Submitted by Jody Hoener,The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc. President and CEO.
Contact: 620-215-2892
104 North National
Fort Scott, KS 66701

Uniontown had a cool, cloudy day on Labor Day for their annual Old Settler’s Picnic, which has been going on since 1905.
The weekend was full, with a fishing derby, community church service and games preceding the day of the picnic, along with Uniontown High School all-school reunion.
On Labor Day a parade, picnic, games and the traditional recognition of Old Settlers took place along with a large car show in memory of Dale Jackson, a long-time business owner.

The following results of some of the contests were provided by Becky Shinn, treasurer/secretary of the Old Settler’s Picnic Committee.
On Sunday night, the corn hole contest was won by Tyler Walker and Chase Ermel, with second place going to Corey Chandra and Dillion Weddle.
“The Sunday Family Fun night was well attended,” Shinn said.
“The activities went very well and everyone had a chance to see old friends.”
The children’s parade always preceeds the bigger parade and the following kids won prizes for:
Best Theme: Harper and Holden Bunnell,
Best Costume: Josie Miller and Bennett Miller, and
Best Battery Operated Child’s Vehicle: Jett Troutman with Sadie and Molly Troutman.
The following groups won prizes in the parade:
Best Church Float: Bethel Community Baptist Church

Best Theme Float: The Class of ‘62
Best School Floats:
1. UHS Sophomore Class and UHS Football players.

Second place: Fort Scott Community Cheer and Dance Team.
The traditional recognition for oldest woman at the park – Natalie Comstock, oldest gentleman at the park – Glen Post;
the couple married the longest -Jerry and Betty O’Harah at 62 years and the former Uniontown resident that traveled the farthest- Dean and Shirly Meyers.
Special recognition was given to Suzie Franklin for all the help she has given the Old Settlers Picnic through the years.

The winners of the drawing for cash prizes were:
$100 – Jessica Hagon; $75 – Zach Franklin and
$50 – Michael Ireland.
The Old Settler’s Picnic Committee members were Shayla Knight, Rhonda DeWitt, Nancy Holt and Becky Shinn.





This week’s Friday Night Concert will be a family-style open-mic show for local talent. All ages are welcome to present one song and, should time permit, be prepared to perform a total of two songs. Performances may be instrumental and/or vocal. Upon request, local musicians will be available to accompany anyone who asks. Accompaniment tracks can also be accommodated.
“This week’s show will be a treasure trove of local talent and we’re hopeful to have several show up and shake things up a bit,” concert series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “For those who aren’t interested in performing, help us out and encourage some musicians or vocalists you know to share their talent in a comfortable setting. Come out and join us for an interesting evening and enjoy the music with friends.”
For more information, or to be scheduled in the show, please call 620-224-1150. The one-hour concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas and Jim Butler provide the sound each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.
New comers to the Fort Scott area from Kansas City are planning a blues festival on their property at 2006 Maple Road on September 24 from 2 to 10 p.m. and they are doing it to benefit a local helping organization.

“My wife, Cecilia and I have met and become lasting friends with wonderful people by attending blues music events and venues in the Kansas City area and travels to Arkansas and Mississippi,” said event organizer Cory Bryars said. “We moved to Fort Scott in 2021 from Kansas City and I wanted to have a once-in-a-lifetime housewarming and a thank you to contractors and friends. My wife has roots and best friends here and the kid went to college, freeing us up to leave K.C.”
“As I put (the event) together, it took on a life of its own, and I thought this thing needs to be more than just friends and family,” Bryars said. “Through a friend, Belynda Davenport, I got connected with Lavetta Simmons and Care to Share ( a helping organization for cancer survivors and their families) and it turns out their big annual Fall Fest fundraiser for the last 15 years is no more.”
They decided to turn the event into a fundraiser for Care to Share.
“Before Care to Share, it was all about the music; now it’s all about music being a force for good,” Bryars said. “This is real deal. Any one of these bands could headline a decent municipal blues fest, and we are providing four bands of that caliber.”
“I like to think the town was clamoring for something, and unbeknownst to me, I was apparently organizing it,” he said. “Soooo…our event is now a full-blown fundraiser.”
The music will be provided by the following artists, with performance times listed and comments provided by Bryars:
2pm—The Hermosa Prairie Dogs featuring Randy McAllister and James Van Nuys
o “Randy is an award winning, Grammy Nominated, singer, songwriter, harmonica player, drummer and legend of East Texas Blues/Soul/Roots.
o James is a talented artist in many disciplines and you will love his songs.”
4pm—Kilborn Alley featuring Big Rich McDonough
o “Band Leader Andrew Duncanson is smooth as silk on the vocals and guitar.
o Big Rich masters the guitar, making it SING almost as well as Andrew.”
6pm—Cassie Taylor & Band
o “After starting her music career while still a teenager, Cassie toured Europe as part of Girls with Guitars. She took a break from music to raise a family and her spirit, and now is back on the scene.
o With powerful vocals and a soulful voice perfect for pop and blues, Cassie leads her generation of blues artists.”
8pm—Junebug & The Porchlights
o “Long-time Kansas City favorites with great musicians, there’s never a dull moment as they cover Merle Haggard, Muddy Waters, and other country and blues standards, all with their own fast-paced sound and fury
o If you like 70s classics like John Denver’s Country Roads and the aromatic Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road, wait ‘til you hear the Porchlights’ versions!”
The Venue

