CHECK OUT OUR FUTURE PLANS UNDER THE HERITAGE HALL TAB!!
Dedicated to the preservation and celebration of Frontenac’s coal mining history and distinct immigrant heritage.
In 1886, when the Santa Fe Railroad formed the Cherokee and Pittsburg Coal and Mining Company, Mine No. 1 was sunk and the mining camp of Frontenac was born. Huge waves of immigrants arrived on the Kansas prairie from countries across Europe and the British Isles to work in the coalfields. The men and women who established this place possessed a unique, blend of self-reliance, fortitude, and grit – part of a colorful collective of diverse cultures, traditions, and customs, bound together by hard work, and charity to others. Their legacy lives in the generations that followed and in the immigrant stories that are part of the vibrant history of Southeast Kansas.
Heritage Hall began with the return of the Frontenac Summer Homecoming festival in 2016, when a group of volunteers decided to assemble a small display to showcase our history to the community and festival attendees. Over the years, the small display has turned into an enormous collection that allows visitors to step back in time to discover life in an early Southeast Kansas coal town. The collection holds thousands of images and historical artifacts that reflect on our rich coal mining history and distinct cultural heritage.
Frontenac Public Library
Future Home:
200 E. McKay Street
Temporary Location:
313 E. McKay Street,
Frontenac, KS 66763
(620)-231-9210
Library Hours
Monday-Friday
9:00am-6:00pm
Saturday-TBD
Sunday-Closed
