November 28, 2018
This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.
Today’s
story is about some of the memories Margaret Clark had about living with her
parents in Quarters 123 on Fort Riley.
The house was built in 1855.
Margaret wrote that: “We never lacked for good times and fun, however
dull they might seem today. Dinner
parties, dances and cards were enjoyed by the older people while taffy pulls
and popping corn kept the younger set entertained. Croquet, tennis, horseback riding and even a
hunting club provided some outdoor activities.
There was
much rivalry between the Cavalry and Artillery posts with regimental baseball
football and wrestling teams – even boxing and fencing. There was always a
Saturday evening “hop” with an orchestra playing for the dancers.
Nothing was more fun than a sleigh ride on a
bright winter’s night when the snow was deep enough. Heated stones were put in the wagon box
covered with hay and blankets. On
Saturday afternoons in the winter, the officers and their families would use
the ice rink and the band would play as they skated.
In the large riding hall there was
Roman riding with three or four horses abreast and men riding on their bare
backs doing all kinds of stunts. A
military drill was a colorful and thrilling sight.”
Margaret Clark married a young
Artillery officer in 1914. The wedding
took place in the front parlor of Quarters 123.
Margaret was assured that she would continue a life rich in military
traditions and heritage she learned while growing up at Fort Riley. And...that’s today’s story on “Our Past Is
Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.
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