Review of Battery Hooper Civil War Days 2016

Sorry for the lack of content lately, but my new job has turned things around for me, leaving me much less time for research and writing, specially as overtime has become mandatory lately. I have been surprised and disappointed by how little time I have spent here or on any other Civil War reading and writing, and need to reverse that trend, hopefully starting now.

I have also had some issues with the Blogger app not saving everything I type. That is frustrating as I have redone this post multiple times.

I do want to take some time to review the Ramage Museum's Battery Hooper Civil War a Days from this year, the thirteenth incarnation of the event and the ninth(!) with which I have been involved.

We facedsome new and interesting challenges this year, but still put on a successful event.

On Saturday morning, we had some issues with our museum building, but got them resolved well before any visitors arrived. That was certainly an interesting hour or two we had, though.

Saturday featured the worst weather I have ever witnessed at for any BHD event. We had a few downpours of rain, and when it did not rain, it looked like it would at any moment. It was a fairly unpleasant day overall, but our presenters put on goodshows. We even moved a couple inside, though maybe we should have done do earlier. The Belle Boyd presentation was new and very interesting, even in a fairly small room.The weather certainly impacted attendance and left us feeling a bit frustrated over events we could not control.

Sunday was a much better day, perhaps even perfect from a weather perspective. Attendance  rebounded quite nicely, bringing us a feeling if relief.nWe had more guests in the first two hours than we did all day Saturday, send we ended up with over 500 attendees for the day. It seemed like the beauty of Sunday was a gift to make up for the struggles of Saturday.

Overall, we faced some challenges, but put on a successful event. We had good sales in our gift shop and used book sale, and visitors were kind with their donations. As usual, it was a lot of work, but, again as usual, as soon as it ended, I started looking forward to next year, wondering what new presentations, displays and ideas we might try then. 

Quick Review of Battery Hooper Days 2015

Battery Hooper Days 2015 at the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum where I volunteer has, incredibly, already come and passed, last weekend. It was a great event. The weather was terrific - a bit warm and muggy, but not too bad for August.(I make no claims of objectivity - I help plan and run the event and museum and am willing use this blog platform to promote it - but I was happy with it, as were the other museum directors.)

 

Our living historians, presenters and re-enactors did a wonderful job. The talks were fun and interesting and kept the visitors entertained both days.They also were fantastic in interacting with the public. That helps educate people about the war and also makes an event better for the visitors. It is, perhaps, the most important part of successful living history, at least after accuracy send knowledge anyway. We really appreciate those who spent their weekend at our event. The addition of a U.S. Grant impression worked out very well.

The encampment, with the medical tent set-up and quite a few re-enactors, was a fun place to visit. It is always fun to see the tents, rifles and other equipment on display. Along with the variety of uniforms.

The dulcimer music and wool spinning demonstration inside the museum on Sunday were both popular and added greatly to the atmosphere inside, as guests kept funneling through the museum. Having inquisitive children visit added to the success. It was great to see them so interested and I know the lady spinning the wool really enjoyed it. I'd like to think every visitor learns something at an event like this, but I know those few children did. That is a large part of why museums exist and events like this are held.

Our expanded used book sale was a tremendous success, and will go a long way in helping us financially, especially as we work toward some physical improvements to the museum building. We were fortunate enough to receive a large donation of books earlier this year, and that helped us immensely. 

We were also fortunate to have multiple sponsorships and donors that helped us quite a bit this year. St. Elizabeth Healthcare, K & V Cultural Resources Management LLC, and the Courtyard by Marriott in Florence all came through for us and the bequest of books from the Michael Wilson family was very valuable. Thank you to each sponsor and donor.

Attendance was slightly down, but we still had over 800 people in over the weekend and the feedback we received was positive. It was held a week earlier the year and a couple other big events were taking place the same weekend, so we did have quite a bit off competition. Still, all that we could control - the advertising, promotion and the actual event itself - went well.

I did not get to take a lot of photos, unfortunately, but here are a couple I managed to snap early Sunday.

It will be interesting to see what new displays or presenters we find for next year.

Battery Hooper Days 2013

It is hard to believe, but mid-August is almost here and for me that means Battery Hooper Days time again. 

It is just one week away now and should be another fine event, with some familiar presentations as well as a few new presenters and exhibits.

