The Ellsworth County Historical Society invites all reenactors to the annual Fort Harker Days at the Fort Harker Historic Site in Kanapolis, Kansas. This years Fort Harker Days will be on July 12th-13th-14th.

This event is for the benefit of Fort Harker and the Guardhouse Museum. All registration fees collected will be donated to the Historical Society for the preservation of the Fort and Museum. The registration/donation fee is $3.00. Please pre-register using the attached form. Walk-ons are welcome too.

This has always been a fun event for all that have come. Please be ready to answer questions from the public. The attendance from the public has increased each year.

Daily Schedule On Thursday at noon the campsites will open up for reenactors and sutlers. We ask that those that arrive early help set up the site for the reenactment. Usually this means we need to clean windows and sweep floors.

On Friday the 12th camps will continue to be set up. Some living history elements will begin. A meeting will be held at the guardhouse to go over the event schedule and then it is off to the Kanapolis Drive In. One of the few left in the state for a nice relaxed night.

Saturday the 13th will be a living history day event. A complete garrison will be run in the fort for the entire day. This will include drill, guard mount, camp life, running the guardhouse, the junior officer's quarters, and the grounds of the fort's headquarters. In the morning a group of volunteers will participate in the Fort Harker Days parade. The soldiers in the fort will represent the 37th United States Infantry. The 37th US was in charge of the Fort for the month of July 1867. The 37th was building the fort so reenactors with engineering experience will be greatly appreciated. Also at the fort was the 38th US Colored Infantry. They were performing patrols to Fort Hays and Fort Zarah. For civilians there is a cholera out break amongst the camp. Also there were a lot of civilians that worked for the fort in many capacities. For July 1867 there were more civilians located near and on fort grounds than there were soldiers. So civilians are greatly encouraged to attend. Civilians with wagons would be really appreciated.

On Sunday the 14th we will conduct a partial day of living history. We end early for those traveling long distances. The Historical Society will conduct a tour of the original Fort Ellsworth site.

This event is open to all reenactors with emphasis on US Infantry, US Colored Infantry, US Cavalry, US Artillery, US Medical, US Engineers, Galvanized Yankees, Civilians, Emigrants, Indians, Scouts and Teamsters

Camps Camp can be set up as early as Thursday the 11th after noon. Tents should be set up North of the train depot for the military camp. Civilians will be set up just West of the Guardhouse. The medical corps and engineers will be set up next to the headquarters. The Historical Society will be providing a cooked supper on Saturday night. Some food will be donated from local businesses. But please be prepared to supplement your own breakfast and lunches if you have a big appetite on both days.

This is a garrison event set in 1867 so tents are okay. The ground is a bit hard so you should probably bring a cot for comfort. Shine up your brass and your equipment. The weather at this event is usually hot. Be prepared to drink a lot of water. Water jugs with ice water will be on all locations there is a living history element on the fort.

Odds and Ends… If you need provisions when you get to Kanapolis there is "Charlie's" grocery store, Orozco's Mexican restaurant and of course the infamous "Coyotes Den". Modern lodging is available in the city of Ellsworth (4 miles to the West) for those interested.

Best Western Prairie Inn-785-472-3116 Ira E Lloyd Bed & Breakfast-785-472-5100 Castle Rock Ranch Bed & Breakfast-785-225-6865 Country Acres Mobile Home Park for RVs-785-472-3492 Of local interest is: Hodgden Home Museum Complex-104 SW Main Village Cottage-122 E 2nd St Drover's Mercantile-119 N Douglas