Fort Scott, Kan. April. 17, 2023 – A $5,000 Evergy Community Investment Grant was awarded recently to the Gordon Parks Museum to support the “Back to Fort Scott, Now” project designed to reimagine a series of images taken in 1950 by the celebrated photographer.
On assignment for Life magazine in May 1950, Parks shot several photos to illustrate a story on segregated schools in America utilizing his classmates at Plaza School in Fort Scott.
The completed assignment, however, was never published. Although still somewhat of a mystery as to why the spread was never used, most likely, it was bumped first by the outbreak of the Korean conflict, then, a year later, by Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s dismissal as supreme commander of the armed forces by President Harry Truman.
In 2015, the project was rediscovered and made into a book, “Back to Fort Scott, and exhibition, which debuted at the Boston Museum of Art.
Now, according to museum and project director Kirk Sharp, the book and exhibition is the basis for the current project, which features the work of local, student and professional photographers, who will convene in Fort Scott from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 to recreate Park’s images from 73 years ago.
Collaborators include Michael Cheers of San Jose State University, Nick Homburg, Shreepad Joglekar and Katherine Karlin of Kansas State University, and Vivian Zavataro of the Ulrich Museum of Art in Wichita.
The photos are scheduled for display during the 20th annual Gordon Parks Celebration on Oct. 5-7 at Fort Scott Community College. Millers Professional Imaging of Pittsburg is printing the images, which also are to be included in two-volume book set and video documentary.
There will be plenty to keep a family interested in life at the Fort during the American Civil War era.
“Experience it Without Needing to Enlist!,” according to a press release from the Fort Scott National Historic Site.
The Fort is hosting its Annual Civil War Encampment, April 15 and 16, this Saturday and Sunday. One can experience artillery, cavalry, and infantry troops preparing for battle, smell bread baking, participate in discussions about troop and refugee support, and be serenaded by the Vogts Sisters, acoustic Americana-Folk act.
The Vogts sisters from their website.
“We are grateful to have the generous support and participation from the Holmes Brigade, Boy Scout Troop 0114, Friends of Fort Scott, Inc., Fort Smith National Historic Site’s Cavalry Troop, and plenty of new and old Fort Scott National Historic Site volunteers alike,” said Superintendent Jill Jaworski. in a press release. “We encourage everyone to step back in time and smell, hear, see, and experience life at the fort.”
Saturday: join the discussion with author and historian Isaias McCaffrey about the Indian Home Guard, find out about the lives of women during the Civil War period, sit on the Officer’s front porch and learn about sewing and crocheting, be serenaded by the Vogts Sisters, and baking bread in the bakery, according to the press release.
Sunday: play authentic lawn games and participate in a discussion about being a Civil War refugee. The weekend is full of fun and games for the whole family straight from the 1800’s!
Encampment Schedule:
SATURDAY, APRIL 15
Interpreters will be at the firing range with historic weapons and doing demonstrations around the site throughout the day.
9 a.m. Raising the Colors with the Boy Scout Troop 0114
9:30 a.m. Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
10m. Cavalry Program
10:30 a.m. Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
11 a.m. Isaias McCaffrey- Indian Home Guard Program
Noon Vogts Sisters Musical Performance
1 p.m. Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
1:30 p.m. Lunette Blair Discussion
2 p.m. Cavalry Program
2:30 p.m. Women in the Army Discussion
3 p.m. Vogts Sisters Musical Performance
4 p.m. Flag Retreat with Troop 0114
5 p.m. Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
8 p.m. Night Sky Program with the Kansas Astronomical Observers
SUNDAY, APRIL 16
Interpreters will be at the firing range with historic weapons and doing demonstrations around the site throughout the day.
9 a.m. Raising the Colors
10 a.m. Guided Tour of the Fort
10:30 a.m. Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
11 a.m. Infantry Dress Parade, Drill, and Weapons Demonstration
Noon Cavalry Program
1 p.m. Guided Tour of the Fort
1:30 p.m. Lunette Blair Discussion
2 p.m. Life as a Refugee Discussion
2:30 p.m. Cavalry Program
3 p.m. Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
3:30 p.m. Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
4 p.m. Flag Retreat
You are always welcome to wear a mask, and please remember to keep safe distances, wash your hands, and have fun, according to the press release.
