1898 Jacob F. Ensor and Ida DeVillebis were married and moved to Johnson County, Kansas from Maryland. Their first leased farm was
near what is now 87th and Antioch.
1899 Marshall Hamilton Ensor was born.
1900 The center part of the Cow Barn was finished.
1900 First phase of main House construction was completed by owner Mr. Bill Smith.
1904 Loretta Ensor was born April 22.
1909 Jacob and Ida Ensor purchased the 120 acre farm property for $12,000.
1910 The North Basement was finished with a concrete floor.
1910 Marshall started woodworking. His cousin gave him a hand scroll saw that he used to craft miniature furniture items from cigar box
wood.
1912-16 The front and back Porches were added, as well as the extended Bay Windows on the west.
1915 Marshall designed and built the Kitchen Cabinet from tree wood of the farm. It was entered in a national high school woodwork contest
sponsored by the SIMOND SAW COMPANY. Of 1000 entries, he won the first prize, a Woodworkers Tool set worth over $35.00.
1916 Marshall built a communications Spark Gap Radio. It was battery operated.
1917 Marshall graduated from the Olathe High School where he had become a paid teaching assistant.
1918 Marshall was hired to teach the High School Industrial Arts. He also graduated from the Sweeney Automotive School and attended
Kansas State Teachers College part time.
1920s The farm Machine Shed was built.
1921 Marshall formed a Radio Club and Leon Harris was a Charter Member.
1922 The Radio Station 9BSP was licensed at the home. The radio used batteries in the basement and was located in the kitchen. An 80 ft.
tower just East of the driveway held the far end of the “Cage” antenna.
1922Loretta played ‘center’ on the girls basketball team during junior and senior years. She won a Silver Cup for her performance.
1923Loretta graduated from Olathe High School, and passed the FCC 1st Class Radio exam to become 9UA, and the Trustee of the first
School Radio Station in Kansas.
1924 Loretta using her W9UA call was one of the first American stations to contact Buenos Aires station CB8 during the Pan American Tests.
(QST 8/24).
1925 Marshall began building the radio Room onto the house at the East side of the kitchen.The wood, windows, and door came from the
dismantled Eureka Baptist Church at 175th and Pflumm.
1926 Loretta became the first American woman’s voice to span the Pacific Ocean in contact with a New Zealand station.
1927In the United States ’W’ prefix was added to radio calls. Thus, 9BSP and 9UA become 9BSP and W9UA.
1929 A 2nd modified 80 foot tall Windmill Towers became support for the 246 foot 160 + Meter wire antenna for teaching Radio Lessons.
1929 A new powerful transmitter was built and Marshall began using it to teach radio listeners the Morse code and radio theory so they also
could become Amateur Radio Operators. The American Radio Relay League sanctioned the work. Only a few stations did this free effort to
gain operators.
1930 Marshall married schoolteacher and librarian, Miss Ina Dana. They lived on Elm St.
1930 Marshall built the Concrete Stairs to the basement.
1932 Marshall earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State Teachers College, Pittsburg KS.
1935 Commercial electric lines came to the farm. W9BSP became 500 watts in a handsome cabinet.
1936 William S. Paley, of CBS Radio Network, began the special Amateur Radio Awards program.
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1937 Marshall used several power line transformers (pole pigs) to get 2400 volts to power his new ‘handmade’ 1000 watt Transmitter.
1937 Marshall designed and built the first automated Sports Scoreboard used at Olathe High School.
1937Marshall designed and manufactured a Drill Press, later patented and sold. Black & Decker produced it.
1941 Assistant secretary, A. L. Budlong of The American Radio Relay League informed Marshall Ensor by mail on February 18, of his
nomination to receive the William S. Paley award of 1940 for his 10 years of teaching thousands.
1941 The Olathe Chamber of Commerce, on May 27, gave a dinner in honor of Marshal Ensor’s winning the Paley award.
1941 On June 2, Marshall Ensor received the 1940 William S. Paley Award at a luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. He
and Loretta Ensor because she helped, were flown there on a TWA airliner.
1942 Marshall Ensor suffered severe injuries including fractured skull, pelvis, and arm when he fell while coming down a ladder from the
gymnasium roof where he had just installed a new antenna for the high school’s radio transmitter. His recovery, after eight weeks, was
complete.
1943 Marshall became Chief Electronics Officer at the Naval Air Station in Seattle, Washington. He taught radio operators and oversaw
repairs of aircraft radios. He was a Lt Commander.
