{"id":7056582,"date":"2026-09-04T04:20:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T04:20:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/american-history\/coming-to-johnson-county-jocohistory-blog\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T04:20:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T04:20:23","slug":"coming-to-johnson-county-jocohistory-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7056582","title":{"rendered":"Coming to Johnson County | JoCoHistory Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For generations, people have come to Johnson County for very different reasons. Some were forced here by federal removal policies. Others crossed oceans, state lines, or the Kansas City metro in search of work, land, opportunity, or a place to build a future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over time, Johnson County has become home to people from around the world. Together, their experiences illuminate an important theme of the Johnson County Museum\u2019s special exhibit, <em>Everyday Democracy<\/em>: who could pursue the nation\u2019s ideals of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness \u2013 and under what circumstances \u2013 has changed over time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are just a few of their stories.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5657\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/09\/02\/coming-to-johnson-county\/1-faces\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1-faces.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"4000,3000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-S901U&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1788251701&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5.4&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;64&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0083333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1 faces\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;In the Museum\u2019s special exhibit, Everyday Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Johnson County, one of the first sights that greets visitors is a wall of faces \u2013 faces from across Johnson County\u2019s landscape, history, and communities. Some were born here, others moved here. All were Johnson Countians. &lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1-faces.jpg?w=390\" width=\"4000\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1-faces.jpg\" alt=\"Color photograph of a wall featuring a collage of portraits of individuals and groups, some in color, some sepia, some black and white, from across time. The people are diverse, representing Black, Latino\/a, Middle Eastern, and various white communities.\" class=\"wp-image-5657\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1-faces.jpg 4000w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1-faces.jpg?w=128&amp;h=96 128w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1-faces.jpg?w=390&amp;h=293 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1-faces.jpg?w=768&amp;h=576 768w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1-faces.jpg?w=1440&amp;h=1080 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>In the Museum\u2019s special exhibit, <\/em>Everyday Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Johnson County<em>, one of the first sights that greets visitors is a wall of faces \u2013 faces from across Johnson County\u2019s landscape, history, and communities. Some were born here, others moved here. All were Johnson Countians.<\/em> <em>Learn more about the exhibit and plan your visit at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jcprd.com\/museum\">JCPRD.com\/Museum<\/a>!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Charles Bluejacket \u2013 A Forced Removal<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Charles Bluejacket lived through enormous changes in Shawnee life and landholding. An 1825 treaty with the U.S. government set in motion the forced removal of Shawnee people from their ancestral lands east of the Mississippi. Bluejacket and other Shawnee people were relocated to a reservation that included present-day Johnson County.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another treaty with the U.S. government in 1854 dramatically reduced the Shawnee Reservation as Kansas Territory opened to Euro-American settlement. Shawnee people who remained received individual 200-acre allotments of land, while others resisted individual ownership and sought to maintain communal lands and traditional ways of life. Over time, many Shawnee people removed again to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5660\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/09\/02\/coming-to-johnson-county\/2-15\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.png\" data-orig-size=\"1411,646\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;A page from the 1874 Atlas Map of Johnson County, Kansas, depicting Charles Bluejacket, his third wife, Louisa, and their farm in northern Johnson County. &lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.png?w=390\" width=\"1411\" height=\"646\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.png\" alt=\"Black and white illustration of a farm home in a grove of trees with a fence around the property. In the upper left, a sketch of a portrait of Charles Bluejacket, in the upper right, a sketch portrait of Luisa Bluejacket. The illustration is labeled &quot;Residence of Rev. Charles Bluejacket (fruit grower). \" class=\"wp-image-5660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.png 1411w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.png?w=128&amp;h=59 128w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.png?w=390&amp;h=179 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2.png?w=768&amp;h=352 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1411px) 100vw, 1411px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A page from the <\/em>1874 Atlas Map of Johnson County, Kansas<em>, depicting Charles Bluejacket, his third wife, Louisa, and their farm in northern Johnson County. Bluejacket was an assimilationist leader in the Shawnee Tribe while on the reservation in Kansas.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bluejacket remained in Kansas Territory and received land based on the treaty\u2019s allowance of 200 acres for each member of his family, creating a large landholding. Unlike many Shawnee people \u2013 especially those who resisted allotment and further removal \u2013 Bluejacket achieved relative prosperity in Johnson County. He operated a substantial farm and orchard, participated in the Shawnee Methodist Church, and became a prominent Shawnee leader and interpreter in dealings with the U.S. government. His embrace of Christianity and individual landownership aligned him with Shawnee leaders who adapted to many Euro-American practices. Despite his relative success here, Bluejacket and members of his family relocated to Indian Territory in 1871.