The Kramer Family Research Room

The Watkins Museum’s archive has thousands of photographs and documents about the history of Douglas County, Kansas and its residents. These materials cover themes including businesses, schools, churches, personal correspondence, and changing Lawrence city governance. While the core research materials outlined below are on hand through our research facility, materials in the museum’s archival collections can be made available through research requests.

The renovation to the Watkins Museum’s research room was possible thanks to a generous $100,000 donation from Carol J. Koenig, in memory of her mother, Daisy Viola Kramer Koenig, who grew up in Douglas County, Kansas. The renovated research room is designated the Kramer Family Research Room, in recognition of this gift.

Research Requests

While the Watkins Museum of History is open for normal hours, research staff are not on-site everyday. Please submit all research requests via email to Collections Manager Kate Grasse or Research Assistant Gillian Nichols at [email protected] or call (785) 841-4109 for more information. In your email, provide a summary of your research objective, question(s), and any background information relevant to the research request.

On-Site Research

• The Kramer Family Research Room is available by appointment only Tuesday through Friday, 10am – 4pm. Appointments may be available for other days but must be requested at least 3 business days in advance of the desired date.
• Researchers should email the research team at [email protected] with details of their research topic prior to visiting Watkins. All research requests are handled in the order in which they are received. 
• The research staff will review each request to determine whether relevant materials are available and will contact the researcher to schedule an appointment