Fort Scott Kan. – Join a ranger for a walk back in time to the “Good’ Ol’ Days” Saturday, June 3, 2023. Programs and living history activities will be ongoing from 9 am – 4 pm. And meet at the park Visitor Center. All activities are free and open to the public. To find out more, please contact the park at 620-223-0310.
SATURDAY, JUNE 3
9 a.m. – Tallgrass Prairie Walk
10 a.m. – Ranger Guided Tour of the Fort
11 a.m. – Artillery Demonstration
Noon – Flash Flood: Westward Expansion Discussion
1 p.m. – Ranger Guided Tour of the Fort
2 p.m. – Artillery Demonstration
3 p.m. – Democracy Run Wild: Bleeding Kansas Discussion
4 p.m. – Ranger Guided Tour of the Fort
Throughout the Day:
What’s in my backpack? A discussion about what a soldier needs on patrol on the prairie.
A discussion around the Underground Railroad.
From April 1-September 30, 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 am – 5 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.
National History DayState Championsfrom Fort ScottSet to Present at the Empress Events Center Southeast Kansaswill send two projects totheNational History DayChampionshipin College Park, Maryland June 11–15.
Four groups from theBourbon County community attended the State National History Day Championships in Topeka in April.
The two groups from Fort Scott who are State Champions competing at Nationals in June will present their projects at 7:00 PM on June 1stat the Empress Events Center. This presentation will allow the students to practice sharing their projects and raise funds for their trip to College Park, MD. This event is open to the public.
The following studentsare the State Champions andwill be sharing their projects on June 1st:
Kenlee Eden, Blair Felt, and Kodie Wells from Fort Scott Christian Learning Center will participate inthe Junior Group Documentary category, coached byMegan Felt and Rachel Wells.Their project is entitled Blazing a Trail for the Forgotten.It is a documentary based onJean Purdy, the first embryologist in history. Jean’s efforts in helping biologist Dr. Robert Edwards and gynecologist Dr. Patrick Steptoe led to the first IVF baby being born in 1978.
Taly Banwart, Holly Crain, and Abby Jacobs from Fort Scott ChristianLearning Center will participate in the Senior Group Performance category, coached by CLC history teacher Dan Kobernat. Their project is entitled A Love Larger Than Life.It is a performance based on Dr. Leila Denmark and her efforts to eradicate whoopingcough by creating the pertussis vaccine. Dr. Denmark’s vaccine was the 11thvaccine ever developed.
History Day encourages students to express their knowledge of and interest in history through creative and original dramatic performances, media presentations, historical papers, website design, or three–dimensional exhibit projects. The research and study for district, state, and national competitionstake place throughout the entire school year.
The national competition involves the top 2,000 students from across the nation, chosen from over 800,000 who compete in order to advance from local to state to national competition. All 50 states and several countries will be represented at the National competition. The themethis year is“Frontiers in History: People, Ideas, and Events.”
The Lowell Milken Center is located at the corner of First and Wall Streets.
The Lowell Milken Center provides critiques and helps with research for National History Day Unsung Hero projects from Kansas and throughout the United States.
The mural will be on this wall that faces the Fort Scott National Historic Site. Jerry Witt, owner of the building, had Mid-Continental Restoration Co. do the work of preparing the wall for the mural.
The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Downtown Division is working to bring about a downtown historical mural’s creation that will feature the Civil War’s 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment that were stationed in Fort Scott.
“Kansas was the first Northern state to recruit, train, and send Black soldiers into combat during the Civil War,” according to the Fort Scott National Historic Site website. “Fort Scott served as the home base for both the 1st and 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry, with both regiments being mustered into federal service on Fort Scott’s former parade ground.”
Captain William Mathews –a free Black, a businessman and station master on the Underground Railroad –recruited former slaves into the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Fort Scott. From the FSNHS website.
Jerry Witt is the owner of the building at 19 N. Main whose north outside wall faces the Fort Scott National Historic Site. Country Girl Cuts Salon is housed in the building currently. It is this wall where the mural will be created.
The plaque on the building at 19 N. Main states that at one time the building was a clothing store and the second floor a bordello. Submitted photo.
Witt contracted with Mid-Continental Restoration, Fort Scott, to “tighten up the building, tuck pointing, in preparation for the mural painting,” he said. “Any loose paint, etc. taken off so as not to deter the new mural going up.
Jerry and Judy Witt hand out Halloween candy in from on their home on Main Street in this photo from October 30, 2021, taken from the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. The Witts live in a historic downtown building, and own several storefront buildings in the downtown.
“We’ve had several people want to paint a mural there,” Witt said. “But this project, we are excited about because we wanted to enhance something about the history of the fort.”
The Mural Project: Looking For An Artist
“The mural public art project will offer one artist the unique opportunity to showcase their original art in the historic district of downtown Fort Scott,” according to fortscott.com
“The chosen mural will be painted on the exterior building wall facing the National Historic site, where the group was sworn in and was the first African-American regiment to fight against the Confederacy in the Civil War.
“The artwork will remain the property of the City of Fort Scott.
For request for proposal of a mural, artists are to submit the following:
Mural sketch including the following:
At least three soldiers from the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry
The selected mural will be painted on the Star Clothing building, 19 North Main Street, on the north wall facing the National Historic site. Mural size will be 25′ x 12′, covering the existing mural.
