In memory of the
Heroes of '61-'65.
May the deeds of valor of
them and their comrades
forever inspire love of
liberty and country. — — Map (db m71280) WM
“I have now over 200 in camp, and they are in a most deplorable condition .I have a mother with her dying babe in my office. The rest are in camp, in a condition next to death. Most of them have no shelter .Your agent here has no funds, . . . — — Map (db m36270) HM
"But remember this, I am a girl, but I can fire a pistol and if ever the time comes I will send some of you to the place where there is 'weeping and knashing of teeth'...."
Gene Campbell, in a letter to James . . . — — Map (db m54075) HM
"The commands are given, the companies break into column....hardy, dashing looking fellows, those men, tanned up in their march from Fort Scott, from whence they have just joined us....The men are nearly all quite young....They are mounted on . . . — — Map (db m36137) HM
"I'm not leaving," Unsung Hero Carl Wilkens said these words and stood by them, as the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi was beginning in April of 1994. All foreigners were ordered to leave Rwanda, Africa, but Carl stayed. He was the only . . . — — Map (db m313768) HM
"Mother" Mary Bickerdyke (1817-1901)
A veteran of over 19 battles, Mary Bickerdyke revolutionized battlefield medicine and was known to soldiers as "Mother." As a compassionate role model, she prioritized life and health above all. In 1862, . . . — — Map (db m313761) HM
Known as "Mother" to soldiers, Unsung Hero Mary Bickerdyke was a Civil War nurse who revolutionized wartime medical care. A veteran of over 19 battles, Mary pledged her allegiance to life and health - not to the North or the South, making her . . . — — Map (db m313770) HM
Look at the structures around the parade ground. Fort Scotts appearance is largely the work of one man, Captain Thomas Swords, post quartermaster from 1842 to 1846. Shortly after the army assigned Swords to Fort Scott, he vowed that he would . . . — — Map (db m36185) HM
Kansas was the first state to recruit, train, and send Black soldiers into combat during the Civil War. The 1st and 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry regiments were mustered into service on the parade ground of Fort Scott. Captain William Mathews was a . . . — — Map (db m313434) HM
In Memory of the Soldiers of the
1st Regiment Kansas Colored Volunteers
who gave their lives in battle May 18, 1863 near Sherwood, Missouri
Henry Aggleson Pvt Co F
Greene Allen Pvt Co H
John Booth Pvt Co H
Edward Cockerell Pvt . . . — — Map (db m116815) WM
In peace you served
as our defender,
in battle our protector,
and in death, a reminder
that Liberty is still
our greatest Strength.
Dedicated in honor
of all who served
in the Armed Forces
of our Country
in the 20th . . . — — Map (db m21258) HM
Civil War Dead
An estimated 700,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died in the Civil War between April 1861 and April 1865. As the death toll rose, the U.S. government struggled with the urgent but unplanned need to bury fallen Union . . . — — Map (db m108813) HM
Born in 1928, Unsung Hero Gene Shoemaker was a pioneer in space science and remains the only person whose ashes have been buried on the moon. As the founder of the field of astrogeology, Gene helped to create the U.S. Geological Survey's . . . — — Map (db m314658) HM
The back yards of Fort Scott's officers' quarters provided officers and their families private space that was not available to enlisted men. Back yards were the site of diversions such as gardening, gossiping, and entertaining.
Archeology has . . . — — Map (db m36146) HM
Constructed, owned and operated by C.F. Drake as the Bank of Ft. Scott from 1886 to 1905. Later used as real estate, commercial & retail offices. — — Map (db m44165) HM
Bourbon County has had three courthouse buildings. The first was built around 1855 when Fort Scott became the county seat. The second building was built in 1887 but destroyed by fire in 1929. The Court House was immediately rebuilt and still . . . — — Map (db m313441) HM
Constructed as a mercantile building by Charles F. Drake and occupied by a variety of retail stores and professional offices since 1886. — — Map (db m44163) HM
Today when we get hurt, we can call an ambulance and get whisked away to the hospital quickly. During the Civil War, they did not have the luxuries we do today. In the beginning of the war, there were not enough ambulances to carry all the . . . — — Map (db m128668) HM
"If you have reinforcements...send them forward. The point to defend Fort Leavenworth is in the neighborhood of Fort Scott."