Summer Hours of Operation
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: daily from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 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
About The Fort and the National Parks System
Fort Scott National Historic Site is a fee free park that offers a glimpse into the growth of our nation. A walk through the fort reveals the significant role it played in the opening of the West, as well as, the Civil War and the strife in the State of Kansas that preceded it. For more information call the park at 620-223-0310, visit us at www.nps.gov/fosc, on Facebook www.facebook.com/FortScottNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/FortScottNPS, and Instagram www.instagram.com/fortscottnps
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s over 420 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Olympic Gold Medalist, Billy Mills will be in Fort Scott on Wednesday, April 12th, 2023!
Join us at 2 pm for a Presentation by Billy Mills with a reception following at the
Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.
(Hosted by The Lowell Milken Center &
Friends of the Fort Scott National Historic Site, Inc.)
Billy Mills will be at The Danny & Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center from 12-1pm and then will head over to the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes
starting at 2pm.
Don’t miss out on either of these wonderful events!
In honor of the Great Onondaga Chief Hiawatha, unsung Native American hero, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes invites all to attend a reception for and discussion with the Olympic Gold Medal Winner of the 10,000meter at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics – Billy Mills. Three students will be awarded $100 for writing and performing a poem about “The Leader We Need.” They will each have the opportunity to perform their poem for the audience, after which we will discuss “The Leader We Need.” This event will take place on Wednesday, April 12th at 2:00pm at the Lowell Milken Center at 1 South Main St.
The Lowell Milken Center is located at the corner of First and Wall Streets.
Billy Mills’ visit is sponsored by a grant from Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, the Lowell Milken Center, and the Friends of the Fort Scott National Historic Site, Inc. This event is in preparation for the “Wahzhazhe: an Osage Ballet” which will have performances on July 21st and 22nd at the Ellis Family Fine Arts Center at the Fort Scott Community College.
About Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area: The FFNHA tells the stories and builds awareness of our region’s past, present and future: the Kansas-Missouri border war, the Civil War, the settlement of the western frontier and rural America, and our enduring struggle for freedom.
About the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes: The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) that works with students and educators within a range of diverse academic disciplines, to develop projects focused on unsung Heroes.
About the Friends of the Fort Scott National Historic Site, Inc.: The Friends of the Fort provides volunteers and financial support for the Fort Scott National Historic Site special events including the annual immersive Winter Candlelight tour, the annual Naturalization Ceremony, and other educational programming. The Friends advocate for the NHS and solicit and administer contributions/grants to help support the goals and missions of the NHS.
Saturday, March 25, 11 am until noon in the theater of the Infantry Barracks, Fort Scott National Historic Site is hosting retired National Park Service Historian Arnold W. Schofield to discuss three notable 19th Century Women from Fort Scott; Ann Shatto, a Slave; MaryAnn Holt Blakely, a Nurse; and Sara Edmonds Seelye, a Soldier, Nurse and Spy during the Civil War.
From November 1-March 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its winter hours of operation. The site exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm 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.
Fort Scott Kan. – Fort Scott National Historic Site is hosting its Annual Civil War Encampment, April 15 and 16, 2023. Join us to experience artillery, cavalry, and infantry troops preparing for battle, smell bread baking, participate in discussions about troop and refugee support, and be serenaded by the Vogts Sisters! This well-loved tradition is back and better than ever!
“We are grateful to have the generous support and participation from the Holmes Brigade, Boy Scout Troop 0114, Friends of Fort Scott, Inc., Fort Smith National Historic Site’s Cavalry Troop, and plenty of new and old Fort Scott National Historic Site volunteers alike,” said Superintendent Jill Jaworski. “We encourage everyone to step back in time and smell, hear, see, and experience life at the fort.”