Schedule
“All proposals are due by 11:59 pm on Monday, May 29, 2023, and must be submitted via the Visit Fort Scott web page dedicated to the mural. Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted. All proposals will be reviewed by a panel of African-American consultants to ensure the mural is culturally sensitive, and then proposals will be judged blind by a panel of local artists, historians, and stakeholders. The winning proposal will be announced on Juneteenth (June 19, 2023). The winning artists must be prepared to have their murals installed no later than September 30, 2023.
“Proposals not selected may be invited to participate in a special art show hosted by the Artificers Gallery in Fort Scott, KS, to be held in January of 2024. Additionally, any proposal submitted may be used for marketing purposes by the City of Fort Scott or the Fort Scott Chamber. The artist will be cited for their work.
Selection Process and Criteria
“One artist will be selected by a panel of local judges comprised of local artists, historians, and community stakeholders. Criteria will include artistic merit, historical appropriateness, and how well the subject will translate to a mural.
Eligibility
“The Fort Scott Chamber Foundation , a 501c3 organization, has opened the call for artists, and is open to any Kansas resident willing to submit a proposal that can complete the requirements as specified, including the design and installation of the mural. Any design that includes advertising, soliciting, campaigning, or any other promotional or commercially-driven entries is ineligible.
Artist Compensation
“The chosen artist will be compensated through a payment of at least $5,000, which is intended as a design fee and will be paid at the completion of the mural. The selected artist will also a given a daily per diem during the project period (up to seven days) for meals/lodging if travel accommodations are required for the project. Project material costs will be covered up to $5,000 by The Fort Scott Chamber Foundation in addition to the artist fee. The artist fee could be more than the amount listed if additional funds are raised through crowdsourcing.”
FORT SCOTT, Kan. – Tickets are now on sale for Wahzhazhe: An Osage Ballet. This moving story of the Osage people is coming to Fort Scott, Kansas for three performances July 21-22, 2023. Adult tickets (ages 16 and up) are $35.00 while tickets for children (ages 15 and below) are $15.00 each. Discount early bird prices are available until May 31. Tickets can be purchased online at https://friendsoffsnhs.ticketspice.com/wahzhazhe or by visiting the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site on Facebook. Persons needing assistance with online purchases can do so, in person, at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.
The rich history of the Osage Nation is brought to life in this stunningly beautiful stage performance using traditional drumming, colorful costumes, and contemporary dance. The heart-pounding drumbeats, rhythmic dancing, and compelling stories of Wahzhazhe are sure to delight dancing enthusiasts and history fans of all ages. The show has been performed for the Pope in Philadelphia, PA, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. and most recently at Branson, MO. Fort Scott performances will be held Friday, July 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 22 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site in partnership with the National Park Service are hosting Wahzhazhe as part of Fort Scott National Historic Site’s educational programming. This performance will be the highlight in a series of Native American programming being offered by the park this year. The Friends are seeking sponsors to help offset the cost of bringing the performance to Fort Scott. Contact [email protected] for more information.
Gordon Parks Museum is located on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.
TOPEKA–Humanities Kansas recently awarded $6,979totheGordon Parks MuseuminFortScottto support“Langston Hughes and Gordon Parks Exhibit Display,”a moveable exhibit that explores the works and friendship between two cultural giants who had roots in Kansas.Kirk Sharpserves as project director.
This project will produce exhibit panel displays with a theme that highlights both Langston’s and Gordon’s lives and careers.The displays will target thehistory, journey, friendship, collaborations and connection of these two pioneers in the field of arts.
The panel displays will include graphics, photos and text information andfollow both of their journeys as a poet and photographer, respectivelyand their impact on the arts. These panels will be portable, so they could easily be moved and displayed atdifferent universities, libraries, and organizations across the state of Kansas.
The project will also feature the launch of the exhibit display and speakers’ presentation on Langston Hughes and Gordon Parks, during the 20thannual Gordon Parks Celebration at the Gordon Parks Museum in Fort Scott, Kansas on October 5–7, 2023.
During the celebration, there will also be a digital interactive display on Langston Hughes and Gordon Parks.“The exhibit displays creates a great opportunity in helping tokeep both of the legacies and triumphs of Langston Hughes and Gordon Parks alive.” said Kirk Sharp, Gordon Parks Museum Executive Director.
“Humanities Kansas believes that Kansansareenergized by people engaging with history,”said Julie Mulvihill, Humanities Kansas Executive Director. “Thistraveling exhibit projectwill connect people with their past and strengthen a sense of community and pride of place.”
About Humanities Kansas Humanities Kansas is an independentnonprofit spearheading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy.
Since 1972, HK’s pioneering programming, grants,and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights.
Together with statewide partners and supporters, HK inspires all Kansans to draw on diverse histories, literatures, and cultures to enrich their lives and to serve the communities and state we all proudly call home. Visit humanitieskansas.org.
Kirk Sharp is the director of the Gordon Parks Museum on the campus of Fort Scott Community College. Submitted photo
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Local Project DirectorKirk Sharp Executive Director Gordon Parks Museum 2108 S. Horton St Fort Scott, KS 66701 620–223–2700, ext. 5850, kirks@ fortscott.edu
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.