General Jim Lane to the commander of Fort Leavenworth, 1861
The army had vacated Fort Scott in 1853, but the . . . — — Map (db m36273) HM
To Honor All Combat
Infantrymen
We were boys and we were young
We became men on that hill we overrun
Some of us lived, many of us died
For a moment with us abide
And join in prayer with me
To honor those of the combat infantry . . . — — Map (db m44169) HM
Fort Scott was a dairy town and had 3 working dairies. Borden's canned and powdered milk was produced, boxed and shipped by rail to locations all over the United States. In the 1950's Batten Meadow Gold bought milk, bottled it, and delivered door . . . — — Map (db m312760) HM
For thirteen days, the world stood still, as the Cuban Missile Crisis played out. The Soviet Union had placed nuclear missiles on the island of Cuba. In October of 1962, the U.S. Air Force flew an American U-2 spy plane over Cuba and secretly . . . — — Map (db m314638) HM
This statue commemorates the life and legacy of David Lee Regan, the longtime coach who started the Fort Scott High School baseball program in 1990.
With ordinary means, Coach Regan was an extraordinary man who touched the lives of numerous . . . — — Map (db m82234) HM
Eugene Ware came to Fort Scott in 1874 where he joined the firm of McComas and McKeighan after passing the written law exam without a formal law degree. Eugene was a poet who went by the pen name Ironquill. Some of his published poems were used . . . — — Map (db m313190) HM
Amidst the tumult of the Civil War, the heroism and bravery of the First Kansas Volunteer Colored Infantry blazed a trail of resilience, unity, and compassion. On January 13, 1863, the First Kansas Colored was mustered into federal service on the . . . — — Map (db m314683) HM
In 1944, future civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez moved with her family to Westminster, a small town near Los Angeles. That fall, Sylvia's aunt attempted to enroll her own children, as well as Sylvia and her siblings, in the 17th Street . . . — — Map (db m313763) HM
"A profusion of vegetables - beets, carrots,
onions, potatoes, beans, turnips, and
tomatoes - were harvested from (fort)
garden plots."
'Broadax & Bayonet,' Francis Paul Prucha
General order - "To . . . — — Map (db m128650) HM
Fort Scott tells America's story during a critical time in its growth. When the fort was established, most of the nation's population lived east of the Mississippi. However, soon soldiers from Fort Scott would be part of westward . . . — — Map (db m128757) HM
This western outpost, named for General Winfield Scott, was established by U.S. Dragoons in 1842. The fort was located on the military road that marked the "permanent Indian frontier" stretching from Minnesota to Louisiana and stood midway between . . . — — Map (db m78770) HM
Main marker upper
The men in whose honor this
monument is erected were led by
the fires of Liberty.
They fought for no North, no
South, no East, no West, but for
one glorious and united country.
