New celebrations of the past

Hi neighbors. Our neighboring town of Fort Scott is having a big celebration this week.

October fourth through seventh will see the 18th Gordon Parks Celebration of Culture and Diversity provided by the Gordon Parks Center. Gordon Parks was a nationally known photographer, film maker, novelist and composer. He died just this year and throughout his lifetime was awarded over fifty honorary doctorates and many other awards.

A winner of the annual nation-wide photo competition is announced each year.

In 2006 Howard L. Bingham is the winner. He is a highly regarded photographer who considered Gordon Parks his mentor. He has extensively photographed Muhammand Ali who he considered a friend for the past 40 years.

Bingham will receive his award during the Friday events.

Most of the events and presentations are free and open to the public. There are small fees for the events where meals are served and for the trolley rides. For more information check the Web site: gordonparkscenter.org.

Of course there is lots going on in Nevada too. We seem to have a lot of local clubs and organizations for people to join to share common interests.

We all think days of socializing are over, but from the number of social events and club meetings announced each week that may be a misunderstanding.

In the 2005 Vernon County Heritage 1855-2005 "Pass It On" two volume set, Volume One includes 92 organizations that thrived during that time period. A majority of these are still active.

The biggest dip in numbers of institutions throughout Vernon County during the last 150 years is in the loss of rural schools.

With more than 60 school buildings being built then either abandoned, moved, remodeled for other purposes, razed or burned down during the last 150 years, we might think we are lacking in schools to attend.

How many of you remember when Hartland was St. Francis Convent? Long ago it seems, but I remember one or two of the nuns that were there.

The old Syvandale "Scrappy" school was where my father and his siblings attended for awhile. According to the book, the nickname came from some of the students' behavior. I have often wondered if that might refer to my father! He did get into trouble at one school for riding a mule through the one-room building. However he clarified that story by saying the mule just went where it wanted to go and he was simply along for the ride.

If you've been to the Bushwhacker Museum this summer you've seen the first step in the exhibit about Vernon County businesses over the years.

Are you curious about how many there were? Well, I'll give you one more spoiler then you'll have to go buy a copy of the two volume set. The book tells the story of 98 business started in Vernon County in the last 150 years. Of course, not all businesses old or current are represented if the owners didn't turn in an article to be in the book. Believe it or not -- it' s in the book! Over 55 churches are named and many photographed. By the way, there was a calendar for sale a couple of years ago featuring the churches of Vernon County. I hope you got one because the photos were really nice and many of the churches pictured are no longer standing.

Many families are represented. Some people mistakenly thought their family story would be included even if they did not submit one. Unfortunately there was no one qualified to write their stories but the families themselves.

The military pages feature men and women from all parts of Vernon County who served their country in the (too!) many wars over the last 150 years.

Like most people, when I first got the books, I looked for myself and my family entries. But as time has gone by I have discovered many "relative connections" that I didn't know I had by reading the family stories.

Which reminds me of the theory of six (or seven) points of connection. You might want to play this game with your family. The theory is that no matter who you name, you will find a connection between them and someone or something you know within six connections.

This really works well in genealogy and it seems it also holds true in the Vernon County's Heritage 1855-2005 "Pass It On." Give it a try and you'll be saying, "It's in the book!"