Eight Wonders of Bourbon County revealed today

A local Victorian style home which has been selected as one of the Eight Wonders of Fort Scott. Submitted Photo

Fort Scott Area Tourism Committee Chairman Martha Scott announced Wednesday that the final Eight Wonders of Bourbon County have been chosen. Local Historian Don Miller is slated to publicly announce the winning monuments Thursday during the chamber coffee at Fort Scott National Historic Site.

Thirty-seven area landmarks were nominated in all to be recognized.

"I really hoped that we would get more than eight," Scott said in an e-mail, "and could not believe that we got thirty-seven. And, they were not frivolous nominations, either. Each site nominated definitely had merit."

In the end, eight sites were chosen including:

Barnesville, Kansas and the Magic Mile; Bandera Stone Company; Fort Scott National Historic Site; The Victorian Homes of Fort Scott; The Historic Churches of Bourbon County; The Historic Downtown and brick streets.

According to Scott, several nominations had to be grouped together because they were wonders as a whole.

"It isn't one Victorian home that makes Fort Scott a wonder," she said. "The Victorian homes as a collection make it a wonder."

The Tourism Committee of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored the contest in August with the hope of promoting tourism in the area as well as encouraging residents to view the wonders as well.

"I personally feel like Fort Scott is a really neat place to live," said Scott. "I don't think everyone appreciates it though."

The wonders project was created in cooperation with the Eight Wonders of Kansas contest.

Bourbon County has two nominations in the state competition as well. They include Fort Scott native Gordon Parks and the post office painting nominee "Border Gateways," a mural housed in Fort Scott's Post Office.

Look for results from the Eight Wonders of Kansas online and in the Friday edition of The Tribune.