carving of G.A.R. . . . — — Map (db m22172) WM
When you travel a great distance, how do you get there? In the 1840s, dragoon soldiers were stationed at Fort Scott to patrol the frontier. Trained to fight on horseback and on foot, the dragoons were often called on to travel great distances . . . — — Map (db m312941) HM
Soldiers returned to the area during the Civil War. The Fort Scott served as a supply depot and an army hospital - the largest and most well-staffed hospital in the state of Kansas. Food, ammunition, and other supplies were sent in and out of the . . . — — Map (db m313436) HM
This National Cemetery
has been listed in
The National Register
of
Historic Places
by the
United States
Department of the Interior — — Map (db m61520) HM
Civil War Fort Scott
Fort Scott, founded 1842, was named for former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Army, Gen. Winfield Scott. The army abandoned the fort in 1853, but the Civil War prompted federal troops to return in 1862. Fort Scott . . . — — Map (db m108814) HM
Since Fort Scott had such a large hospital during the Civil War and many soldiers were dying from wounds and illness, there needed to be a special cemetery located nearby. The US Government chose 12 locations to be national cemeteries and Fort . . . — — Map (db m313440) HM
"The site selected is a ridge seventy or eighty feet high projecting like a wedge into a dry timbered bottom....A fine stream of water flows at its base....We designated [the site] Camp Scott, and would respectfully suggest that the . . . — — Map (db m36305) HM
If you had been an African-American student standing here around 1950, you would have been facing your school, the Hawkins School (above). This school was part of a continuum of African-American education that began with the Civil War and . . . — — Map (db m36269) HM
Often referred to as the 'Father of Chemurgy', George Washington Carver was an African-American scientist, botanist and inventor who discovered more than 300 uses for peanuts. He is regarded as one among the '100 Greatest African-Americans' for . . . — — Map (db m312756) HM
Fort Scott Community College was founded in 1919, the oldest 2-year college in continuous operation in Kansas. The term "JUCO" was coined here, with reference to when the community college was known as a junior college. The college moved to its . . . — — Map (db m312758) HM
Gordon Parks was born on November 20, 1912 in Fort Scott, Kansas to Sarah and Andrew Jackson Parks. Gordon wrote, "Poppa was a dirt farmer who farmed mostly dirt, but he kept us alive and taught us about love and devotion." The youngest of 15 . . . — — Map (db m128781) HM
Gordon Parks spent the first 15 years of his life in Fort Scott. The last of 15 children born to parents Jackson and Sarah, he eventually lived with a sister in St. Paul, MN completing his education. He became an author, poet, musician, composer, . . . — — Map (db m312952) HM
Homecoming [Side A]
This small town into which I was born, has, for me, grown into the largest, and most important city in the universe. For Scott is not as tall, or heralded as New York, Paris or London - or other places my feet have . . . — — Map (db m79845) HM
In 1905 Gunn Park was known as Fern Lake Park and was privately owned and operated. The fee to enter the park was 5 cents. On July 4, 1909 there were 10,000 visitors to Fern Lake Park to watch fireworks. In 1910 the owners had signed the park . . . — — Map (db m313197) HM
(top)
In honored memory of those from Bourbon County who gave their lives
(bottom)
In memory of those who gave their lives that our nation might live.
[The marker lists the veterans who lost their lives in World War . . . — — Map (db m20286) WM
This reconstructed infantry barracks, one of two at Fort Scott, serves to remind us of life for an infantry soldier here in the 1840s and 50s.
During wartime, infantry fought on foot, but during peacetime, life in the infantry meant isolation, . . . — — Map (db m36186) HM
Jacob "Merritt" Anthony 1834-1900 came to Fort Scott in April 1856 having followed John Brown, the militant abolitionist (free slave). Merritt owned and operated the Singer Sewing Machine Co. located at 11 W. Wall after the Civil War ended until . . . — — Map (db m312953) HM
This memorial is dedicated to Joe Skubitz and Mary Jess, his wife, whose interest in the preservation of Kansas history for future generations led to the restoration of old Fort Scott.
Congressman Skubitz with the assistance of Mrs. . . . — — Map (db m314709) HM
Judge Harry Fisher was born in 1887 in Linn County. Judge Fisher started his law practice in Linn County and later moved to Fort Scott. He was one of the judges for the bankruptcy court. He went on to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1932, . . . — — Map (db m313438) HM
The world has multiple phenomenal heroes of paleontology, but the one who stands out as a true Unsung Hero is Mary Anning. On the coast of Great Britain during the 1800s, Mary Anning spent her life searching for and researching fossils from . . . — — Map (db m313751) HM
Bourbon County has many cemeteries, but few with a story like Mayhew's. It was an active cemetery in the northern part of Fort Scott which became the final resting place of over 400 persons. The majority were African American. The cemetery was . . . — — Map (db m314676) HM
How can we know the distance between objects in the universe when these immense distances can't be traveled? Unsung Hero Henrietta Swan Leavitt's pioneering work greatly impacted the ability to determine distance in space.
