I emailed back and forth with Heather Ferguson at the museum. She is working on a pioneer days festival. A barbeque, story tellers, gunfights and that sort of thing.
I am remembering now that they have it every year.
She said they are still in the planning stages. I am going to meet with her next week.
My suggestion is that people who are interested join forces with her and bring your ideas.
If you would like to meet with her, let me know, or if you want to work on this with the museum people, let me know.
How would a kids landrun work?
Im having trouble visualizing it, but it does sound like a fascinating idea.
Might try to have one with the the music festival too?
They have that for campsites at the walnut valley festival. Do you guys go to that?
jj
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Been to the WVF many times, but never to the museum's event. Personally, I think it looks cramped!
theres plenty of room
The land run has a very fascinating history that almost nobody knows about. I have read a number of the previous Traveler stories and other historical stories and haven't seen anything other than the most superficial "everybody got in buckboards and ran across the border" stuff.
Maybe the Traveller could do some in depth articles about the real reason of the land rush: the railroad barons in post civil war America connecting Kansas City and Omaha to the Gulf Coast instead of New York.
I find the lottery system and the pre-land run sale interesting too.
I find it interesting how the settlers paid about $1.25 and the Indians were paid 25c per acre.
Also how the counties (or settlement areas) were initially lettered, and this was how "K" (Kay) County Oklahoma got it's name.
101 Ranch and how it was built on leased indian land and the agreements were ignored by the Feds in the land run and the subsequent scandal and collapse of the owners there.
Also pretty interesting stuff about the bribing of the Kansas governor by the railroad barons to force a vote to open the indian territories so railroads would be given right of way land and not have to negotiate with the indian tribes.
Or where the Cherokees in the Cherokee strip came from (Georgia) and the general (Winfield Scott) who brutally force-marched them to Oklahoma which resulted in thousands of indian deaths.
Or maybe what is the Cherokee strip? Is it just around Ark City? (no). Or the gooberville surveying mistake that had to be corrected and changed the location of the state line.
There is a lot of interesting history to know. Maybe the Traveller could put it in a series.
Or: How many Cherokee strip museums are there? Maybe compare the ones in other towns with the one in Ark City. How does it stack up? Do they have different stories in their Cherokee Strip museums than Ark City does (you might be surprised)?
How are they financed? What is their budget? Are they run by volunteers?
Is there anything they do that Ark City doesn't? Could they have anything to contribute to your soirée? Do they do festivals?
How about a a reverse land run?
We gather Okies at the south part of the Cherokee strip, have a lottery of the available properties, let them go with a cannon shot and they run to Ark City and take possession of the downtown buildings.
Just like the original land run, they have to occupy the property for a year and have to make improvements in order to keep it.
I love the idea of the reverse land rush. The only thing that I would see wrong, is I dont think that we could find enough "shallow" okies, to want to occupy our delapatated downtown buildings. Maybe the city should buy a tin company, and offer the tenents a gallon of paint, with the subsidized tin.
Hey James, maybe you should delete those posts that has nothin to do with the topic in here...from what I am reading the things that are being said do not sound so hot. People better watch what they type, you are never 100% anonymous on a computer. i think those posters have went too far and should go find their own fighting place to act like toddlers having tantrums!
Must of been something really interesting to have those comments removed! By the way, I am curious as to if anyone has contacted the museum yet on the land rush idea.
hooray for James. don't know what juicy tidbits of posts I missed but I don't mind. Thanks for standing up and showing some cahones and doing the right thing by giving us a forum of value and ideas other than hate and malicious gossip.
yes the museum needs your help.
you people who talked about wanting to do this ... you have the opportunity.
the posts i delete were the same old same old tres amigos versus the other side .. and i even deleted one of my own posts by accident.
guess it wasnt meant to be.
I contacted the museum. I'm sure she is open minded to suggestions. However, she said that the purpose of the event was to draw people to the museum. I guess I was just seeing (or dreaming of) a bigger picture. I was kind of hoping to draw people to our town??????
I guess I was just seeing (or dreaming of) a bigger picture. I was kind of hoping to draw people to our town??????
>>>>>>>
Maybe she does need to catch a vision of the bigger picture.
But its still an opportunity.
I am reading up on the history of the land run before I make any contact.
Lagonda, take this as a compliment. You seem to be our walking encyclopedia, could you please tell me where you are dredging up your info? I am trying to find what you are talking about and don't have tons of time to search. Thanks!
It's still possible to do a landrun event.
I am not so sure it matters if it is all that historically accurate.
I dont know if Heather wants to incorporate it into her event or not ... but either way.
Some people need to step up and get this thing going.
Maybe we could have a meeting to get started. To start a committee.
Ill lead the first meeting if someone else will take it over.
I am going to be too busy with the music festival.
Personally, I think we should all go to the museum in September. If we have never been to Heather's event, we will need to know how we can work together to compliment her "thing". Then, right after the her event is over, we should have a meeting for next year. It would be the perfect time for some brainstorming. James could hold that meeting and then we can designate some responsibility for the planning and organizing.
Personally, I think we need to study up on the history of this, because if the Indians were basically being ripped off as Lagonda is implying, then I think a mock Land Run would be insulting to the Indian population.
What we did to the Indians was horrendous.
Ripping them off for the Cherokee Strip land was the least of our sins.
I dont think it would be insulting.
Maybe we could get creative and find some way to involve native americans in some positive way?
j
Lagonda, ...., could you please tell me where you are dredging up your info?
Kansas junior high history (Mrs Musson's class) and Oklahoma high school history. Also, some time back I used to read old Traveler and Couriers online under a page by Bill Botorff. I don't know who he is but I think he is an ex-pat Winfieldite. Bunch of interesting stuff happened and there is no understanding history quite like reading the local newspapers of the day (1860-90's).
Oh, yeah, a little bit of college, too. ;)
BTW the Cherokee Strip was only about 3 miles wide.
and there is no understanding history quite like reading the local newspapers of the day (1860-90's).
>>>>>
very true.
the early days of ark city are really interesting.
about 100 years ago, the hot issue was the "joints" downtown along Summit.
There were 5-6 bars.
and some had houses of ill repute upstairs.
some wanted em shut down.
others thought it would hurt the local economy to close them.
ive always liked that writing style of the late 1800's too.
And you could buy fresh (live) oysters on the half-shell in restaurants in Winfield (and they were popular), bananas by the hand, and popcorn from a stand in the 9th and main intersection.
One of the "houses" was upstairs from (currently) Bryant's Hardware.
It gives new meaning to "I'm going into town to get a hoe" (sorry, couldn't resist)
It gives new meaning to "I'm going into town to get a hoe" (sorry, couldn't resist)
LOL
I laughed so hard spilled my mountain dew
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