FSNHS offers special evening tour Saturday

The Fort Scott National Historic Site will once again offer a special evening tour starting at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The tour, titled "For What it's Worth," will focus on 19th century land and property issues. There is no charge for the tour, which is open to the public, but those who plan to attend are requested to sign up in advance by calling the site at (620) 223-0310.

The right of individuals to own land was a fundamental principal in the founding of the United States and helped define the character and development of the nation. Land ownership and property issues were at the heart of many events at Fort Scott during the mid-1800s. During the one-hour tour, re-enactors will create four different scenes in which soldiers or civilians at Fort Scott were involved in land disputes, according to a FSNHS statement.

One scene will focus on issues that occurred during the opening of the West. The second scene will focus on issues that took place during the Bleeding Kansas period. Civil War issues will be the focus of the third scene, and the final scene will involve issues that arose during the railroad years.

FSNHS, a unit of the National Park Service, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The usual entrance fee of $3 for each adult 16 years of age and older will be waived this weekend. In recognition of the current economic difficulties, the NPS has designated several fee-free weekends at the FSNHS this summer. Other than this weekend, fees will also be waived the weekend of Aug. 15-16, the FSNHS statement said.

For more information, call the site or visit the FSNHS Web site at www.nps.gov/fosc.