LASR.net Homepage




Menu

Ensor Farm Historical Site and Museum


category : Museums
Ensor Farm Historical Site and Museum The barn at the Ensor Farmsite and Museum was constructed in 1890 of rough sawed lumber and wooden pegged beams houses displays of various farm hand tools, school shop projects and other items reflecting the diverse interests of the Ensor family.

The architecture of the farmhouse built in 1892 is typical of middle income homes in this part of the country in the 1890s. The contents of the house range from antiques to handcrafted furniture constructed by Marshall Ensor in the 1920s and 1930s depicting styles of earlier times. Antique clothing worn by marshall and Loretta's mother as a child and other articles made by her as an adult are also on display.

The household utensils and appliances span an era of nearly one hundred years. Oil paintings and homemade quilts, also creations of Ida Ensor, give a homey atmosphere to this farmstead.

Marshall H. Ensor (1899-1970)

Marshall, the only son of Jacob and Ida Ensor, lived his entire life on this farm. However, he earned his living as a public school teacher in Olathe. Marshall began teaching industrial arts in 1915 and except for a period during World War II, he taught at Olathe High School until his retirement in 1965.

Marshall and his sister were both very active in amateur radio and operated a ham radio station for fifty years. In 1940, Marshall received the Paley Award. Each year, William S. Paley, the president of CBS radio, would honor one ham radio operator. Ensor became Paley's third and last winner for his efforts in teaching code lessons over his station for ten years, and for helping more than 10,000 listeners become proficient operators. The radio transmitter is still in the farmhouse kitchen as it has been since 1937.

Loretta Ensor (1904 - 1991)

Loretta was the only daughter of Ida and Jacob Ensor and lived in this house for eighty-three of her eighty-seven years. Loretta worked several years at the County Registrar's Office until a serious illness forced her to resign. When polio struck Jacob Ensor, Loretta took over tending the farm.

Loretta has left her farm for those of us who come after, so that we might see how things used to be. Loretta was proud of her family and wants us to appreciate how they worked to enrich their lives and to contribute to their community.


Hours: Open June-Sept., Fri.-Sun., 1-5 p.m. and by appointment. School tours and special events.
Address: 18995 W. 183rd St. (4 mi. south of Olathe, 1 mile east of 169 Hwy)
Phone: 913-592-4141
Our Website:www.ensorparkandmuseum.org

Come visit us in Olathe, Kansas

Attractions and Upcoming Events

The Prairie Center

The rich natural history of Kansas has been preserved with 300 acres of native tall grass prairie, woodlands and creeks. The diverse biomes comprise virgin tallgrass prairie, reseeded tallgrass prairie, riparian woodlands, and wetland areas. The center is a suburban island that was farmed until 1968

Olathe, KS Nature Centers

Ensor Farm Historical Site and Museum

The barn at the Ensor Farmsite and Museum was constructed in 1890 of rough sawed lumber and wooden pegged beams houses displays of various farm hand tools, school shop projects and other items reflecting the diverse interests of the Ensor family. The architecture of the farmhouse built in 1892

Olathe, KS Museums

William J. Mara Museum - KS School for the Deaf

The Kansas State School for the Deaf is the oldest state educational institution in the State of Kansas. The School was founded by Philip A. Emery, a deaf man who had been a teacher at the Indiana School for the Deaf from 1854 to 1860

Olathe, KS Museums

Whittaker Flower Farm

If You Love Flowers, You'll Love the Farm! Come to the Whittaker Flower Farm in Olathe, Kansas and you'll find a field of flowers...six acres, to be exact. Everything from old fashioned Zinnias to exotic Leonotis (Lion's Ear). Over 125

Olathe, KS Botanical Gardens

NASCART Indoor Racing

At NASCART indoor racing, you are behind the wheel of high performance karts! Since opening our facility in 2002

Olathe, KS Sports

Things to do Museums near Olathe, KS