1946 Marshall returned to Olathe, Kansas and his teaching job at the High School.
1953 For the next several years, students of Marshall’s classes won national awards in the FORD Industrial Arts Competition.
1954 Marshall and others organized the first Civil Defense group in Kansas at the Olathe City offices.
1959 The entire Woodworking Class at Olathe High School won national awards for various projects.
1963 Thomas Brown, one of Marshall’s wood students made a replica of the family rocking chair and it was accepted by the J. F. Kennedy
White House.
1965 Marshall H. Ensor retired from teaching and set out to put things in order around the farm so that some day it might become a place
where others could see what farm life, teaching career, and early Amateur Radio was like.
1969 In October, during the halftime of the football game between Olathe and Ottawa High Schools, Dr. Melvin Winters, superintendent of
schools named the Athletic Field after Marshall H. Ensor. The Olathe Naval Base assisted in the ceremony.
1970 On Feb. 26, after 70 years of farm life, 46 years of school teaching, 3 years in the Navy and 54 years of amateur radio operation,
Marshall H. Ensor died after a short illness.
1973 Loretta did not renew her Amateur Radio License for another 10 year period, content to have operated for 50 years.
1987 After considerable planning, the Ensor Farm was deeded over to Johnson County Kansas. Loretta Ensor was able to keep living on the
farm even after it became a Museum. After a length of time and operating disagreements, Loretta got a legal withdrawal of the agreement
with Johnson County and regained ownership. She then decided to operate the Ensor Museum with aid of hired help. She assigned 3 long
time family friends and a bank to become controlling Trustees upon her death, and continued living out her life within her museum home.
She showed guests around the historic site with pride. Loretta Ensor continued being her gracious self and from time to time gave interviews
as well as attended social events.
1991 Loretta was plagued with deforming arthritis and aided by using a cane. Upon her death in 1991 the long enduring story of two
generations of the Ensor Farm Family came to a close. Not to be forgotten, the memories are kept alive at the ENSOR PARK and MUSEUM.
1995 The Museum re-opened as the non profit Ensor Farmsite and Museum operated by Trustees.
2004The Museum property was accepted as a Kansas Historic Place and then approved as a National Historic Site.
2006 The City of Olathe worked with the nearly insolvent Loretta Ensor Trust to assume ownership and operation of the Historic site.
2007 Tour guides were chosen by the manager to have more knowledge about the Radio history.
______________________________________________
The source of the above information was gleaned from periodic newspaper interviews, Ensor scrapbook, contact with museum staff, and
verbal recorded interview of Loretta Ensor in 1988.
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Ensor-W9BSP 2013-1-05 KW Log
RETURN TO AIR 1937 XMITTR
CALL
K0ARA
W0NKL
K0DAN
AC0QK
KD0BKH
N0LL
N0TEK
WA0DTH
WA0JRD
WA0YCY
WD0ESF
N0UNI
WB0ZNY
KB0PPQ