Please see the Ramage museum's website for directions, but please remember this is a FREE and family- friendly event, as always

James A Ramage Civil War Museum

Battery Hooper Days, 2012

Well, my summer lull in posting continues, but now that Battery Hooper Days at the  James A Ramage Civil War Museum and all the effort it entails is complete, perhaps I can now spend more time thinking of more topics and doing some more research for interesting subjects and stories.

This year's event was a huge success, with about 1,200 visitors over the 2 days and brisk sales and donations, which will be a big help to the museum. The weather was as good as it can ever be in August in this area - mid 80s for the temperatures, just a few white clouds dotting the blue sky, no rain. Sunday was a bit more humid, but not bad. We have often had temperatures in the 90s with a lot of mugginess, and the way July went this year, with record heat, that is kind of what we expected. Instead, we got the most beautiful August days we could ever dream of.

As usual, the re-enactors, living historians and speakers made the event fun and entertaining. We had 2 new musical groups this year, Chamber Music with Flutes on Saturday and Raison D'etre on Sunday. Both were phenomenal.

We also had a Jefferson Davis impression for the first time and his interaction with Abraham Lincoln was fascinating. They had worked together before and their chemistry was great.

The re-enactors set up a very neat encampment, with several great displays. The cannon fire and musket fire both grabbed people's attention and had visitors smiling and enjoying themselves. These guys also did a great job in the ceremonies we had to remember Bob, showing their appreciation for a departed colleague and fellow re-enactor. I really appreciate the work these guys do in setting up their camp and interacting with the visitors.

Harriet Tubman and Harriet Beecher Stowe impersonators told their fascinating stories again, and generals Lew Wallace and Horatio Wright were kind enough to adjust their speaking times to help fit in the memorial ceremonies for their pal Bob Clements, before delivering their enjoyable talks.

Stuart Sanders from the Kentucky Historical Society was kind enough to drive from Danville to discuss how the battle of Perryville affected the local region. This is also the subject of his fine book, Perryville Under Fire

The Ladies' Living History Society of Greater Cincinnati continued to impress visitors with their dresses and the spinning wheel demonstration. They are always a popular group.

We did feature  Honey Hill Petting Zoo again this year, and people -kids and adults alike - flocked to it to see the various animals they brought. I admit it's not the most "Civil War" aspect possible, but people like it and they come to see it, and that certainly benefits the museum.

Of course, Dr. Ramage delivered a great talk on Saturday and a descendant of one of the members of the Black Brigade of Cincinnati attended and gave a brief talk after Dr. Ramage's remarks. I wish I had gotten more time to meet and talk to him, but someone had to run our used book sale at that time. :)

Last of all, the ceremonies for Bob were very moving. We named the backyard of the museum, where we always have the encampment set up for this event, "Camp Clements" and had a wood signed created by the husband of one of the museum board members. For now, we nailed it to a tree, but will have a more permanent cedar stand set up to display it on a permanent basis.

I've added a couple of my photos below, but you can check out my personal facebook page to see more. If I get them uploaded to photobucket, I will add the link here

Rest in Peace, Bob Clements

I frequently mention that I volunteer at the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum in Fort Wright, Kentucky, just a few minutes south of Cincinnati.  I started there in September 2006 when I responded to an article about a public archaeology dig at the museum, on the grounds of an actual Civil War defensive position known as Battery Hooper. After that dig, I became a volunteer and soon thereafter attended a local festival called Tall Stacks (a really neat experience - hopefully it will be back soon.)

I saw the museum represented there, and a man in a Civil War re-enactor's uniform was giving a presentation. He was very enthusiastic, obviously out-going, and a very effective speaker.

After the talk ended, I went up and introduced myself to Bob Clements, then President of the Board of the Directors of the Ramage Museum and told him I was a new volunteer at the museum. He welcomed me very warmly and since then I have been fortunate enough to call him a friend and even colleague as I became more involved at the museum.

This morning, I woke up and, after getting ready for work, sat down at my computer to check a few things out before heading out the door. One of the sites I checked was Facebook and there I learned that Bob had passed away last night due to a heart attack. He was only 52.

This devastated me and though I managed to get through a whole day at work, this news rarely was far from the front of my mind. It is so sad and hurts so much. I can't imagine what his wife and 2 children are feeling right now, but my pain is bad enough. I certainly will keep them in my thoughts and prayers.

