Muscotah Man Knee Deep in Baseball Museum Project

(MUSCOTAH, Kan.) It's not a stretch to call Muscotah, Kansas a "one horse town." With a population of under 200 people, uou may not notice much at first.

But if you look again, this sight of a giant baseball may catch your eye.

"The day they took the water tower down, the FAA had called and said they wanted to use it for a radar dome," local resident Jeff Hanson said. "I had first dibs on it if I wanted it."

The 69-year-old Hanson saw an opportunity when the town's old water tower was replaced last February. The Kansas Sampler Foundation, dedicated to preserving rural life across the state, told Hanson the old tower looked like a baseball.

It was a perfect fit for the town's connection with former Chicago Cub Joe Tinker.

"He was born in this community and someone in town discovered that connection about 10 years ago. When the baseball became available, it's just natural to tie in to that same connection."

So, Hanson set out to turn the former monument into a museum. There are already metal attachments in place to resemble stitching. The next phase is to paint it white and put in a makeshift miniature Wrigley Field.

Hanson says he's received donations for the project from Florida, California, and all over the Chicago Area.

While there's still a lot of work ahead to make the inside of the ball accessible, let alone fill it, he hopes the final product will bring not just baseball fans, but all kinds of visitors, back to Muscotah.

"It's a fun project and we're hoping people will stop by and look at it. We're just trying to spark a little interest."