One-Man Play Tells Story of Key Civil War Skirmish

The play recounts the story of the first African Americans to fight as Union soldiers during the Civil War and will be presented Saturday at the Missouri History Museum by The Black Rep.

On October 29, 1862, Rufus Vann and the other members of the First Kansas Colored Volunteers regiment made history at the Action of Island Mound as the first African Americans to fight as Union soldiers during the Civil War. Vann, who became a corporal in the Union Army after enlisting at age 46, is the focal point of “Resurrection 150,” a short play presented at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park as part of the museum’s “The Civil War in Missouri” exhibition. The play commemorates the 150th anniversary of a skirmish between the First Kansas regiment and Confederate troops that occurred on the Toothman Farm in western Missouri near the Kansas border. It is written by Linda Kennedy, artistic associate of The Black…

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'Civil War in St. Charles County' Shows War's Multilayered Effects

Documentary written by St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann airs Sunday on Channel 9, KETC.

Like the rest of the country during the Civil War, St. Charles County was a diverse, uncertain hodgepodge of emotion, ambition, violence, and economic and political motivations. Channel 9 KETC will televise The Civil War in St. Charles County at 3 p.m. Sunday. After the broadcast, the program will be available online through the county's SCCMO-TV Cable 993 or online video on demand. Local politicians, educators, students and residents, including Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Judge Stephen Limbaugh, and Mark Wrighton, chancellor of Washington University narrated and provided voices for historical figures. The one-hour program was produced and edited by St. Charles County’s Video Production Department. St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, …

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PatchCast

Daily PatchCast: St. Charles May Consider Smoking Signs, Creve Coeur Has Trial Period for Metal Detectors and More

A roundup of St. Louis news headlines for Tuesday.

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Time Traveler's Ball Brings History to Life in St. Charles

The Living History Company event featured Marie Antionette, an American cowgirl and German nobles.

The Living History Company is composed of historical reenactors, educators, and enthusiasts with interests ranging from Medieval England to the Old West. In November, members donned their favorite costumes and gathered at the VFW Post 2866 in St. Charles for a ball that naturally, had a Time Traveler's theme.  "It just rolls off the tongue," said Chris Miller, a member of The Living History Company's Board of Directors who looked like a Indiana Jones movie character. "I don't remember who suggested it," said a corseted Shannon Sofian, event organizer and another member of the company's board. "Once the idea was out there, it was unanimous. It's a perfect way to reflect our membership. We have people who've been part of the [Renaissance …

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