Fort Belknap Days kick-off Friday

Fort Belknap will return to the 1850s as living historians take over the fort to help show what life was like to students and visitors on Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26.

The two-day event is split up with the first day, Oct. 25, typically used for students from county and area school districts to visit and the second day open to the public.

“It makes it hands on, so that students can see history happening in front of them,” Fort Belknap Director Jim Hammond said. “They can see how the soldiers, or the mountain men or the buffalo hunters behaved. They can see what they wore, how they were dressed and that makes it tangible. It is easier to learn that way, to experience the history.”

Hammond added a lot of what is taught falls in line with the TEKS program and what is taught in Texas history classes of fourth and seventh graders. He said this year Graham ISD, Newcastle ISD and for the first time Olney ISD will send classes to attend the Oct. 25 event. He said there will also be some schools from Wichita Falls which attend.

“We are going to try and keep it to 200 kids at one time,” he said. “That way they can spend a good amount of time with each person and learn about that and they can also ask questions. If you get more than 200, they are on top of each other and they can’t ask questions. It is frustrating to  the teachers, it is frustrating to the students and it is frustrating to the living historians as well.”

Hammond said the event will start at 9 a.m. each day with a flag ceremony, parade in review and firing of the first cannon. He added the event will go to 4 p.m. each day though some historians may stay later.

For the rest of the story, see the Wednesday, Oct. 23 edition of The Graham Leader.