Fort to present 'Crack Post of the Frontier' tour

So far this summer, those attending Fort Scott National Historic Site tours have witnessed tragic events at the site and met figures from the Border Showdown. Saturday, Aug. 20, a building tour titled "Crack Post of the Frontier" will be offered.

Tour-goers should meet at 6:30 p.m. at the FSNHS visitors center. Ranger Barak Geertsen will lead those attending around the site.

The buildings of Fort Scott National Historic Site stand today as silent witnesses to one of the most significant eras of our nation's history, serving as permanent reminders of a bygone era, a news release said. The care that went into the construction of the buildings -- their materials and design -- helped assure their permanence.

The fort's designer, Capt. Thomas Swords, said his goal was to make Fort Scott the "Crack Post of the Frontier."

Fort Scott National Historic Site staff and volunteers will introduce participants to the challenges the U.S. Army at Fort Scott faced in building a frontier post. They will present the story of soldiers who had not joined the Army to build houses while they demonstrate the tools they used.

Those attending will also experience the trials that Swords faced in building the fort on a budget and having no other officer who could "draw a straight line, even with the assistance of the ruler," the release said. Those on the tour will also learn how the materials, design elements, and architectural styles used in the buildings' construction helped assure their survival to the present time.

Geertsen's tragedy tour earlier this summer drew 65-70 people and Ranger Galen Ewing's "Border Showdown" experience drew around 50 people. "I'd be happy with 50, but 30 would be fine, too," Geertsen said.

He said there's no set formula for figuring out tour themes. Some are ideas he's had for a while. The tragedy tour was devised because people requested ghost tours, and in lieu of that, the tragedy tour was born.

The next tour, centered on the Civil War 1861, will be Sept. 24 and led by Ewing.

Fort Scott National Historic Site is open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Entrance to the site is free of charge. For more information call (620) 223-0310, or visit www.nps.gov/fosc.