Signposts in the . . . — — Map (db m314668) HM
[Side A]
1st Lieut. William D. Hawkins
United States Marine Corps
Born: Fort Scott, Ks April 19, 1914
Battle of Tarawa: November 20-21, 1943
Buried: Punch Bowl National Cemetery, Hawaii
Private George F. Pond
Co. C, 3rd . . . — — Map (db m66811) WM
1925
Memorial Hall was
constructed and dedicated to
"Those men and women who gave their lives
serving our country in World War I"
2001
Memorial Hall is rededicated to
"All of the men and women who have served,
are now . . . — — Map (db m20309) WM
Dedicated this day, June 2003
In memory of
John F. Benage, MD
The cross was originally donated by
Dr. and Mrs. Benage
To Mercy Hospital in 1989
"The cross should be a sign of hope and not of despair.
It reminds us that Jesus Christ . . . — — Map (db m99464) HM
Caboose No. 6 is one of 25 identical cars built in 1949 by the skilled workers at the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT) shops in Denison, Texas.
No. 6, a typical cupola caboose, saw service on all MKT lines in the Southwest United States. . . . — — Map (db m314680) HM
Classic Revival - built for $20,000. Residential and retail bldg. for I.W. Moody owner Ft. Scott Granite & Marble Works
Building listed on the National Register of Historic Places — — Map (db m57765) HM
A young man once played on the baseball fields known as Judge Harry Fisher Park and Don Hewitt Field. Adam LaRoche would later become a Major League Baseball Player. He went on to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Washington Nationals, and the . . . — — Map (db m312761) HM
Located near the Overflow/RV lot of Fort Scott National Historic Site was the site of the Hawkins School from 1923-1956. Professor Ernest Hawkins led this African American school for several years. He encouraged his students to 'Look Sharp, Be . . . — — Map (db m312936) HM
The quartermaster was the officer responsible for a multitude of functions needed to run a military post, including supply, subsistence, construction, and repair. Most of his operation took place here, in the area called the quartermaster complex. . . . — — Map (db m36171) HM
In the height of the railroad era 1870-1890's, numerous rail lines ran through Fort Scott and there were once five railway stations. Today, the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad is the only line that remains. The M.K.T. train depot was moved . . . — — Map (db m313194) HM
To see evidence of the rigid military caste system in the Old Army, compare the substantial homes along Officers Row in front of you to the enlisted men's barracks behind you. A soldier's rank determined his position both professionally and . . . — — Map (db m36135) HM
Born free in Maryland in 1827, William Matthews faced discrimination and limited access to education. In 1856, he relocated to Leavenworth, Kansas, and established the Waverly House, a hotel that became a vital stop on the Underground Railroad. . . . — — Map (db m313755) HM
You're on the Fort Scott Flood Tour! Visit the web site for details on other locations in town: https://visitfortscott.com/see-and-do/fort-scott-flood-tour/.
On October 3, 1986, after nearly 20 inches of rain in 3-days, the Marmaton River . . . — — Map (db m312715) HM
You're on the Fort Scott Flood Tour! Visit the web site for details on other locations in town: https://visitfortscott.com/see-and-do/fort-scott-flood-tour/.
While not much is known about the flood of 1931, local historians agree that it was . . . — — Map (db m312712) HM
You're on the Fort Scott Flood Tour! Visit the web site for details on other locations in town: https://visitfortscott.com/see-and-do/fort-scott-flood-tour/.
The flood of 1915 was described as the "flood of the century," setting a . . . — — Map (db m312717) HM
"Every military post shall have one Sutler, to be appointed by the Secretary of War."
