Join us as we venture into the past with our special guest, Connie Pinnock, Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Ford County Historical Society. Connie paints a vivid picture of the importance of preserving Fort Dodge, a pivotal piece of history that had a significant role in settling the West and safeguarding travelers along the Santa Fe Trail. Interestingly, Fort Dodge remains the only fort established for this purpose in Kansas that's still waiting to be placed on the National Historic Register. Connie uncovers the potential advantages of this historic recognition, from securing federal funding to sparking renewed interest in preserving the area's rich history.
In the second half of our journey, Connie emphasizes the vital role of community engagement in preserving Fort Dodge. She encourages you to use your voice and reach out to your representatives, ensuring this historic gem does not remain overlooked. Be part of an exciting movement that not only safeguards our shared past but also brings to light the captivating history of Fort Dodge. Discover how you can contribute to the preservation of history and why it matters. Make sure to stay tuned for resources and links to keep you updated on the path to preserving Fort Dodge.
As Dodge City was made by the Santa Fe Railroad, Fort Dodge was made by the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Dodge, established in 1865, was a part of the series of early frontier forts that made the settlement of the west possible by protecting travelers along the Santa Fe Trail. Thus, Fort Dodge has historical significance but has never been comprehensively evaluated for its eligibility to be placed on the National Historic Register.
Of the three military installations in Kansas established to protect the Santa Fe Trail (including Fort Leavenworth, established in 1827, and Fort Larned, established in 1859), Fort Dodge remains the only fort not protected by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Unfortunately, this means that Fort Dodge buildings and cultural resources remain unprotected. It is time for Fort Dodge to have its place in history and be protected by the National Parks Service as a National Historic Site. This show features Connie Penick, who currently serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Ford County Historical Society and is the Committee chair of the Preservation of Fort Dodge Focus group. To receive updated progress on developments for the preservation of Fort Dodge, you can join the Facebook page at PreserveFtDodge. In addition, you can learn more about the history of Fort Dodge by going to The History of Fort Dodge.
As Dodge City was made by the Santa Fe Railroad, Fort Dodge was made by the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Dodge, established in 1865, was part of a series of early frontier forts that made the settlement of the West possible by protecting travelers along the Santa Fe Trail. Thus, Fort Dodge has historical significance but has never been comprehensively evaluated for its eligibility to be placed on the National Historic Register. Of the three military installations in Kansas established to protect the Santa Fe Trail, including Fort Leavenworth, established in 1827, and Fort Larnard, established in 1859, Fort Dodge remains the only fort not protected by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Unfortunately, this means that Fort Dodge buildings and cultural resources still lie unprotected. It is time for Fort Dodge to have its place in history and be protected by the National Park Service as a National Historic Site. Welcome to Wild West Podcast. My name is Brad Smalley and today I will be your moderator.
Speaker 2:
And my name is Mike King, the writer and producer of Wild West Podcast.
Speaker 1:
Today we have with us Connie Pinnock. Connie currently serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Ford County Historical Society and is the committee chair of the Preservation of Fort Dodge Focus Group. Connie, we are delighted to have you here with us today and are very interested in a project you have taken the lead on, and that is the Preservation of Fort Dodge. Connie, can you tell us in our audience why the Preservation of Fort Dodge project is so important to Kansas history and to Ford County?
Speaker 3:
Well, it's all very important and there are a multitude of reasons why we should be saving our history, but one of the things that I, in my reading that I've come across, is that it's because of Fort Dodge that we even have a Dodge City, and so the city is still here. So I think it would behoove us to save the Fort who saved us? So that's just kind of one of the reasons why I think that it is important to preserve Fort Dodge.
Speaker 2:
Now I'm going to ask you a question Is Fort Dodge a historic landmark?
Speaker 3:
You know, to the people who are in southwest Kansas the answer would be yes, but to the people who are outside of our area it is no, because it is not a designated historic site. While it's loaded with history, it's never been able to be on a register for historic sites.
Speaker 1:
For years, you know, I've had people that I've chatted with who come through and you mentioned Fort Dodge and their eyes just blow up Like was that something I can go see? So yeah, that's a great interpretation. So how involved is the process to apply for historic recognition?
Speaker 3:
Well, it's as with anything that is worth doing. We want to do it well, and there have been several attempts to make this happen, but the steps are involved. You get local people who want to save the Fort, so you have that interest. Then you have to go to the state historical society to let them know that you're interested in this historic site. Then you have to fill out an application and then that application has to go to review board and then that review board recommends it to someone higher in the state would then have to sign off on it.
Speaker 3:
Well, in our case, with Fort Dodge, the little hiccup is ownership. We are still trying to get the owner to admit they own it, and that would be the state of Kansas. Now, the state of Kansas does understand they own it, but now that means that we need to go through more of our representatives, our senators and the governor, so those are hard to get to currently the port is being utilized by the Veterans Society and is that some of your problem is because you've got, maybe, this Idea that there's a dual ownership out there.
