Oh, no... Fort Washita is gone! :(

[nuranar]

http://www.kxii.com/news/headlines/103830028.html?storySection=story

Going to Fort Washita the second weekend in December has been part of my family's life since 1998 or 1997. It's always the "Fort Washita weekend." We've invited friends from all over the country to join us different years, including rvqavalon last year. We've juggled schedules and finals and SAT tests and sports and concerts and Christmas parties to keep that weekend open.

I can't believe we won't be back.

:(

http://www.okhistory.org/outreach/military/fortwashita.html"]http://www.okhistory.org/outreach/military/fortwashita.html

This picture of the ruins of the original barracks was taken from the balcony of the building which is now gone.

Now the ruins will stand side by side.

There are so many memories in that place. Not just of reenactments, but of brothers and cousins growing up, and friends who've moved away or gone on to other things.  It's a part of my life. And now it's not there any more.

I don't know why I'm not crying.  It's just not real. And I'm not going to watch film of it burning to make it real.

Comments

[ramblin_rosie]

How *horrible*! Makes me sick, and I've never even been there!
*hugs*

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

I know, I just couldn't believe it. (((HUGS))) Thank you!

[dixievictoria.livejournal.com]

I can't believe it! I loved that place. I think I'm going to cry...

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

(((HUGS))) I know! We've spent so much time there. And now I keep thinking of all the things there, like our chandeliers up in the ballroom, and the new stairs, and those tables and benches and the TV cabinet we always had to move, and all the nails we put in for curtains and ropes... so many tangible little things all gone. So sad!

I wonder if they'll try to do a camping event out there in December. The BIG obstacle is not being able to have cook fires.

[dixievictoria.livejournal.com]

*sigh* yes, no fires would be a big drawback. But - I hate to give up the idea of a December get-together entirely. It's too bad one of the smaller buildings (like the quarters near the horse pens) don't have a larger woodstove.

If all else fails, we do live on a 2000 acre ranch with plenty of room for camping and cookfires...

[laughingmagpie.livejournal.com]

I'm so, so sorry. What an awful loss.

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. It really is a big loss to the Texoma community, and a lot of reenacting outfits. I'm not sure what now.

[fancyfrocks.livejournal.com]

Oh nooo :(
I'm so sorry.

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you... I keep thinking it was just a joke, or I didn't really see it or something! :(

[jenthompson.livejournal.com]

That's horrible! What a sad thing. :(

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

I know! It's such a loss. In the past I've marveled that they actually spent money on a reproduction building of all things; most of the time, it seems you're doing good to make repairs on originals.

[belluthien.livejournal.com]

That is heartbreaking...
y

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

It really is. I don't know what will happen now.

[snowywolfowl.livejournal.com]

That's not good. Can it be rebuilt?

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

It can, in terms of it's possible. I think the primary foundation is slab concrete - that's the floor in one of the downstairs rooms - and unshaped stone forming the entire porch and downstairs walls. Depending on how hot and extensive the fire was, most of the foundation and even some of the walls might be reusable. But the entire upper floor and roof was wood and plaster, so it's gone gone. It really might look a lot like the ruins already there. :(

If it's going to be rebuilt is a bigger question. In my (limited) experience it's not common for historical sites to build buildings; they tend to struggle for funds to upkeep what they have. IIRC there were rumblings some years ago about closing it, because of lack of funding. But they did replace all four outside staircases last year or the year before (the north side ones were getting too weathered and scary), and apparently there was more work done this year; so that smacks of more state interest and money. Although it's not close to any significant city, it's not terribly out of the way from highways, including I-35. So it gets a lot of use from various reenacting communities, at the very least. I sure hope it's worth their while, but I have no idea myself. I sure hope it is.

[seawasp]

That's terrible. Is there any possibility they'll restore it, or is this one of those things that once it's gone there's no way they can re-build?

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

It's really knocked me for a loop. :(

I honestly don't know. I kind of rambled on to snowywolfowl above for all the various reasons. I think it comes down to the size of Oklahoma's budget, potential lost revenue, and advocacy. Several years ago I heard rumors they might close it; but then in the last couple years there have been some significant improvements to the building. So it seems it wasn't given up on. Replacement cost is a lot higher than repair, though, alas!

I think it's a fairly unusual thing for historical sites to have reproduction buildings. Most of the time they're sites because there are original buildings, so time and money is spent developing those. I don't know whose brilliant idea it was to build this barracks back in the 1970s, but I've often blessed him. Without that building - and its fireplaces and cooking facilities - it's going to lose most of its draw but for tourists. Being a state park/historical site, campfires are outlawed.

So I don't know. But I'd much rather there were two sets of ruins and an open park, than two sets of ruins and an abandoned site.

[suededsilk.livejournal.com]

Oh, no. :( I'm so sorry!

*hugs*

[rvqavalon.livejournal.com]

Oh, Ginger. This makes me just ill...

[misshoneybee.livejournal.com]

:( I'm so sorry! That looked like a lovely place... *hugs*

[jordannamorgan]

Oh dear. (((HUGS))) I know firsthand how evil fire can be. :(

[girliegirl32786.livejournal.com]

That's horrible! I'm so sorry!