Bob is, was, a great guy and I really loved meeting another person who shared my passion for the Civil War. He really was the first one like that I met and we became good friends, talking about the war, reenacting, museum business or collecting. He was a big collector of Civil War items - nothing huge, but a lot of relics, some swords and bayonets and quite a few items about the Grand Army of the Republic, especially the 1898 and 1930 encampments in Cincinnati. I loved looking at the stuff he loaned to the museum or occasional other items he would show us.

I even got the collecting fever from him. I have quite a few books, including some antique ones, Abraham Lincoln busts and images and other small items. I'm hardly a wealthy collector of big fancy items, but I have quite a few smaller things that I enjoy having. Perhaps I should blame Bob for leading me to spend so much money on stuff like that, but, seriously, I have learned to appreciate these items thanks to my relationship with him.

I know this is a rambling post, with no real relevance to the war itself, but I feel the need to express my feelings and Bob certainly encouraged and helped me discover how far my obsession goes. He encouraged me by complimenting my blog and some of the items I bought and loaned to the museum. He was always very friendly and open, and has more friends than I can imagine. He seemed to know everybody, and I am lucky and happy enough to say that included me.

Battery Hooper Days, the 8th version, is coming up at the museum this weekend. Perhaps I will still find time to write about it and publish the schedule, but that seems less important right now. Bob loved BHD (as we call it) and for him to pass away just before this weekend seems especially cruel, though I guess there is no good time for something like this. Why could he not last just one more week and enjoy just one more BHD weekend?

I'm sure I'll be thinking about Bob a lot in the future, especially the next few days. He was one of the greatest men I knew, far from perfect, but a great friend, open, honest and optimistic. I will miss him greatly but will try to remember how much richer my life has been by knowing him.

Bob - I will miss you, your friendship, your enthusiasm, your love and knowledge of the Civil War.  I hope you can meet Francis Washburn where you're at now and see if you look as much like him as his tintype indicated. I'm sure he has many stories to share with you and will be proud of how you took care of his artifacts that found their way to your hands. People like you who help preserve such items do a favor for all the future history enthusiasts to follow. Thank you for providing an example for me that you do not have to have guns or cannons or uniforms in order to have a collection worth having and sharing. Thank you for adding to my obsession with this war.

Rest in eternal peace, buddy. Rest in eternal, heavenly peace, my friend.

I will miss you

Richard.

Successful Battery Hooper Days 2011

I just wanted to add a quick post to sat that the Ramage Museum had a very successful weekend with Battery Hooper Days 2011, attracting over 950 people, up about 300 from last year. Funds received from donations and gift shop and book sales increased by over 35% as well.

The weather held out just long enough on Sunday. Around 6:00, we had to return the golf carts to Fort Wright's city building, and I was lucky enough to get the assignment to drive one of them. Or I thought I was lucky, but as soon as we took off, a downpour arrived, and given the low speed of the vehicle around city streets, up and down hills, and on the sidewalk of Kyles Lane, a major road, I was totally soaked to the bone by the time I was able to park my cart. It was certainly a memorable experience and I'm sure I looked rather funny when I got back to the museum with water-logged clothes and skin, but it was a fun way to end a fun weekend.

I'll include a couple of pictures of the grounds below. I regret that I did not get a lot of pictures of the many fine presenters we had or of the crowd that showed up, but here are a few images of some of the scenery from Sunday.  Anybody interested in seeing more pictures can "like"t the Battery Hooper Days page on Facebook. That page includes pictures from a lady who got several great pictures, better than the ones I had. Her photograph of Joyce Huggins as Harriet Beecher Stowe is simply wonderful.

Battery Hooper Days 2011

You have probably already seen the "event" information set up on the sidebar, but I wanted to add a few words about this event, which will be bigger and better here in its 7th incarnation this year.

We will still have our Civil War encampment, with several groups of reenactors being represented, including a cavalry group. There should be over 2 dozen such performers here, with various tents and equipment, including rifles, uniforms and other items soldiers routinely carried.

Stan Wernz will again put on his wonderful impersonation of Abraham Lincoln, and this here we have a Harriet Beecher Stowe impersonator for the first time. We look forward to seeing her.

Pat Fan will be back on Saturday as Harriet Tubman and Generals Lew Wallace and Horatio Wright will be on hand as well. Their presentations are always fantastic.

We will have the petting zoo back, as well as our face-painting station, two events that children always love (though I suspect some of the adults like the animals in the petting zoo as much as the kids do)

Admission is free, but we will of course be accepting donations. We will have our gift shop (with several new items) and used book sale open, for anyone looking for a momento or something new to read.