Saturday: join the discussion with author and historian Isaias McCaffrey about the Indian Home Guard, find out about the lives of women during the Civil War period, sit on the Officer’s front porch and learn about sewing and crocheting, be serenaded by the Vogts Sisters, and baking bread in the bakery. Sunday: play authentic lawn games and participate in a discussion about being a Civil War refugee. The weekend is full of fun and games for the whole family straight from the 1800’s!
Encampment Schedule:
SATURDAY, APRIL 15
Interpreters will be at the firing range with historic weapons and doing demonstrations around the site throughout the day.
9 a.m. Raising the Colors with the Boy Scout Troop 0114
9:30 a.m. Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
10 a.m. Cavalry Program
10:30 a.m. Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
11 a.m. Isaias McCaffrey- Indian Home Guard Program
Noon Vogts Sisters Musical Performance
1 p.m. Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
1:30 p.m. Lunette Blair Discussion
2 p.m. Cavalry Program
2:30 p.m. Women in the Army Discussion
3 p.m. Vogts Sisters Musical Performance
4 p.m. Flag Retreat with Troop 0114
5 p.m. Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
8 p.m. Night Sky Program with the Kansas Astronomical Observers
SUNDAY, APRIL 16
Interpreters will be at the firing range with historic weapons and doing demonstrations around the site throughout the day.
9 a.m. Raising the Colors
10 a.m. Guided Tour of the Fort
10:30 a.m. Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
11 a.m. Infantry Dress Parade, Drill, and Weapons Demonstration
Noon Cavalry Program
1 p.m. Guided Tour of the Fort
1:30 p.m. Lunette Blair Discussion
2 p.m. Life as a Refugee Discussion
2:30 p.m. Cavalry Program
3 p.m. Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
3:30 p.m. Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
4 p.m. Flag Retreat
You are always welcome to wear a mask, and please remember to keep safe distances, wash your hands, and have fun!
From April 1-October 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its summer hours of operation. The site exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 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.
Loreta Jent moved back to this community in 2020 and is still leading a chapter of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union(WCTU) virtually, in Bloomington, IL and also serves as the National WCTU Education Director.
Her Aunt Lottie Singmaster was a president of the Fort Scott chapter at one time, she said
Jent submitted the following, to commemorate Women’s History Month.
During Women’s History Month, let us remember Frances E. Willard.
Francis Willard. Submitted photo
Willard was an author, educator, reformer, master organizer, world leader, standard-bearer for the rights of women and children, and a mentor for millions.
From 1879 to 1898, she served as the second President of the National WCTU. Under her leadership, the WCTU promoted woman’s rights, suffrage, equal pay for equal work, an 8-hour work-day and protections for women and children in the workplace.
Frances Willard created a Do Everything policy that is still followed today. Under the Do Everything policy, the women of the WCTU proposed, supported and helped to establish: stiffer penalties for sexual crimes against girls and women, laws that raised the age of consent from as low as seven years, higher education for women, uniform marriage and divorce laws, dress reform, travelers’ aid (originally protection for women and children traveling alone), matrons in jails, the Pure Food and Drug Act, legal aid, labor’s right to organize, and world peace.
As a world organization, WWCTU was a charter member of the United Nations. The WCTU worked to pass legislation in every state mandating scientific instruction in public schools as to the dangers of smoking, drinking of alcoholic beverages, and use of other drugs.
She wrote several best-selling books, including the 500-page book, Occupations for Women, which inspired women by including, in addition to home making and teaching, such options as banking, beekeeper, inventor, civil engineer, archaeologists, attorney, and many more.
If asked, most people today would not know of the contributions of Frances Willard despite the fact that it has been said that she has had more memorials erected in her honor than any other woman. Many schoolhouses, college dormitories, hospital rooms, stained glass windows, plaques, statues, water fountains and streets carry her name in many parts of the world. A statue of Frances Willard stands in Statuary Hall of the US Capitol in Washington D.C. She was the first woman so honored.
National WCTU will be holding its 150th Annual Convention on August 6-12, 2023, in Reno, Nevada.
