No, I’m not going on a road trip, at least not yet, but I’m planning on one soon. I have two stories spinning around in my head and I’m feeling a need to hit both spots for research. The first and the closet place is Valley Falls, KS. It’s been a few years since I’ve driven through town and at the time I didn’t get a chance to explore. The tiny town has a small, but rich pre-Civil War history.
While I’m in the area, I’d like to visit Ozawkie and Oskaloosa. Both are smaller towns but both play a big part in Kansas history as well as United States History. The towns are less than ten miles a part, one was a free-state settlement, the other pro-slavery. Talk about conflict.
The second road trip I’d like to take is to Fort Scott. Again, it’s another historical rich area in Kansas. Its beginning was meant to keep promises to Native Americans, to keep white settlers out. Obviously you know that didn’t last. After the fort was auctioned off and a town was built, Kansas was opened for settlement and soon it entered an era known as ‘Bleeding Kansas’. Fort Scott played a part during these border wars with Missouri as well. Once the Civil War broke out the military took over the fort once again.
I know very little about these areas but what little tidbits I’ve read in dairies written long ago have sparked ideas for stories and I’d love to see them to the end. Hopefully I’ll be able to make these trips soon and take plenty of pictures.
Do you like to go places and see things? What is your favorite place?
Don’t forget to scroll down and comment on the final blog series with Bruce Judisch. He’s giving away ‘A Prophet’s Tale’ set.
2 responses to “Road Trip!”
a) I LOVE road trips to do research!! I wish I could join you. (Don’t forget, you have access to several writers in the area as resources)
b) I’m into my family’s ancestry, so cemeteries are among my favorite places to visit! But, since my ancestors didn’t leave a diary or family Bible, I have to look for breadcrumbs with the history of the places they called home. Case in point: my great-great-great-great-great grandfather, 1729-1790, died in Lee, MA. It was a grand scavenger hunt, but learned he was a tanner and upon what mountain he lived, and by the gracious hand of Providence, I found his grave site (there were no records of it)
I will be praying for Providence to make your road trips come to pass and be blessed beyond your wildest dreams.
Merrie, what an exciting find. There are tons of trips I’d love to make doing ancestry research. Some in Kansas, much of it in Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan.
Thank you for praying. I need it.