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Charles Ekengren \u2013 A Proud Immigrant<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Charles W. Ekengren emigrated from Sweden and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1859. Soon after, he volunteered to fight in the Civil War, serving in the Union\u2019s 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between 1862 and 1865, Ekengren served throughout the region until a fall from his horse severely injured his ankle. Though the injury affected him for the rest of his life, he returned to Olathe and worked as a stonemason and plasterer \u2014 helping to build the community he had chosen as home.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5662\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/09\/02\/coming-to-johnson-county\/3-and-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3-and-4.png\" data-orig-size=\"1081,677\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"3 and 4\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Charles Ekengren\u2019s 1859 naturalization certificate is one of the oldest documents in the Museum\u2019s collections. An 1862 photograph shows him in uniform with the 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3-and-4.png?w=390\" width=\"1081\" height=\"677\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3-and-4.png\" alt=\"On the left, a partially printed document on bluish paper completed in ink. On the right, a black and white photograph of a man in a Civil War uniform, holding a sword.\" class=\"wp-image-5662\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3-and-4.png 1081w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3-and-4.png?w=128&amp;h=80 128w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3-and-4.png?w=390&amp;h=244 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/3-and-4.png?w=768&amp;h=481 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1081px) 100vw, 1081px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Charles Ekengren\u2019s 1859 naturalization certificate is one of the oldest documents in the Museum\u2019s collections. An 1862 photograph shows him in uniform with the 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. Despite being a recent immigrant from Sweden, Ekengren volunteered to fight in the American Civil War.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A New Life in the Suburbs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every newcomer crossed an ocean. In the early 20th century, families increasingly moved from Kansas City and elsewhere to Johnson County as farms gave way to suburban neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Developers such as J.C. Nichols and William Strang marketed homeownership as a pathway to comfort, prosperity, and happiness \u2014 but that opportunity was not offered equally. By 1950, racially restrictive covenants covered 96% of Johnson County\u2019s suburban neighborhoods, preventing Black families and other potential homebuyers of color from owning property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advertisements sold more than land; they sold a vision of the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cMissionhill Acres is open! \u2026 An ideal location for your South Side home\u2014a good, sure, safe investment at a low price.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Missionhill Acres advertisement, 1927<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5664\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/09\/02\/coming-to-johnson-county\/5a-and-b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5a-and-b.png\" data-orig-size=\"1399,571\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"5a and b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Real estate developers used printed materials to advertise their new communities in the Johnson County countryside. This advertisement for Missionhill Acres shows convenient access to Kansas City by bus service on roads as well as streetcar service via the Strang Line. The deed abstract here includes a racially restrictive covenant, only permitting white purchasers.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5a-and-b.png?w=390\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1399\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5a-and-b.png\" alt=\"On the left, a two page printed advertisement for a suburban development, featuring a simple map of a streetcar route, a photo of a bus on a road, and a photo of a large home surrounded by trees. On the right, a printed property deed showing covenants, including a racially restrictive covenant that reads &quot;Section 2: Ownership by Negroes Prohibited. None of the said land may be conveyed to, used, owned, or occupied by negroes as owners or tenants.&quot; \" class=\"wp-image-5664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5a-and-b.png 1399w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5a-and-b.png?w=128&amp;h=52 128w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5a-and-b.png?w=390&amp;h=159 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5a-and-b.png?w=768&amp;h=313 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1399px) 100vw, 1399px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Real estate developers used printed materials to advertise their new communities in the Johnson County countryside. This advertisement for Missionhill Acres shows convenient access to Kansas City by bus service on roads as well as streetcar service via the Strang Line. The deed abstract here includes a racially restrictive covenant, only permitting white purchasers<\/em>: \u201cNone of the said land may be conveyed to, used, owned, or occupied by negroes as owners or tenants.\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Property abstracts recorded ownership and restrictions, documenting both who could build a future in the growing suburbs and who could not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Welcoming New Immigrants<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Johnson County continued to grow, local organizations helped newcomers navigate the process of becoming citizens and building community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the 1960s and 1970s, the Naturalization Council of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties offered weekly English and citizenship classes. Its annual Washington\u2019s Birthday Tea honored newly naturalized citizens while providing immigrants with practical support and connections to their new community.