WQ0P
N0LLH
K0VGD
KD0EZS
K0EQH
N0QMQ
KS0DR
KG0SI
WA0VJR
W9BFO
KA8MMI
KB4BML
K5IIA
WD5BZO
N4HZ
KC5CQW
KI0KK
K0OJ
KJ9T
AB9MQ
N8YHP
K4EGK
K0TQ
K0GPX
K9DOG
W5GW
K0NK
N0TU
WV9R
K8DE
N2ZAB
W0AVE
N3HQB
KF0OW
NW0I
N2AUG
KC3CH
N8XPK
K0EM
WB8DNO
K9GAS
KD5NOI
K9EYE
KC9RFN
K8BTT
K9YII
N0ENO
KC9IEQ
KC9HFR
KC0NUG
W0CLR
AA9AN
K9HVI
W4AAB
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MODE QSO_DATE TIME_ON TIME_OFF COMMENT
AM
20130106
10612
10612 > MICHAEL A KRAHENBUHL - KANSAS CITY - MO - 4535 NE KELSEY RD
AM
20130106
10838
10838 > JAMES C SHOEMAKER - FT SCOTT - KS - 16 SCOTT AVE
AM
20130106
11218
11218 > DANIEL TURKISHER - RAYMORE - MO - 1402 N PRAIRIE LN
AM
20130106
11409
11409 > RALPH S DAVIS - KANSAS CITY - MO - 5009 PEBBLE AVE
AM
20130106
11437
11437 > EDWIN A RUST II - KANSAS CITY - KS - 1906 NORTH 82ND ST
AM
20130106
11554
11554 > LARRY J LAMBERT - SMITH CENTER - KS - 405 SHELTON DR
AM
20130106
11728
11728 > THEODORE E KNAPP - OLATHE - KS - 17928 W 158TH CT
AM
20130106
11842
11842 > TERRY K REIM - SPRING HILL - KS - 206 WEST NICHOLS
AM
20130106
11953
11953 > DANIEL J WRIGHT - LINCOLN - NE - 4926 HARTLEY STREET
AM
20130106
11953
11953 > GILBERT E LUDWIG - GARDNER - KS - 16484 BLAIR ST
AM
20130106
12000
12000 > MICHAEL D GREEN - MEDICINE LODGE - KS - 307 JEFFERSON
AM
20130106
12004
12004 > TODD A WILSON - HUTCHINSON - KS - 315 E 9TH
AM
20130106
12324
12324 > THOMAS A BITTNER - SHAWNEE MISSION - KS - 8040 NEWTON ST
AM
20130106
12434
12434 > CARY T HOUCHINS - KANSAS CITY - KS - 8710 HASKELL AVENUE
AM
20130106
12553
12553 > GREGORY A CERNY SR - BELVUE - KS - 209 BROADWAY
AM
20130106
12740
12740 > GREGORY W GEYER - BELOIT - KS - 1211 N CAMPBELL
AM
20130106
12820
12820 > ROBERT J SEIFERT - PELICAN RAPIDS - MN
AM
20130106
12910
12910 > MATT P MATTHES - TRIBUNE - KS - P.O.BOX 7
AM
20130106
13049
13049 > RODNEY R HOGG - SCOTT CITY - KS - 1206 SANTA FE
AM
20130106
13057
13057 > BOBBY L BLACK - BAZINE - KS - P.O.BOX 145
AM
20130106
13233
13233 > DON G RICHTER - OVERLAND PARK - KS - 15135 STEARNS PLACE
AM
20130106
13341
13341 > GAROLD J GOODALE JR - LAKEWOOD - CO - 5507 W VIRGINIA
AM
20130106
13444
13444 > RONALD L BUSSEN - WALLACE - KS - 221 Clark
AM
20130106
13847
13847 > JOHN A WARREN - MOUNT VERNON - IL - 2908 JAMISON
AM
20130106
14015
14015 > NEIL E DUNHAM - OLATHE - KS - 1405 S MONTEBELLO
AM
20130106
14451
14451 > CHARISSA A DUNHAM - OLATHE - KS - 1405 S MONTEBELLO
AM
20130106
14540
14540 > BRANDON L WILLIAMS - PEARL RIVER - LA - 67412 Jack Crawford Rd
AM
20130106
14649
14649 > DAVID L ADAMS - LITTLE ROCK - AR - 2521 S MAPLE ST
AM
20130106
14755
14755 > ROGER D DOWDY - MAYFIELD - KY - 770 HOPEWELL ROAD
AM
20130106
14940
14940 > DAMON R WASCOM - MAUMELLE - AR - P.O.BOX 13512
AM
20130106
15254
15254 > GREGORY A WOLFE - SPRING HILL - KS - 16535 W 202 TER
AM
20130106
15427
15427 > ORLIN D JENKINS - GREELEY - CO - 2101 5TH ST
AM
20130106
15651
15651 > JIMMY J ISOM - GRAND CHAIN - IL - P.O.BOX 101
AM
20130106
15924
15924 > MASAMICHI YAMAMOTO - WESTMONT - IL - 30 SOUTH WASHINGTON
AM
20130106
20344
20344 > DAVID R BENGER - ANSTED - WV - P.O.BOX 133
AM
20130106
20559
20559 > GARY R WARD - OLIVETTE - MO - 9621 OLD BONHOMME RD