Museum memberships will be for sale too. This is our biggest single fund-raising tool, as the museum is now entering the world of financial self-sufficiency. Memberships - for one year- are just $20 for individuals and $35 for families. Members will receive member cards, discounts to our gift shop and book sale and other benefits throughout the year.

 

Stand up for the James A Ramage Civil War Museum

Please pardon this plug for the Ramage Museum that I enjoy so much. If anybody is interested in helping, as we approach Battery Hooper Days, our biggest annual event, please let me know or see the contact information at the bottom of this press release.

Thanks

Stand Up For History! 
 
The James A. Ramage Civil War Museum is launching its "Stand Up For History" 
initiative as part of the Battery Hooper Days celebration on August 20th and 
21st. "Stand Up For History" is an opportunity for local companies and 
individuals to make an impact at the museum as it begins its first year of being 
self-sustaining. 
 
"Most people don't realize that the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum started 
paying its own way on July 1st" said board President Bob Clements. "While we 
were able to raise almost $10,000 in the last year to cover basic operations, we 
still need to secure funding for every special event held at the museum." 
 
"Stand Up For History" allows both local companies and individuals to sponsor 
events or activities at the museum. "We have been fortunate in the past to have 
some local companies sponsor our ongoing archaeology and the park benches at 
Battery Hooper Park. What we need now are more people to "Stand Up for History" 
and sponsor the activities at Battery Hooper Days in August." 
 
The sponsorships, ranging from $75.00 - $500.00, will enable the museum to bring 
in living history actors portraying Abraham Lincoln, Union Generals Lew Wallace 
& Horatio Wright, Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom's Cabin author) and Harriet 
Tubman (Underground Railroad).  "Stand Up For History" will also help cover 
expenses including the popular Honey Hill Farm & Petting Zoo and the expected 
operating costs of the two-day event. 
 
"San Juan Romero of Fort Wright, Kentucky has become our first sponsor for 
Battery Hooper Days. He is sponsoring the Harriet Beecher Stowe presentation. 
San Juan's generous donation will allow us to bring in one of the best living 
history interrupters in the area. Mr. Romero's name will be listed on our web 
site, on the Battery Hooper's Day sponsor's banner, and mentioned during the 
event for "Standing Up For History." 
 
Battery Hooper Days will be held on August 20th and 21st. For additional 
information and directions: Visit the City of Fort Wright's website at 
www.fortwright.com and click on the Civil War Museum tab. 
 
To learn more about the "Stand Up For History" sponsorship program contact Bob 
Clements / clem60@fuse.net / 513-901-5539. 
 

History has a Hold on Young Re-enactor

Here is a fantastic story  about a young man who is just starting his re-enacting days. This is really cool, and I'm proud to be a part of the museum that helped him find his inspiration. I am anxious to meet him at Battery Hooper Days next month when members of his unit will be part of a Civil War encampment.

James A Ramage Civil War Museum

Battery Hooper Days 2010 wrap-up

Well, the weather on Sunday was much nicer than the previous day; it was a bit muggy, and overcast at times, but it stayed dry and the sky showed a lot of its beautiful blue color throughout the day, making it very pleasant to be outdoors.

Attendance was down this year, unfortunately, but we'll still end up with close to 600 guests having visited the museum and park over the weekend, and that is still great news.

We're also very pleased with how the kickoff of our new membership program went, as we sold over 20 memberships. They cost $20 for an individual and $35 for a family for a year, and will get the members discounts in our gift shop and used book sale, sneak previews of upcoming events, quarterly museum newsletters and updates and more benefits as time goes on. We're very pleased with the sales we made this weekend, as the James A Ramage Civil War Museum becomes financially self-sustaining starting July 1, 2011, and this program will be a key in us raising the funds to reach our goal.

The performances this weekend were outstanding. The re-enactors had a wonderful encampment and, as always, were glad to interact with visitors.

One highlight occurred Sunday when members of the 9th Kentucky Infantry (Confederate) and other groups co-operated to put together a court-martial over an accused deserter. That was entertaining, with an Union soldier providing damning testimony about the accused.

The Ladies' Living History Society of Greater Cincinnati put on a great fashion show as well. It's amazing how many clothes women at the time had to wear. These fine ladies in their fine dresses always will catch your eye.

Granville Griffith, the "Appalachian Beekeeper" had his wagon present and displayed many aspects of beekeeping and the uses of the products of the bees' labor. He was a new addition to the event this year and his warm, open personality and fascinating display made this station a very popular stop. He will certainly be welcomed back in upcoming years.

