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Civil War's economic impact
Many people know the significant impact of the Civil War on the United States, but the war also had a huge economic effect on Fort Scott.
The first shots of the Civil War were fired 150 years ago on April 12, 1861, and according to local historian and administrator of the Mine Creek Battlefield Historic Site Arnold Schofield, the residents of the Kansas Territory -- feeling wronged by the actions of Missouri residents during Bleeding Kansas, took it personally.
"The murder and the mayhem that was Bleeding Kansas became a war, from the Kansans perspective, a war of retaliation, retribution, and revenge," Schofield said.
The Civil War had both positive and negative effects on Fort Scott, said Schofield. When the war began, the U.S. Army needed horses, mules, buildings, land and livestock feed, among other items. The Army, Schofield said, was purchasing hundreds and thousands of horses and mules from local settlers. In addition to livestock, the Army would also rent land on which to build warehouses and military prisons.
"Fort Scott becomes a huge military complex during the Civil War," he said.
With the military expansion in Fort Scott, several businesses such as blacksmith and carpentry shops, began flourishing because civilians were constructing the military buildings.
"Fort Scott really becomes an economic boomtown during the Civil War," Schofield said.
As fast as the economy grew, the destruction of war moved closer to Fort Scott. In the fall of 1864, Schofield said, Confederate Army Mjr. General Sterling Price invaded Kansas about 30 miles north of Trading Post at Santa Fe, Mo. His orders were that if he could not capture Kansas City and Fort Leavenworth, he was to proceed south by southwest, raising as much havoc and devastation as he could until he returned to Missouri.
The burning of civilian property in Missouri in 1861, led by Lane's Brigade, had moved to Bourbon, Linn and part of Johnson County in 1864 as a result of Price's path of destruction, according to Schofield.
Each state had a war claims department where civilians could submit claims for the value of their property destroyed during the war, Schofield said. The problem with the claims is that documentation at the time was often insufficient and the U.S. government rarely paid the full amount, he said.
At the conclusion of the war, the area's economic outlook was on the upswing. From about 1865 to 1880, Kansas was given the nickname of The Great Soldier State, according to Schofield, because of the thousands of veterans, mostly from the Union Army, that came to the state to settle. One of the most notable Union Army veterans to move to the area was Eugene Ware, who served in Iowa during the war. Ware settled in an area that is now a part of Crawford County on 160 acres of land. In addition, his brothers, mother and father purchased adjoining land.
Schofield said the Quartermaster Department collected enemy contraband, such as horses, mules, and wagons, during the war and salvaged and sold the equipment at its conclusion.
Buildings constructed on rented land were also sold. Schofield said landowners had the opportunity to purchase the structures at a public auction.
In cases where a building was purchased by someone other than the owner of the land, the building was dismantled and moved to a different location. Schofield said the Blockhouse on Skubitz Plaza is an example of a military building that has been moved several times. The blockhouse began as Fort Blair to serve as a protection and storage for the fort. It was originally located at the corner of what is now Second Street and National Avenue. It was purchased by a local carpenter, Joseph Smith, who moved to an area near the current location of the Courtland Hotel. Smith used the building as his carpentry shop.
The buying and selling of livestock and materials was not the only impact on the area. As the war was winding down in 1865, Schofield said, the Quartermaster Department employed more than 100 civilians in Fort Scott, with many of them serving as teamsters to drive wagons. Those employees were paid by the Army and spent their money locally.
Fort Scott National Historic Site will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War on Saturday and Sunday as they host "Thunder on the Hooves," a full range of programs focusing on the role of cavalry on the border and other important Civil War functions in the town of Fort Scott during this pivotal conflict. Programs will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday with the last program at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Saturday
9 a.m.: Flag raising
10 a.m.: "Thunder on the Hooves," cavalry drill
11 a.m.: "I Fear This Cot Will Soon Be Empty - Emma Morley"
1 p.m.: "The Evolution of U.S. Cavalry: 1833-1865"
2 p.m. : "Hells Headquarters," guided tour
3 p.m.: "Thunder on the Hooves," cavalry drill
4 p.m.: Flag retreat
Sunday
11 a.m.: "Thunder on the Hooves," cavalry drill
1 p.m.: "The Evolution of U.S. Cavalry: 1833-1865"
2 p.m.: "I Fear This Cot Will Soon Be Empty -- Emma Morley"
3 p.m.: "Hells Headquarters" -- guided tour