General Regulations for the Army of the United States, 1841
About 100 yards in front of you an engraved stone marks the location of Fort . . . — — Map (db m128685) HM
"The immediate site of the post...opens out rapidly to the south in a beautifully undulating prairie."
Assistant Surgeon Joseph K. Barnes, describing the Fort Scott landscape in 1862.
Walk this short trail and imagine "the most . . . — — Map (db m36166) HM
If you've ever raised your hand in a classroom and been called on, you have Unsung Hero Amos Bronson Alcott to thank. When students were seen as empty vessels to be filled by fast-talking teachers. Alcott saw more potential in students. As a role . . . — — Map (db m314639) HM
"Fort Scott can boast of the handsomest Square in Kansas Territory."
Fort Scott Democrat, praising the town plaza, April 5, 1860
The grassy square in front of you silently witnessed events that defined Fort Scott and that . . . — — Map (db m36285) HM
This scene location depicts the home of Judge Cavanaugh where filming was completed both inside and outside the home. This was the home in which Sarah Winger worked as a maid and where Newt and his mother and father talk to the Judge about the . . . — — Map (db m313452) HM
The miniature house was built in 1927 by the park caretaker, E.V. Kelly. It was one of his many winter projects. He traveled to Mapleton, Kansas to find the perfect rocks for the walls.
His daughters, Nadine and Jenny, spent many enjoyable hours . . . — — Map (db m53288) HM
As a beacon of hope to starving populations around the world, Unsung Hero Norman Borlaug played an important role in the inception of the "Green Revolution." His decades of research and development in the area of efficient crop production . . . — — Map (db m313753) HM
Downtown Fort Scott
Historic downtown Fort Scott has roots in a time when it was the last stop before the frontier. Initially comprised of former fort buildings, it soon transformed into a lively downtown commercial district. New permanent . . . — — Map (db m128766) HM
The Stout Building at 102 N. National Ave. was built in 1912 by Durkee and Stout. They were the Fort Scott Grain and Implement Co. and sold John Deere, Kingman, and International as well as buggies, carriages, and wagons. In later years they . . . — — Map (db m313192) HM
Born on a New Mexico reservation in 1921, Chester Nez was raised Navajo and later forced to speak only English at boarding school. In 1942, during World War II, Marine recruiters visited his school, seeking Navajo boys who spoke English. . . . — — Map (db m313756) HM
Given the time and circumstances of his childhood, Unsung Hero Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks was unlikely to achieve the success for which he is now known. Born on November 30, 1912 in Fort Scott, Kansas. Parks was a farmer's son and . . . — — Map (db m314652) HM
Thanks for being here!
This walking trail idea was originally created by the Bourbon County LEAD class of '21, and finished by the class of '22. LEAD Bourbon County is a program organized by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce designed . . . — — Map (db m312753) HM
After the army sold Fort Scott in 1855, the infantry barracks located here (reconstructed in front of you) became the pro-slavery Western Hotel. The building across the parade ground directly behind you became the anti-slavery Free State Hotel. . . . — — Map (db m36272) HM
The city has 12 miles (once had 30 miles) of streets paved with bricks which were manufactured at the Fort Scott Brick Factory. Approximately 1 million of Fort Scott's bricks were used to build the Panama Canal. Fort Scott's first brick company . . . — — Map (db m313189) HM
"Bathing is promotive both of comfort and health; and where convenience for it are to be had, the men should be made to bathe at least once a week. The feet are to be washed at least twice a week."
1841 Army Regulations
This foundation, . . . — — Map (db m36168) HM
"Anaai naatsosi beeldooh alhaa dildoni nishnaajigo nahdikadgo. Diiltaah."
This was the first message Chester Nez sent over the radio while serving on Guadalcanal during World War II. This message was sent in the only unbroken oral . . . — — Map (db m313766) HM