AM
20130106
20910
20910 > MICHAEL J BRUNGARDT - NORTH VERNON - IN - 2900 N COUNTY ROAD 600 W
AM
20130106
21250
21250 > GERALD G PARKER - CASSELTON - ND - 351 12TH AVENUE NORTH
AM
20130106
21523
21523 > CHARLES SAULKA - PROSPECT HEIGHTS - IL - 648 CONCORD WAY
AM
20130106
21734
21734 > GARY A WHITE - MOUNTAIN CITY - TX - 112 POPLAR DR
AM
20130106
21947
21947 > JAMES E ANDERA - GARDNER - KS - 506 S CENTER
AM
20130106
22112
22112 > MICHAEL D STEWART - LENEXA - KS - 8582 CEDAR NILES ROAD
AM
20130106
22811
22811 > RAYMOND D MOREHOUSE - TINLEY PARK - IN - 8436 BROOKPOINT COURT
AM
20130106
23754
23754 > DOUGLAS R ENSOR - ANN ARBOR - MI - 640 ADRIENNE LN
AM
20130106
24232
24232 > MARK L SHULMAN - PALM COAST - FL - 2 EAST PLACE
AM
20130106
24500
24500 > JAY H BURGHERR - OLATHE - KS - 14929 W 139TH STREET
AM
20130106
24620
24620 > WILLIAM C WANTZ - HAGERSTOWN - MD - 211 W IRVIN AVE
AM
20130106
24844
24844 > FRED C CHANDLER JR - GRAND JUNCTION - CO - 165 LITTLE PARK RD
AM
20130106
25206
25206 > JOHN J BAUERLY - OLATHE - KS - 303 SUNSET
AM
20130106
25327
25327 > RICHARD F TAYLOR - MORRIS PLAINS - NJ - 48 MILL RD
AM
20130106
25533
25533 > RANDALL E HYATT - Inverness - FL - 9909 E Lake Tahoe Dr
AM
20130106
25805
25805 > MARTIN A BAKER - AKRON - OH - 303 E LINWOOD AVE
AM
20130106
25903
25903 > DONALD E MASON - CARY - NC - 2904 COWLEY RD
AM
20130106
30850
30850 > JOSEPH H HOPSTER - CINCINNATI - OH - 3706 GLENDALE MILFORD RD
AM
20130106
30930
30930 > GERALD A SITTON - MARTINSVILLE - IN - 3953 E EDGEWOOD RD
AM
20130106
31405
31405 > JOHN M CRITZ - HATTIESBURG - MS - 2303 GLENDALE AVE.
AM
20130106
31554
31554 > PIERRE A BERUBE - CRYSTAL LAKE - IL - 611 ELSINOR LN
AM
20130106
31927
31927 > CARL D JONES - LAWRENCEBURG - IN - 16716 SCENIC DR
AM
20130106
32249
32249 > COLIN E COOPER - YPSILANTI - MI - 7983 LAKE CREST DR
AM
20130106
32447
32447 > FRED W RUSHING JR - ODIN - IL - 404 SOUTH MERRITT ST
AM
20130106
32552
32552 > RICHARD W BRITAIN - LENEXA - KS - 15904 W 79TH TER
AM
20130106
32645
32645 > CHRISTOPHER J FARLEY - SANDWICH - IL - 4625 E 2619TH RD
AM
20130106
33242
33242 > JOHN W DANA - RACINE - WI - 8130 CRYSTAL DR
AM
20130106
33738
33738 > CHARLES D SIMPSON - OVERLAND PARK - KS - 12609 PERRY ST
AM
20130106
34040
34040 > JERRY G GORRELL - BELTON - MO - 19712 QUAIL RIDGE
AM
20130106
34308
34308 > DANIEL M JORDAN - EVANSVILLE - IN - 27940 WELBORN RD
AM
20130106
35054
35054 > EDWARD D FOLZ SR - EVANSVILLE - IL - 1208 S BENNIGHOF
AM
20130106
35410
35410 > JOSEPH A CRAWFORD - PROSPECT - TN - 7695 BETHEL RD
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GRIDSQUARE
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EM27QU
EM28TT
EM29TA
EM29PC
EM09PS
EM28PV
EM28OS
EN10QU
EM28NU
EM07RH
EM18BB
EM28QX
EM29PD
EM19WG
EM09XL
EN16wp
DM98DL
DM98NL
EM08JL
EM28pu
DM79LR
DM98ev
EM58NH
EM28PV
EM28PV
EM50cj
EM34UR
EM56QS
EM34TU
EM28OS
DN70QK
EM57MG
EN61AT
EM98LD
EM48UQ
EM79da
EN16KW
EN62BC
EM10CC
EM28NU
EM28nx
EN61lm
EN82DG
EL99JM
EM28PV
FM19EQ
DM59qa
EM28OV
FN20SU
EL88ut
EN91GB
FM05or
EM79UH
EM69TK
EM51JH
EN52UF
EM79OD
EN82ef
EM58MP
EM28PX
EN51RQ
EN62CR
EM28QW
EM28ST
EM67EX
EM67GX
EM65AA
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