Mitchell County Tourism is opening up the Lil’ Red Schoolhouse for the season with two simple invitations: stop by on farmer market nights, and come back for Storytelling Nights on the last Wednesday of each month.

Open Houses Every Wednesday, 4–6 p.m.

During the Solomon Valley Farmer’s Market, the schoolhouse doors will be open. No tickets, no tour guide script, just walk in, sit at a wooden desk, and get a feel for what school was like when the whole county learned in buildings just like this.

It’s a quick, kid-friendly stop between the tomato stand and the homemade pies, and volunteers are there to welcome you and to answer questions about the building’s history in Mitchell County.

Storytelling Nights, 6–7 p.m. on the Last Wednesday

After the market packs up, the lights stay on for an hour of local history told by the people who know it best. All four nights are free, we provide refreshments, and built for all ages.

May 27 — Ghost Stories
Mitchell County Historical Museum Director Kyle Peterson kicked off the series with stories from one-room schoolhouses across the county: lightning strikes, prairie fires, and yes, a few hauntings.

June 24 — The Legend of Waconda
Retired teacher Barb Palen shares the old tale of a chief’s beautiful daughter and a wounded warrior from an opposing tribe. It’s part love story, part Solomon Valley origin myth, and it’s been passed down here for generations.

July 29 — A Day of School in 1910
Step back into 1910 with two “schoolmarms,” retired teachers Lucille Heller and Phyllis Shurts. They’ll run you through a real school day from more than a century ago. They may even declare a “dunce” of the group!

August 26 — Women’s Clubs and Cawker City
Cawker City Museum Director Steve Richardson closes the summer with two Kansas firsts: the story of the first public library in Kansas built by a women’s club, and the rich, quirky history of Cawker City itself.

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The Lil’ Red Schoolhouse sits right in the heart of our market evenings, so you don’t have to make a special trip, just wander over between 4 and 6, then grab a cookie and plan to stay late on the last Wednesday of the month.

Bring the kids, bring a neighbor, bring your curiosity. Mitchell County’s history isn’t locked behind glass here. It’s told out loud, in the same room where it was once taught.

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