Labors and Leisure on the Frontier
Labor Day Weekend at Fort Scott
Fort Scott Kan. – Saturday, September 3 through Monday, September 5, 2022, Fort Scott National Historic Site will take you on an exploration of the labors and leisure on an 1840s frontier post. Labor Day weekend activities include artillery demonstrations, 1840s baseball, candle making, breadmaking, construction skill demonstrations, historic yard games, and a variety of interpretive programs. Visit with soldiers, and an officer and his wife and find out about the labors of the fort and the leisure activities. All programs are free and open to the public.
Saturday, September 3, 2022
10:00 am – Guided Tour
11:00 am – Artillery Demonstration
Noon – Beam Me Up: Historic Construction Demonstration
1:00 pm – Guided Tour
2:00 pm – Artillery Demonstration
3:00 pm – Saws and Scalpels: Frontier Medical Program
Sunday, September 4, 2022
10:00 am – Guided Tour
11:00 am – Artillery Demonstration
Noon – Hitting Home: Baseball on the Frontier
1:00 pm – Guided Tour
2:00 pm – Artillery Demonstration
3:00 pm – Let the Games Begin: Historic Games Program
Monday, September 5, 2022
10:00 am – Guided Tour
11:00 am – Artillery Demonstration
Noon – Small Arms Drill (Children’s’ Program)
1:00 pm – From the Crack Post of the Frontier, Construction Tour of Fort Scott
2:00 pm – Artillery Demonstration
3:00 pm – Beam Me Up: Historic Construction Demonstration
From April 1-October 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, is open for its summer hours of operation. The site exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The park grounds are open daily from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset. To find out more or become involved in activities at the Fort, please contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.

Lowell Milken Center Special Events
The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes will be celebrating two important milestone events on September 12-13, 2022. Those dates will mark the official Grand Opening of the Lowell Milken Park, as well as the commemoration of the 15th Anniversary of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. A Community Open House is scheduled for Monday, September 12th from 1:00 – 5:00 pm and Tuesday, September 13th from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. The public is invited to view the new Unsung Hero exhibits, both in the beautiful Lowell Milken Park and in the Hall of Unsung Heroes.
Special events for the afternoon of Monday, September 12th, include the following four sessions with honored guests recognizing special Unsung Heroes:
1:00 pm – Family of WWII Navajo Code Talker Chester Nez
2:00 pm – Rwandan Rescuer Carl Wilkens
3:00 pm – Family of WWII Boat Developer Andrew Jackson Higgins
4:00 pm – Family of Astrogeologist Gene Shoemaker (whose ashes are buried on the moon)
Seating for the presentations is limited.
The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 © (3) that works with students and educators within a range of diverse academic disciplines, to develop projects focused on unsung heroes.
The annual Old Settler’s Picnic committee is gearing up for this weekend’s activities, with events for people of all ages. In addition, the Uniontown High School Alumni Association has planned events for Saturday.
On Labor Day, Sept. 5, “There will be new food trucks and vendor booths”, Becky Shinn, Secretary-Treasurer of the committee said. The vendors will be scattered around the town square of the town of less than 300 people. The town doubles and sometimes triples in size for this annual event.
Also in the park on Labor Day will be the picnic offerings. In addition to the food trucks, the Uniontown High School FFA will be serving BBQ food, and the Methodist Church, a chicken dinner.
The announcer for this year’s event is Adelay Martin.
The children’s parade will line up starting at 9:50 a.m. on Sept. 5 on the east side of the town square and prizes will be awarded for best theme, decorated bike, child costume, pet and battery operated toy. No gas powered vehicles are allowed in the children’s parade, which will start at 10:15 a.m.

The theme of the parade this year is “Back to the Old School Days”, and entries are invited to decorate their vehicles and hay wagons to showcase their organizations. There are prizes for best church float, best theme oriented float, school floats, All Terrain Vehicles (they must be clean and decorated), antique tractors and cars.
Horses are always welcome in the parade, but riders are asked to unload them at the rodeo arena, west of town on Hwy. 3.

Throughout the day there will be raffles with drawings for cash prizes.
The Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the square.
For further info, click below.
Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show Sept. 5 in Uniontown
There is no baby contest this year.
For the kids is the traditional turtle race at 11:30 a.m., so be on the look out for a fast turtle! An egg toss competition, along with foot races and water races are planned for people from pre-kindergarten age to 100 years old on the south side of the square.
As is the tradition, there will be a recognition of the oldest man, oldest woman, longest married couple, former resident that traveled the farthest distance, and the resident who has had a Uniontown address the longest time.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at the Hwy. 3 arena, west of town, there will be rodeos to entertain. See the flyer above for more information.
At 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 4, coffee, milk and donuts will start the fellowship time of the Community Church Service at 10:30 a.m., this year presented by the Uniontown Methodist Church. Please bring lawn chairs for the service.
As part of the family game night on Sunday evening, the UHS Cheerleaders will be hosting a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament as a fundraiser. Additionally, there will be a bubble gum chewing contest, watermelon eating contest and cornhole contest, with events starting at 5:30 p.m.