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5667\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/09\/02\/coming-to-johnson-county\/6-and-7\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6-and-7.png\" data-orig-size=\"1325,675\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6 and 7\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;These naturalization programs from the Naturalization Councils of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties from the 1970s reveal local efforts to welcome new immigrants to the area.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6-and-7.png?w=390\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1325\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6-and-7.png\" alt=\"On the left, the cover of a program featuring a gold liberty bell against an American flag backdrop. On the right, two pages of a program outlining an event to honor new citizens.\" class=\"wp-image-5667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6-and-7.png 1325w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6-and-7.png?w=128&amp;h=65 128w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6-and-7.png?w=390&amp;h=199 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6-and-7.png?w=768&amp;h=391 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1325px) 100vw, 1325px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>These naturalization programs from the Naturalization Councils of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties from the 1970s reveal local efforts to welcome new immigrants to the area.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That work continues in new forms today. Founded in 2020 by then-high school junior Komalpreet Kaur, Eye of an Immigrant began as a project sharing immigrant stories in the Kansas City area. Today, the nonprofit amplifies immigrant voices and helps families overcome financial barriers in the immigration process, including assistance with USCIS filing fees.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5669\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/09\/02\/coming-to-johnson-county\/8-eye-of-an-immigrant-cards_0004\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/8-eye-of-an-immigrant-cards_0004.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1449,2048\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"8 Eye of an Immigrant Cards_0004\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This flier from the Eye of an Immigrant organization shows continuity with past welcoming efforts for new immigrants moving to the Johnson County area. This organization was started by the daughter of Punjabi immigrants while she was still a high school student.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/8-eye-of-an-immigrant-cards_0004.jpg?w=390\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"390\" height=\"551\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/8-eye-of-an-immigrant-cards_0004.jpg?w=390\" alt=\"A single page flier featuring a photo of Komal Kaur, the young woman who started the Eye of an Immigrant organization, along with two paragraphs of text about her and her family. \" class=\"wp-image-5669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/8-eye-of-an-immigrant-cards_0004.jpg?w=390 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/8-eye-of-an-immigrant-cards_0004.jpg?w=780 780w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/8-eye-of-an-immigrant-cards_0004.jpg?w=68 68w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/8-eye-of-an-immigrant-cards_0004.jpg?w=768 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>This flier from the Eye of an Immigrant organization shows continuity with past welcoming efforts for new immigrants moving to the Johnson County area. This organization was started by the daughter of Punjabi immigrants while she was still a high school student.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Learning More and Sharing Your Story<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These stories and many more appear in the Johnson County Museum\u2019s special exhibit, <em>Everyday Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Johnson County<\/em>, on display through the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The exhibit explores how generations of Johnson Countians have experienced, challenged, and reshaped the nation\u2019s founding ideals in everyday life\u2014from where they could live and work to how they built communities and made their voices heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Visitors can also add their own voices to the story. Near the end of the exhibition, you\u2019re invited to write a postcard to Johnson Countians in 2076, when the nation will celebrate its 300th anniversary. What brought you to Johnson County? What do you value about your community? And what do you hope future residents will inherit? Plan your visit at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jcprd.com\/museum\">JCPRD.com\/Museum<\/a>. <em>Everyday Democracy<\/em> is included with Museum admission. Our next quarterly Free Day is Saturday, September 12, when Museum admission is free for all visitors.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For generations, people have come to Johnson County for very different reasons. Some were forced here by federal removal policies. Others crossed oceans, state lines, or the Kansas City metro in search of work, land, opportunity, or a place to build a future. Over time, Johnson County has become home to people from around the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7056583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12032],"tags":[3767,4641,15275,63916,6923],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7056582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-history","tag-blog","tag-coming","tag-county","tag-jocohistory","tag-johnson"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Coming to Johnson County | JoCoHistory Blog - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7056582\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Coming to Johnson County | JoCoHistory Blog - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For generations, people have come to Johnson County for very different reasons. Some were forced here by federal removal policies. Others crossed oceans, state lines, or the Kansas City metro in search of work, land, opportunity, or a place to build a future. 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