View of the Missouri River, the 1938 Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge, and adjacent railroad bridge from across the street from Amelia Earhart's birthplace. The bridge is slated for replacement. Amelia Earhart's birthplace and early childhood home is located on a bluff overlooking the Missouri, River and a bridge named in her honor. The Gothic Revival building was built by her maternal grandfather, Judge Alfred G. Otis in the early 1860s. Amelia was born in the home on July 24, 1897, and because her father's employment required travel, she and her sister spent much of their childhood with their grandparents in Atchison. The home was designated a National Historic Site in 1971. In 1984, the Ninety-Nines (an International Organization of Licensed Women Pilots) acquired the home. Much of the house has been restored to its condition at the time of Amelia Earhart's birth. The home has period furniture and features Earhart's personal and family memorabilia, and the former kitchen now houses a modest gift shop. The Amelia Earhardt Museum is located in the Ameilia Earhart Historical District which was listed on the National Register on February 1, 2002. The district reflects the varied architectural tastes of Atchison's early residents and and includes many architecturally significant buildings from 1860-1928. Each July, Atchison hosts the Amelia Earhart Festival with a carnival, ice cream social, fireworks and concert. On June 25, 2007, the city will host the 10th annual Amelia Earhart Century Bike Ride with 34, 62, and 100 mile routes through the hilly landscape of northeast Kansas.
copyright 2006-2008 by Keith Stokes |