 

Stan Wernz did his terrific performance as Abraham Lincoln again, while Tom Kriedler and Bernie O'Bryan showed up as Generals Lew Wallace and Horatio Wright to entertain the crowd with their presentations.

The 5th Ohio Light Artillery unit provided us with several bangs throughout both days. I've heard them shoot the cannons each of the last 4 years now, yet I still find it to be just about the coolest thing I can imagine. (Perhaps that's because I know nobody's shooting back!)

For some of the family entertainment, we invited a new petting zoo this year. The Honey Hill Farms zoo proved to be quite popular and their animals were a big hit with both kids and adults. It was fun seeing alpacas, goats, a miniature horse and a donkey, among other animals, in the park.




All-in-all, the event went as well as we could have hoped, and I truly enjoyed being in charge of bringing it together this year. It was quite a challenge, but the members of the museum's board put in a lot of hours over this summer and I thank them for that. A big, big BIG thank you also goes to the museum volunteers who spent extra hours this weekend making sure the event was fully staffed and visitors could enjoy their experience. It was a busy and tiresome, but rewarding weekend and I now can look forward to Battery Hooper Days 2011.

Battery Hooper Days 2010, day 1

Well, day 1 has ended. The weather did not cooperate too much -the heat and humidity were not as bad, but the rain came down several times, including a morning shower that may have dampened spirits for the day.

We still attracted over 200 guests, and though that is lower than past Saturdays, it's still a good number of people to get into our museum and in the park.

Our show was excellent as the re-enactors and living history presenters did wonderful jobs, as usual. The petting zoo was a big hit and Grandville Griffith, a local beekeeper, also made a great first impression. (Plus, I found out that I went to high school with his daughter and her husband - it is truly  a small world after all.)

Our newly unveiled membership program seemed to be a hit. For only $20 per individual or $35 per family, visitors can help support the Ramage Museum financially. Members will receive benefits like discounts at our used book sale and gift shop, sneak previews of upcoming events, quarterly newsletters and museum updates and others to come, but the main benefit is the knowledge that members our helping the Ramage Museum become financially self-sufficient.

Despite the challenges Mother Nature presented, I feel we had a very good day. I just wish I had remembered to take my camera. Oh well. Maybe I'll do so tomorrow.

Schedule of events for Battery Hooper Days

As with virtually everything else in life, this may be subject to change. 

The Civil War encampment will be open all day for both days and the re-enactors and living history presenters, when not speaking, will gladly interact with visitors. 

The museum itself will also be open all day both days.

Saturday, August 21st 
Noon - opening ceremony, flag raising, cannon firing (5th Ohio) 
1:00 PM - Abe Lincoln speech 
1:40 PM - Stephen Foster music 
2:00 - 4:00 PM - Honey Hill Petting Zoo 
2:00 PM - Cannon firing by 5th Ohio Light Artillery 
2:30 PM - General Lew Wallace 
3:00 PM - Archaeology presentation by Jeannine Kreinbrink 
3:30 PM - General Horatio Wright 
4:00 PM - Cannon firing by 5th Ohio Light Artillery 
4:15 PM - Military Court Martial by Confederates 
5:00 PM - Abe Lincoln speech 
6:00 PM - Cannon firing by 5th Ohio Light Artillery & closing ceremony 
 
Sunday, August 22nd 
Noon - Flag raising ceremony 
1:00 PM Cannon firing by 5th Ohio Light Artillery 
2:00 - 4:00 PM - Honey Hill Petting Zoo 
2:40 PM Abe Lincoln speech 
3:00 PM Cannon firing by 5th Ohio Light Artillery 
3:20 PM General Horatio Wright 
3:45 PM General Lew Wallace 
4:30 PM Abe Lincoln speech - Gettysburg Address 
5:00 PM Closing ceremony 

Battery Hooper Days, August 21 and 22, 2010

Boom! It's just one week away - the 6th Annual Battery Hooper Days, at the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum in Fort Wright, Kentucky, just a few minutes south of Cincinnati, Ohio.


The Ramage Museum, on the location of Battery Hooper, one of the batteries that helped defend the region from the threat of a Confederate invasion in September 1862, hosts this annual free and family friendly event every August, featuring Civil War re-enactors, Living History Displays and other activities for adults and children.