High School Reunion
This year the Uniontown High School alumni are having their reunion on Saturday, Sept. 3, in conjunction with Old Settler’s Picnic weekend celebration.
Dale Jackson was a car mechanic for many years in Uniontown. Event organizers are honoring him with a car show in conjunction with the annual Old Settler’s Picnic on Labor Day.
“We started the car show in 2019 to honor Dale Jackson and bring more people to the Old Settlers Picnic, an event that Dale contributed to for many years,” said car show organizer, Sara Roufs.
“I’m the main organizer but I have a great group of friends and family helping me put it all together,” she said. “I also need to give credit to Jeremy Lockwood, Garrett Knight and the Wasted Youth Car Club for helping get this car show started and making it a success.”
“Local businesses and organizations have sponsored the t-shirts, trophies, dash plaques and door prizes,” she said. “They have also contributed goody bag items that the first 50 car show registrants will receive.”
The Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show will be on Monday, Sept. 5 in Uniontown at the downtown square.
Cars, trucks and motorcycles are encouraged to enter, Roufs said.
The Old Settlers Picnic Parade is at 10:30 a.m. with line up at the high school starting at 10 a.m. for those vehicles wishing to be in the parade.
After the parade ends, vehicles will park at the town square.
The Car Show will be from 11a.m. to 1 p.m.
To enter the show, register by noon at Uniontown Community Center, on the square’s east side in Uniontown. Registration fee $10. The first 50 to register will receive a dash plaque, she said.
“We will have four judges and 20 trophies to be awarded,” Roufs said. “A special crowd favorite trophy, sponsored by Ol’Boys Tire & Auto, will be awarded to whoever receives the most votes. Spectators may pay $1 to vote for their favorite entry. Vote by 1 p.m. inside the Uniontown Community Center. ”

“There will also be a raffle for a free full vehicle detail from Tip Top Detailing,” she said. “The car show participants enjoy supporting a good cause so anything left after the expenses of the car show will be donated to the Bourbon County Angels. They are a local organization that help Bourbon County families to ensure that every child in need receives something nice to open on Christmas morning.”

The trophy presentation will a be at 1 p.m.
Vehicle classes:
-Best in Show
-Best of the 50s
-Best of the 60s
-Best of the 70s
-Best of the 80s
-Best of the 90s and up
-Best Hot Rod
-Best Street Rod
-Best Rat Rod
-Judges Choice (4 trophies)
Motorcycle classes:
-Best Motorcycle
-American Classic
-American Custom
-Metric Standard
-Metric Custom
-Best Trike
There will be t-shirts available for purchase this year thanks to Shirt Shack and these local sponsors:
Agricultural Engineering Associates
Bourbon Boy Bait Co
Brumback Engine & Machine
Cedar Ridge Management
Fort Scott Rides
Matt Russell Bulldozing
On Point Auto Sales
Perry’s Pork Rinds and Country Store
Roger’s Body Shop & Alignment Services
RHC Ron Hurd Construction
Tip Top Detailing
Union Station

This week’s Friday Night Concert will be presented by David Prickett of Deerfield, Mo. The vocal and guitar performance will feature a variety of familiar gospel favorites and favorite country classics.
“Since his first performance in 1962 in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, at the All-Army Talent Show, Prickett is no stranger to the music stage. He later moved to Texarkana where he had several bands and then eventually began doing solo gigs. After returning to Alaska, he and his wife Midge moved to Deerfield in 2005. Prickett has played Good Ol’ Days, Bushwacker Days, churches, healthcare facilities, our Friday night concerts, and many other events,” concert series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “Come out and join us for a fun night to enjoy great music with friends. We’re pleased to welcome David Prickett back to the park pavilion.“
The one-hour concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas and Jim Butler provide the sound each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.

This week’s Friday Night Concert will be presented by local musician Rick Hite who sings and plays guitar, and performs a variety of music including Country, Folk, Bluegrass, Gospel, and Oldies.
“Hite began singing in church at the age of 5 and has been playing guitar since age 9,” concert-series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “He has played The White Horse Saloon in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Jekyll Island, Georgia, the Mildred Store, VFW, the Eagles, Elks, Old Settler’s Picnic, and various local venues. We’re pleased to welcome Rick Hite back to the park pavilion. Come out and join your friends for an enjoyable evening of music.”
The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas and Jim Butler provide the sound each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of rain, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.

This week’s Friday Night Concert will be presented by the Church of Christ (15th and Crawford streets). The music will feature a program of a cappella hymns and gospel songs.
“The singers represent multiple ages and they really shine with a passion for blending harmonies with their musical styling of the gospel,” concert-series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “Come out and join us; it’s a great opportunity to see friends and enjoy some beautiful encouraging music. We are happy to welcome this church family back to the park pavilion.”
The one-hour concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas and Jim Butler provide the sound each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved indoors.