Plankintons to bring Civil War presentation to Second Saturday event

By Brian Sanders
For nearly two decades, Boyd and Helen Murphy Plankinton of Holton have enjoyed sharing their knowledge of events and artifacts of olden days with their "living history" presentations that have taken them around the state and across the country.
This coming Saturday, Nov. 8, the Plankintons will offer a presentation of Civil War life, both on the battle front and the home front, as part of the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce's Second Saturday event, "Historical Holton." They'll be featured at a dinner presentation that evening at Your Place of Mine, 501 E. Fifth St. in Holton, with dinner starting at 6 p.m.
"We'll talk about the events leading up to the Civil War, and I'll talk about the role of the civilian and the fashion of the time," Helen Murphy Plankinton said of Saturday's presentation. "We're hoping it will be educational, but also entertaining."
The Plankintons have participated in a number of local and national living history events since 1996, ranging in location from Lecompton to Gettysburg, Pa. Boyd has participated in Civil War battle reenactments, such as the battle that occurred in Gettysburg, Helen said.
"We'll be in our 'historically-correct' Civil War reenactment wardrobe, with Boyd as a soldier and me as a Civil War lady," Helen said. "Boyd will also talk about the soldiers of the eastern campaign, with the war in the eastern states, and the soldiers of the western campaign, with more of the 'Bleeding Kansas' guys who would be from Kansas and Missouri and would have had different uniforms."
Part of Boyd's presentation, she said, will involve "how a soldier would march and load his rifle," while she said she offers "more of the 'civilian fashion' part of the presentation." The presentation will also offer a timeline of events leading up to the Civil War, she said.
The Plankintons are also active members of the Fort Scott-based living history organization known as The Holmes Brigade, United States Volunteers Inc. The group specializes in portraying events of the Civil War and the Kansas-Missouri Border War for educational purposes and works with national, state and local parks and civic organizations in their living history demonstrations.
The dinner will be served by the Your Place or Mine staff and is scheduled to include St. Louis-style ribs, a baked potato with sour cream and chives, tossed green salad with homemade croutons, a butter roll and cheesecake with a raspberry glaze. A cash bar will also be provided, it was reported.
Tickets are $25 per person, and space is limited to 75 participants. Tickets may be purchased at Denison State Bank, Farmers State Bank or Holton National Bank, all in Holton, or for more information, call the Chamber office at 364-3963.