Evenin'! Uh...whoops...I mean Mornin' everyone!
I just thought I would update everyone who was interested in my "Quantrill Special Collection Research" project at the Gentry Public Library in Gentry, Benton County, Arkansas.
I am proud and excited to report that there have been donations of books, personal research and papers of different variety by individuals, historic sites and authors. We will also have decor around the collection consisting of two Missouri Confederate flags. Namely the black Quantrill flag (black flag with the white Q in the upper left corner) and the Missouri Confederate battle flag (navy blue field, red trim, white cross on left side). There will also be pictures of the guerrillas and mini movie posters from Quantrill related movies including "Ride With The Devil" and John Wayne's "True Grit"
The donations of research has been from authors, Robert Collins ("Jim Lane: Scoundrel, Statesman, Kansan"), Deryl Sellmeyer ("Jo Shelby's Iron Brigade"), historic sites like the Confederate Home State Park and Cemetery in Higginsville, MO. and individual donations of books like "Quantrill and the Border Wars", "Quantrill of Missouri" and John Newman Edwards famous book, "Noted Guerrillas!"
We will have copies of Confederate pension and Confederate Home applications for FIFTY Quantrill men including William Gregg, Jim Cummins and William Gaugh just to name a few!
I have started a sub-collection called the "Quantrill Teachers Resource Collection" that is a collection of Civil War themed cirriculum and lesson plan books. My basis for that is to bring Quantrill and the border wars deeper into the classrooms. Teachers can check out these "teachers only" books and cross plan with Quantrill books. For example: Instead of students writing about how Atlanta was rebuilt after Sherman, they can write about how Lawrence, Kansas was rebuilt after Quantrill's raid. Or...instead of students writing their own Gettysburg Address, they can write their own "Order No. 11."
The folks down there are pretty excited and we have the dates for the collection to open to the public and a presentation on some Confederate history in the region. The events are:
Quantrill Special Collections Research opening ceremony
Saturday, May 19, 2012
11:30 AM for refreshements and mingling
Ceremony starts at Noon
"Quantrill / Northwest Arkansas: Bound By Battle"
Monday, May 21, 2012
6:30PM for refreshements and mingling
Presentation begins at 7:00PM
Thanks everyone!