“We will take time to honor Frances Willard and all of the women of the WCTU who have worked and continue to work, to create a better life for all of us,” Jent said.
Fort Scott National Historic Site (FSNHS) personnel are collaborating to bring stories of indigenous tribe’s histories to Bourbon County.
“We want to help share the stories of tribal partners, a lot of it is the Osage Tribe,” said Carl Brenner, program manager for interpretation and resource management at the Fort. “We are trying to tell the story with the background of everything that was here in Kansas, the Fort is just a part. It’s a bigger story than Kansas and the Fort. It’s the story of the growing pains of a nation.”
The first program, in a series the Fort is bringing to Fort Scott, is this Saturday.
The series of events will be of authors, historians, artisans, and Native American Tribal members, which will continue through the fall of this year.
Colonialism and the Osage in Kansas
FSNHS is hosting historian and author, Dr. Tia Edwards, this Saturday, March 18 from 11 a.m. to noon in the theater of the infantry barracks.
“She will discuss how nineteenth century U.S. Indian policy functioned as settler colonialism, displacing Indigenous nations across the eastern United States, including the Osage who were expelled from their Missouri homelands and confined to a reservation in Kansas,” Brenner said.
Dr. Tia Edwards from the Johnson County Community College website.
Dr. Edwards is a historian and director of the Kansas Studies Institute at Johnson County Community College, according to the press release.
Her book Osage Women and Empire was published by the University Press of Kansas in 2018. She is an officer in the Kansas Association of Historians (KAH) and the Kansas Association for Native American Education (KANAE).
She has collaborated on many projects including recording veterans’ oral histories, preserving the Quindaro ruins in Kansas City, KS and rematriating a sacred boulder in Lawrence to the Kaw Nation.
Indigenous Histories Series
The Fort is collaborating with local entities to bring the histories of indigenous peoples to Fort Scott. The Lowell Milken Center, Hedgehog INK bookstore and Fort Scott Community College is collaborating with the Fort for this series.
Speakers
The Lowell Milken Center will have Billy Mills, an Oglala Souix, on April 12. Mills was a 1964 gold medal winner at the Tokyo Olympics, who inspired America with his win.
On April 15, Isaias Mc Caffrey, author of Last Stand at Rebel Creek: The Osage as Union Allies in Civil War Kansas will be at the Fort.
Isaias McCaffery, taken from the Humanities Kansas website.
McCaffery is a professor of history at Independence Community College. His presentation explores the Osage tribe’s contributions to the Union Army cause in Kansas during the Civil War.
Ballet
Wahzhazhe, the name the Osage people call themselves, will perform a contemporary ballet that tells their history from pre-contact years to present day, according to https://www.osageballet.com/. This event will be July 21-22 at the Ellis Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College.
Photo from the Wahzhazhe website.
“From the hand-painted scenery, to the original score , which features the use of traditional drums, to the exquisitely detailed costumes, the world of the Osage comes to life in vivid color, a mesmerizing blend of historical accuracy and raw emotional symbolism,” according to its website.
In addition to the ballet, there will be an exhibit of historic photos of the Osage people.
This event is partially funded by Humanities Kansas. Donations for this project are welcome to the Friends of the Fort Scott National Historic Site.
Fort Scott National Historic Site: Part of the National Park System.
The FSNHS exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.during the winter months, which ends March 31. 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.
The Old Fort Genealogy Society office is located in the basement of Fort Scott’s Memorial Hall, at Third and National Avenue. From its Facebook page.
Want to learn more about ancestors that have lived or died in our community?
For those who would like to learn more about their roots in Bourbon County, there is a place to start: the Old Fort Genealogy Society, located in the basement of Memorial Hall, Third and National Avenue.
Recently, the staff has started a Facebook page.
“We started at the end of February, the Old Fort Genealogy and History at Fort Scott, Kansas Facebook page,” Ann Rawlins, librarian at the society said.
A recent post shows the Herrman Lumber Company at 10 State Street, Fort Scott, in the 1930s. From the Facebook page.