Speaker 3:
Yes, actually, when we started our project about a little over a year ago, some of these facts started coming to the surface and Because we needed to establish ownership in order to get it on the historic register, and While the state recognizes that they own it, they're not quite ready to accept the responsibility of what is required. Well, in the early years they did for about the first eight years there was custodian that took care of it. Well then, after that, when we went to bat to get a soldier's home here, then that was established and the veterans did start coming as early as the Civil War veterans and more of all the conflicts that we had. Well, then all of a sudden we have the veterans administration. Then is an agency for funding that would help support a soldier's home. So then the veterans administration became involved.
Speaker 3:
Now no one's quite sure when that happened, which decade, but then once it happened, and then of course the state then just let the veterans association take care of it or administration Take care of it, and now it is. So I think intertwined, that we're not real sure what will happen if we do get it on the historic register, because there are Certain steps that we have to do and it may affect how the veteran administration does business, and so that's of concern, and I would like to get that concern off of the table, because we're here to help the veterans, not only by saving our history, but saving their lifestyle and what is needed for them, so I think both of them can work well accounting.
Speaker 1:
The next question you kind of already Already answered in part, but maybe just go into a little more detail is how will getting Fort Dodge on the National Historic Register be of benefit?
Speaker 3:
well, I think the Largest benefit is financial, because not only are we going to be able to save history and Repurpose the buildings that are left and that's only a few, because we're almost too late, but we have some wonderful opportunity here but if we get it on the National Register, it does open this up to grant funding at a federal level, and we believe that we could apply for grants. That would not only enhance the area of Fort Dodge but would enhance what they're doing there at the Veterans administration with the soldiers home and Help with those buildings as well, and we could also Give the people who are residents there a purpose for saving their history and saving their home.
Speaker 2:
You mentioned the idea that it's almost too late when you make that statement. Can you kind of describe why it's almost too late?
Speaker 3:
Well, I would just read an article and I'm not just real sure I can state it Exactly right, but when they started adding buildings to the fort, when it was building up and very important, they had over a hundred cottages there. They also had the dwellings for the soldiers, they and then they started building a hospital and then they started building you know, other buildings necessary. Well, as the years pass, they started tearing those buildings down and they all have historic value, whether it was in 1865 or it was 1965. But that's what's happening. These buildings are now being systematically torn down. We have lost.
Speaker 3:
Well, there were over a hundred carted cottages out there and now there's not that many. I'm not sure what the number is, but it's limited and the Junior officers quarters that was being utilized at some time has now been kind of let fall apart and it probably doesn't have maybe another two years before it's just may fall down and we lose all that history. We have the Custer's House we call it Custer's House and where the administrator lives, and we'd like to make sure that one is preserved. There are other buildings. There's a museum out there that's actually housed in one of the original buildings. We'd like very much not only to save that building, but save the information and the artifacts that are in that building. So yeah, and as they decay and fall and they tear them down, it may just completely disappear.
Speaker 1:
So what is all included in the preservation of Fort Dodge?
Speaker 3:
A lot of legwork, making a lot of contacts with people on the local level, the state level, the federal level, getting the interest like what we're doing today with your podcast, and reaching the public and letting them know that it's all going to disappear if we don't take the time to save it. And oh, there's just so much information from the decades, from when they first started at the turn of the century, to the veterans who have lived there and raised families there, and we even have young people who are coming back and saying to us I remember when I lived there and we did this, and those are just stories of they're going to be lost if we don't save it.
Speaker 1:
So I think then, kind of what you're saying is we're not just looking to save a national historic site, we're looking to save a historic community.
Speaker 3:
Yes, I think that's an excellent way to put it, because it really, as I said, we wouldn't have a Dodge City if we didn't have Fort Dodge.
Speaker 2:
Well, is there anything else you would like to offer our audience out there about the preservation of Fort Dodge? Maybe some concluding thoughts?
Speaker 3:
Well, I would like to encourage anyone and everyone who is listening to your podcast to talk to their representatives. Talk to your senators, you know, take some time to let them know that they are interested in the preservation of Fort Dodge or just the preservation of our history. And I know that the politics of the project is very important and I know that it's very important that the people become involved, because, ultimately, that's what our history is it's all about the people. So reach out, talk to your politicians and encourage them to preserve Fort Dodge.
Speaker 1:
Well, connie. Thank you so much for your passion, your obviously lifelong dedication to this process. You can't tell you how much we appreciate having you on the show today. So that's it for now. To receive updated progress on developments for the preservation of Fort Dodge, you can join the Facebook page at wwwfacebookcom. Slash reserve Fort Dodge. In addition, you can learn more about the history of Fort Dodge by going to worldfamousgunfightersweeblycom slash fort dodgehtml. Links to these websites are provided in the description portion of this podcast.