One exciting change this year is that we will begin selling Hooper's Heroes Museum Memberships to help support the museum as we become self-sufficient. For just $20 annually for an individual or $35 for an entire family, you can support us financially. Among the benefits you will receive will be museum newsletters and email updates, 10% discounts off our gift shop and used-book sale prices and opportunities to preview future museum events before they open to the general public.

Our lineup of entertainers and presents is, again, very strong.

Once again, we will have Stan Wernz  (see the picture below) doing his wonderful impression of President Abraham Lincoln. He will speak twice on both days, and will do the Gettysburg Address, of course.

 The Ladies' Living History Society of Greater Cincinnati will also be present, showing their display of period fashions. I have included a picture from their appearance last year

Among the re-enactors scheduled to appear and set up an encampment are the 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the 5th Ohio Artillery and the 9th Kentucky, a Confederate group.

On Saturday, we will have a local man singing some of the music of Stephen Foster.

Bernie O'Bryan will again impressively dress and speak as Major General Lew Wallace, and, for the first time, Tom Kriedler will appear as General Horatio Wright, for whom the city of Fort Wright was named.

For the children, Honey Hill Farm will show up with their petting zoo, which kids will love. We will also have a face painting station and contests for kids to play and win prizes.

Since Battery Hooper was an actual Civil War site, archaeological digs still take place here and we will have a display on that archaeology with several people who have worked on the site present to answer questions.  (For those interested in archaeology, you can sign up for our next public archaeology digs, on September 11 and 12 of this year, starting at Battery Hooper Days.)

Several local historical societies and groups will also be on hand, providing material about their groups. These include the Campbell and Kenton County Historical Societies and the Cincinnati Civil War Round Table.

Detailed driving directions can be found in the museum's link at the top of this page, or at this article, courtesy of CivilWar.com

Admission and parking are both free, though donations are, of course, always welcome. Parking is in the lot at the Community of Faith Presbyterian Church. In addition to our Battery Hooper Days, the church will be having its annual cook-out and ice cream social, with lots of good food to enjoy.

Battery Hooper Days is always a fun event for the history buff, the Civil War enthusiast, for those interested in local events and for families in general.

Please consider coming out and visiting us. You will have a blast.

Battery Hooper Days needs help!

I know this entry may come across as almost self-serving and apologize if that is the case, but it is a message I wish to spread to as many people as possible. If you know any Civil War or history fans in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area (or anywhere), please feel free to share this information.

As we all are much too aware, the economy has struggled recently (counting today's wild ride on Wall Street) and that has had an impact on many people and events

Unfortunately, the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum is not immune to these problems, as a kind and excellent recent article in the Kentucky Enquirer points out.

Battery Hooper Days is our biggest event of the year, with over 1300 people having attended its 2 days last August. It is free to the public and is very family-friendly, with activities for the Civil War and history buff as well as for the children. Re-enactors set up a Civil War encampment, while another local group provides a cannon - hearing it fire is simply awesome. A local ladie's historical group provides a glimpse into the lives of women of the Civil War period and some of the fashions that were popular at the time, while other living historians add to the festivities. Children love the petting zoo that annually brings a flock of animals to display.It is a very popular local event, one that is perfect for families to attend for a few hours each year.

With funding for the event now falling on the hands of the museum and we who serve on its board, time is now ticking and going quickly. We are beginning a campaign to raise funds to help ensure the event takes place again this year. If we can raise at least $2500 by June 30th, it will be a go. We may be able to put it on with fewer dollars than that, but if we can reach that goal, there will be no question about it at all.

This is the beginning of a new era for the museum, not only for Battery Hooper Days, but for the museum's future operating funding as well. It will be quite a challenge for us, but, as President of the museum's Board of Directors this year, I am committed to having another successful Battery Hooper Days and keeping the museum running for years to come.

If anyone is interested in providing donations or sponsorships, please contact me, or you can send a check, payable to the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum (you may want to add "Battery Hooper Days" in the memo section) to:

The City of Fort Wright
409 Kyles Lane
Fort Wright KY 41011

Thank you, as always, for reading my ramblings and, in this case, for understanding the need for this message. As the sesquicentennial of the Civil War approaches, in the midst of a still-struggling economy, it's time to begin the fight to ensure that the Civil War period, though long gone, need not be forgotten.