“We wanted to post stories and and pictures and answer questions,” she said. “We wanted a site for genealogy questions. and have an internet presence.”
People are invited to post pictures, stories, or ask questions on the Facebook page.
The Old Fort Genealogical Society researches people’s ancestors who have lived in Bourbon County.
They can be reached at 620.223.3300 or the website is ksgenweb/society/ft.scott.
Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The following is a recent humorous post on the Facebook page.
Make plans soon to visit the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in historic, downtown Fort Scott, Kansas.
Learn about internationally recognized projects that share stories of unsung heroes from history.
Enjoy FREE tours customized to your group.
Bring classes, book clubs, civic organizations, travel clubs, school groups, etc.
Perfect for all ages!
Tour groups of all ages enjoy hearing the inspiring stories of our Unsung Heroes from our knowledgeable tour guides.
We look forward to the beautiful spring weather and warmer temperatures, so visitors can spend more time in Lowell Milken Park learning about unsung heroes.
Celebrating the Legacy of Irena Sendler
Irena Sendler was born 113 years ago, on February 15th. We remember this incredible woman with great admiration. We were with her about a week before her passing in 2008. She continued to speak about the brave Jewish people of the Warsaw Ghetto and the ‘righteous gentiles’ who helped save many.
Reminder: ARTEFFECT Submission Deadline is April 1, 2023.
The Unsung Heroes ARTEFFECT 2023 Competition invites submissions from all middle and high school students interested in making a positive impact through their art.
An Unsung Hero is an individual who is largely unrecognized by society for taking extraordinary actions to improve the lives of others, while making a profound and positive impact on history.
The 2023 Discovery Award Competition, sponsored by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, is underway.
Students in grades 4-12 can discover an unsung hero and submit a project for a chance to earn up to $6,000.
We encourage students to submit their topics for approval soon! (Topic approval is encouraged but not required to enter the competition.) Projects are due July 1, 2023.
For contest rules and to learn how to enter click the button below.
Author Leon Perry will be featured during a book signing this Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m. at Hedgehog INK bookstore, 16 S. Main, Fort Scott.
Leon Perry. Submitted photo.
Perry was a young child when his family came to Fort Scott in the 1950s to look for employment. They were staying in a motel in Belltown, on the city’s north side, when there was explosion in their room that killed his parents and a sibling.
Perry chronicles the kindness and help that he and his remaining sibling received from the community as he recovered from severe burns to his body and the loss of his parents.
He and brother, Ernie, were taken to the Goodlander Children’s Home, where they stayed until they were adopted by a local farm couple.
He tells of the life on the farm, school, 4-H and FFA that allows readers to understand life in Bourbon County during that era of time. He went on to be an educator and school administrator in Kansas and Missouri.
“The Kansas City Monarchs and America’s National Pastime”
2020 marked two major milestones for baseball: the Negro Leagues celebrated their 100th anniversary and Major League Baseball merged statistics of these African American players with those of the major league. The history of Negro League baseball in America mirrors the racial strife experienced by African Americans in society. It was plagued by discrimination, racism, and inequity, while its athletes were celebrated for their resiliency, professionalism, and athleticism. The Kansas City Monarchs barnstormed across Kansas and the region to play more than 400 games between 1920 and 1957 against local towns. This talk sheds new light on this sports history and the history of baseball in Kansas.
Phil S. Dixon a co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City also formally worked as Assistance Director of Public Relations for the Kansas City Royals. In 2020 Dixon was honored by the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York to select players for the Early Baseball Era ballot. He is the author of nine books about baseball, including biographies about Wilber “Bullet” Rogan and John “Buck” O’Neil. In the course of his research, he has interviewed over 500 former Negro League players and
family members.
“The Kansas City Monarchs and America’s National Pastime” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.
About the event
FREE EVENT
Bring your lunch
Drinks and desserts will be provided
Feb 23, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Fort Scott, 2108 Horton St
For more information about “The Kansas City Monarchs” contact the Gordon Parks Museum at (620) 223-2700 ext. 5850 or visit http://www.gordonparkscenter.org/.
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
