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Bissell Buzz
And in a blink of an eye, the 2025 season has come to an end, with the last day open for visitors being Saturday December 30th. We will be locking the doors and gates at 12 noon that day. But even though we have closed, someone will be on the premises every Friday. We will be very busy organizing some exciting and interesting events. Please save these dates!
On Sunday night September 28 at 5:30pm we will be hosting our Night at the Museum, when we will be honoring Howard King as our Person of the Year for 2025. Come and enjoy the evening with us and get some home-made pie and ice cream too! If you did not get a chance to visit us during 2025, this will be a good time to take a stroll through the museum and listen to the voice of our summer intern James, as he gives you a tour on our digital photo-frames.
The first event we will be hosting in October, will be in conjunction with The Gallery on October 5. Nicodemus lies about 40 miles to the southwest of Phillipsburg, but how much do we know about them? Artists Angela Bates, Cindy Balthazor and Darris Worcester have painted some beautiful pieces of art, based on the documentary film “Ellis Trail to Nicodemus – The End of the Journey to the Promised Land” and these will be on display at the Gallery. The exhibition will open at 1pm and the artists will be present until 5pm, as well as Steve Bugby, who wrote and narrated the poem in the movie. Jennifer George will have refreshments available at the free event.
We will on the same day, have two screenings of the movie, at 2pm and 3:30pm at the Fort. We will have popcorn and water available. The documentary is a story of one family traveling with the first large group, making the trek west in 1877 from central Kentucky to their new home in the promised lands of Kansas. The destination is Nicodemus, an all-black town on the high plains of western Kansas. It’s a story about newlywed and pregnant, Emma Johnson-Williams who traveled with her parents and siblings to start a new life of freedom in the West. Weeks after the 35-mile journey by foot Emma gives birth to the first baby born in Nicodemus, the first generation born free. ‘Robert and Billie’ is a short film love story that kicks off the Ellis Trail documentary featuring the first National Park Service maintenance man and his unique love story with his wife and descendent Billie Bates. Robert Brogden III is their grandson and production editor for both films. He is also a direct descendent of key individuals in both films.
On Saturday October 18, we will be hosting the “Untold Stories of Indian Battles in Northwest Kansas” at 9am at the Huck Boyd Center. Dr. Jeff Broome from Colorado is our main speaker, together with Brennan Engle, Denis Vine and Gordon Solomon. Hear them relate about the Prairie Dog Creek Battle, Indian/Government Treaties, Smoky Hill Trail Station attacks and Custer expeditions in Kansas and Nebraska. There will be artifacts and period firearms on display, including a Spencer repeating rifle. This will be a very informative session not to be missed if you are interested in the history that shaped our land. We will have refreshments and snacks available. There will be a cover charge of $10, payable at the door and any paid-up members of the Phillips County Historical Society will only pay half price. However, we ask for planning and catering purposes as well as seating arrangements, that you please RSVP in one of the following methods: Phone 785-543-6212 (leave a message), email to ftbissell@live.com or on our Facebook page or event page.
We look forward to seeing you at one or both events!
Ruby Wiehman – Curator