2010 at the James A Ramage Civil War Museum

For this post, I will unashamedly discuss the plans for the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum in 2010, a year in which I have the privilege and honor of serving as the President of the Board of Directors for the museum. It is a challenge I look forward too, as the museum celebrates its 5th anniversary this year.

We closed down for 2009 after our wonderfully successful Civil War Christmas event, during which we drew a record 286 visitors to our one day event. It went tremendously well, even better than we expected and it was nice to close the year on a high note.

Before we reopen, we are busy coming up with new ideas and displays for the museum, including some re-painting of wall and overall cleaning. Our ideas include using a new type of wallpaper-like material to give one of our larger displays a new appearance, and the addition of more display cases so that we can put more items on display, and perhaps have them arranged even better than now.

We officially reopen on Friday February 12, which happens to be the 201st birthday of Abraham Lincoln. We will celebrate this day with a Happy Birthday President Lincoln event on Sunday the 14th (yes, on Valentine's Day.)  Plans, like for all our events, are still being arranged, but we hope to have an entertaining event for children and adults.

In March, the museum will be represented with a table at Northern Kentucky History Day at Northern Kentucky University. (This link is to last year's event, giving an idea of how this neat event is set up.) This years event is on March 20.

On April 10,  as the many trees around the 17 acres of Battery Hooper Park, home of the Ramage Museum, start to bloom, birds start to sing and the greenness of the grass becomes more beautiful, we will take part in Park Day, sponsored by the Civil War Preservation Trust, as volunteers from the museum and community will help plant flowers, pull weeds and take part in other clean-up activities the museum grounds need.

May features our next event, the Public Archaeology Dig and Civil War Authors Event on the 15th and 16th. The Public Dig is a wonderful opportunity for local citizens (age 10 and up) to dig at an actual Civil War site, the location of Battery Hooper, which was built in 1861. I first became involved with the museum when I read about this event in a local newspaper and showed up for it.  It is an eye-opening experience. Watch the museum website, linked above for more details such as when people can start signing up for it (pre-registration is required, but is free, and we provide all the equipment.)

The Authors event will feature talks and displays from local authors and/or authors of books about local Civil War events and history.

In June, we will host no events, but will be represented in Fort Mitchell celebrates its centennial June 24th through the 27th. Organizers are hopeful that descendants of Civil War (Union) General Ormsby B. Mitchel (for whom the city is named) will be able to make it to town for this event.

July will be a quiet month, as we gear up for a busy last few months of the year.

August 21 and 22 will witness our biggest, most popular annual event, Battery Hooper Days. Join us as we host a Civil War encampment, featuring dozens of local re-enactors, a cannon firing, live music, children's activities such as a petting zoo and other living history displays and presenters. We're always looking for new ideas to make it bigger and better, so who knows what else we will come up with this year? It is a fun, family-friendly event, and is totally free. (Though our neighbors at the nearby church will likely have an ice cream social going on too, with lots of delicious food for those who get hungry.)

Our second and final Public Archaeology Dig will take place September 11 and 12. Once again, advance registration will be required. What is neat about this fall dig is that it takes places near the anniversary of the "Siege of Cincinnati" when Confederate forces under Henry Heth approached Cincinnati, just a few minutes away from where Battery Hooper is located.

In October, we have our Antiques Appraisal event. Details will be worked out, but  it will likely be $5 to have 2 appraisals, of items smaller than a child's wagon. Watch the website for exact details as the date approaches, but it is neat to have an item appraised or just to see what cool items other people bring.

November 7 will see us head to Highland Cemetery in Fort Mitchell for our annual salute to veterans in honor of Veteran's Day. Plans for this year call for us to focus on Korean War veterans, while honoring all who have served this great country. The neat thing about having this event at Highland Cemetery is that this cemetery is the burial ground for veterans from every major American war, from the Revolution through the conflict in Iraq, including some Buffalo soldiers, African-American cavalrymen in the late 19th century.

Finally, we will close out 2010 with our Civil War Christmas event on December 12, with the museum decorated in period decorations, providing insight into how many of our current traditions were just getting started during the mid-1800s. A jolly elf from the North Pole will pay a visit and children will be able to make ornaments out of period material, such as hardtack. It's a great way to celebrate the holiday season for our museum to end its year.

I'm hopeful that 2010 can be at least as successful as 2009, a year in which we had record attendance at several events. With some hard work by the museum board, it's volunteers (all staffing is volunteer, there are no paid employees) and some help from Mother Nature, I'm confident that our 5th Anniversary year will be very memorable and enjoyable.