NPS Photo

U.S. Army Freight Wagon Wheel at Fort Scott

The wheels of transportation on the frontier in the 19th century carried the dreams of Americans heading west; these wheels helped a nation to span a continent and transform it into a world power. Transportation will be the theme during events at Fort Scott National Historic Site held in conjunction with this year’s Good Ol’ Days celebration on June 7 & 8, 2008. Mules, oxen, and horses will once again roam the site, as will a troop transport wagon, an oxcart, a Civil War era ambulance, and a covered wagon. The site’s U.S. Army freight wagon, cannons, and limber will also be on display for the weekend.

Demonstrators attending the event include Rick Lunceford, who, along with his ox team, will conduct cart-pulling demonstrations throughout the day. Visitors can pet the oxen and hear about the vital role of oxen in the settlement of the West. The Fort Riley Mounted Color Guard will bring their mules and a 19th century transport wagon. Dressed as Civil War soldiers, the Color Guard will be camped under the large American elm near the post guardhouse, relating stories of camp life and the importance of mules during the Civil War. (The Good Ol' Days schedule indicates that the Fort Riley Mounted Color Guard would be doing mounted demonstrations, but due to unforeseen circumstances, those demonstrations will not take place. Instead, the Color Guard will be giving programs about mules.)   Visitors can also climb aboard a covered wagon and learn more about the hardships of life along the Oregon Trail with Connie Werner, of Werner Wagon Works. Werner will have an authentic covered wagon loaded with everything a family would have taken with them on a journey west. She will also be conducting cooking and laundry demonstrations. Rounding out the demonstrators will be park ranger Michael Seymour from Fort Larned NHS, who will be accompanying a Civil War ambulance and discussing the nuances of Civil War medicine.

Several volunteers and staff at Fort Scott will also be giving programs. Matthew Wells will be presenting “Fueling the Frontier”, a look at the important function played by the quartermaster at Fort Scott. Katie Wells will be doing a dramatic reading of Oregon Trail diaries in “Diaries of the Trails”. Robert “Skip” Thomas will be telling “A Trader’s Tale”, as he shares stories of the Santa Fe Trail. In “Highway Patrol”, Arnold Schofield will relate the history of the military road and its importance to Fort Scott’s history as a transportation corridor. In "Traveling to the Beat of War Drums" you will hear the story of Emma Caroline Morley, who made a risky journey from Ohio to Fort Scott, Kansas during the perilous days of the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi theatre. A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of horses, oxen, and mules as draft animals will be the subject of “Draft Dodgers”, and the roar of artillery will be heard during “Wheels of Thunder”.

Additionally, the world famous Clydesdales will be stabled on site during Good Ol’ Days and throughout the week preceding the event. They will be available for viewing during operating hours at the dragoon stable.

During Good Ol’ Days weekend, there is no fee to visit Fort Scott NHS. Normally, visitors age 16 and above pay a $3.00 entrance fee to visit the site, but on June 7 and 8 this fee will be suspended. The site will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The complete schedule of activities follows. For more information, call 620-223-0310. For more information on the weekend event, visit www.fortscottgoodoldays.com.

Saturday-June 7

• 10:30 a.m. MedEvac-Civil War Style: The Role of the Ambulance -Interpretive Talk
• 11:00 a.m. Wheels of Thunder: Artillery Program and Demonstration
• 11:30 a.m. Fueling the Frontier: Quartermasters and Military Supply-Interpretive Talk
• 12:30 p.m. Diaries of the Trail: A Pioneer Woman -Dramatic Reading
• 1:00 p.m. The Time of the Mule -Fort Riley Color Guard
• 1:30 p.m. Traveling to the Beat of War Drums: Emma Morley Travels to Fort Scott-Interpretive Program
• 2:00 p.m. A Trader’s Tale: Stories of the Santa Fe Trail
• 2:30 p.m. Draft Dodgers: Oxen, Mules, and Horses -Interpretive Talk
• 3:00 p.m. A Fine Yoke: Oxen and Westward Expansion
• 3:30 p.m. Highway Patrol: The Military Road -Interpretive Talk
• 4:00 p.m. The Time of the Mule -Fort Riley Color Guard

Sunday-June 8

• 11:30 a.m. MedEvac: Civil War Style: The Role of the Ambulance -Interpretive Talk
• 12:00 p.m. The Time of the Mule -Fort Riley Color Guard
• 12:30 p.m. Traveling to the Beat of War Drums: Emma Morley Travels to Fort Scott-Interpretive Program
• 1:00 p.m. Draft Dodgers: Oxen, Mules, and Horses -Interpretive Talk
• 1:30 p.m. A Trader’s Tale: Stories of the Santa Fe Trail
• 2:00 p.m. A Fine Yoke: Oxen and Westward Expansion
• 2:30 p.m. Fueling the Frontier: Quartermasters and Military Supply -Interpretive Talk
• 3:00 p.m. The Time of the Mule -Fort Riley Color Guard
• 3:30 p.m. Diaries of the Trail: A Pioneer Woman -Dramatic Reading
• 4:00 p.m. Highway Patrol: The Military Road -Interpretive Talk