The Seward County Historical Society started in 1961 with a visit of four men: Robert W. Baughman, Fred Hill, Lewis Eyman and Oliver Brown. All were very interested in seeing a museum started for the county to discover and preserve the history of the area, realizing so many of the early-day people were gone; and the day would soon come when no history could be established.

     In the study of organized historical societies, most have failed, if not tax supported, and a check of the Kansas statutes revealed that a county could, at that time, elect to levy 1/10 of a mill for a County Historical Society, but would have to be run directly by the county as there was no provision to have funds disbursed to an appointed agency, such as a County Historical Society. Auburn Light, attorney, was at that time the State Representative from Seward County and in 1961 was successful in amending the statute, designating a County Historical Society supervisor or curator in charge of tax funds. The four: Baughman, Hill, Eyman, and Brown with the help of Auburn Light and Harry Chrisman formed the Seward County Historical Society. A board of directors of 21 with a president, vice-president, secretary, and a treasurer and a board of trustees, named from the directors was set up. Robert W. Baughman was elected president, and Oliver Brown was elected chairman of the board.

     Life memberships of $100 were issued, business and professional memberships of $15, and individual active memberships at $1.00 per year. Money was raised by the sale of the memberships and by outright donations, and about $10,000 was realized.

     The location was given by N.S. Lepley and the First Federal Savings and Loan Association gave the Larrabee home which is the present main museum and administration building. The Larrabee home was built in 1918 and was moved to the present location in 1961 and retains the warmth and charm which it held as a home. The solid light oak paneling, banisters, and flooring would be difficult to duplicate today. Three garages were donated by Northern Natural Gas Company which house the farm machinery such as the Angell one-way plow, broomcorn equipment, etc. The museum houses the priceless antiques, heirlooms and pictures of early day Seward County. One large room has an early day kitchen, complete with wood stove, cabinet, churn, etc. Also one end of the room is furnished in old bedroom furnishing with the center of the room furnished in living room articles, complete with an ornate pump organ. On display are beautiful china and handmade bed linens.

     On the museum grounds is an old windmill and tower complete with wooden wheel, from the Pleasant Valley Community northwest of Liberal.

     In 1541, Coronado, in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola (GoId) passed through what is now Kansas at or near Liberal, so the museum was named the Coronado Museum. On display is a sword, helmet, bridle bit, spurs, and maps showing his route through Kansas.

     In keeping with the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, Bernard Frazier, a noted Kansas sculptor and an instructor at Kansas University, was contracted to make a statue of Coronado in bronze. The model had been made in wax and approved when Mr. Frazier died of a heart attack. By agreement under the contract, in case of death, a board of three was appointed to complete the statue. Bernard Frazier’s son, Malcolm, and Malcom’s mother, Beverly Frazier, with the assistance of the University of Kansas School of Art and Sculpture, completed the statue. The statue was unveiled and dedicated November 11, 1978.

     Since the late 1990s the Society has identified a need for additional museum and exhibition space. By 2020 with significant funds raised toward the construction of additional facilities, the Board voted to begin preliminary work toward construction of the Seward County Heritage Center, an expansion of over 11,000 square feet to include new galleries, a traveling exhibition space, family history center, significant digital resources such as this website, new administrative offices, gift shop, and, crucially, new artifact storage and restoration facilities.