Journalist Bill Kurtis to speak at Blue and Grey Banquet

Bill Kurtis will be returning to Southeast Kansas soon.

Kurtis, 67, an internationally acclaimed television journalist and producer, will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Mine Creek Battlefield Foundation's Annual Blue and Grey Banquet on Friday evening, Nov. 9 at the Liberty Theatre, 113 S. Main St.

The evening, which will feature a dinner, a live auction of historical books donated by area residents, and an awards ceremony, is an annual fund raiser for the Mine Creek Battlefield Foundation Inc., a non-profit component of the Mine Creek Battlefield Site in Pleasanton.

Kurtis, a Southeast Kansas native, is slated to talk about an hour-long documentary his production company produced that premiered in early 2005 titled "Mine Creek -- The Lost Battle of the Civil War," the cultural heritage of the area, and other Civil War-related topics, according to local historian and Mine Creek Battlefield Site Superintendent Arnold Schofield.

Kurtis' production company, Kurtis Productions, Ltd. in Chicago, which was founded in 1990, shot the film on location in Linn and Bourbon counties on the historic Mine Creek Battlefield lands adjacent to the battlefield, and in locations in Fort Scott. The film also appeared on the History Channel series "Investigating History" featuring Kurtis as the narrator.

Regional historians and more than 100 historical reenactors from Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, including Fort Scott resident Charlie Cress, filmed the documentary in 2004. That same year, volunteers and staff at the site conducted the 140th Battle Re-enactment of Mine Creek, the only major Civil War battle fought in Kansas. Kurtis was born in Florida and raised in Independence, Kan., where he still owns several restored downtown buildings. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1962 with a journalism degree and graduated from the Washburn University School of Law in 1966.

He has worked as a weatherman and newscaster in Topeka, and most recently as an anchor for The CBS Morning News. He also currently serves on the Kansas State Historical Society board of directors, Schofield said. Kurtis has received numerous awards for his TV work.

Since 2005, Kurtis has been involved in raising and marketing grass-fed beef. He owns a 10,000-acre ranch in Sedan, the former home of Laura IngallsWilder, the author of "The Little House on the Prairie," and later founded the Tallgrass Beef Company. Kurtis works to promote small Southeast Kansas towns as tourist destinations, and is the host of several crime and news documentary television programs.

Schofield, who met Kurtis in 2004, said one of Kurtis' career highlights involved a devastating tornado that ripped through Topeka where Kurtis was working as a full-time anchor at a television news station.

"His career roots go back to that tornado that came through Topeka," Schofield said.

In 1966, a severe thunderstorm 20 miles southwest of Topeka headed straight toward Topeka. Kurtis warned viewers and area residents "For God's sake, take cover," and remained on the air for 24 straight hours to cover the destruction. The tornado left 16 people dead and injured hundreds more.

It was after covering this disaster that Kurtis chose to pursue a career in journalism rather than law.

Kurtis also works for historic preservation of several Kansas towns and has visited Fort Scott on numerous occasions, most recently in 2006 when he served as host of the dinner event that concluded the 3rd Annual Gordon Parks Celebration of Culture and Diversity at Fort Scott Community College.

The Mine Creek Battlefield Site is located two miles south of Fort Scott on U.S. Highway 69, and one-half mile west on Kansas Highway 52 in Pleasanton. Group tours are given and can be made by appointment by calling (913) 352-8890.

The site features a 3,000square-foot visitors center where visitors can view authentic Civil War-era uniforms, weapons, and photographs.

The handicapped-accessible site, operated by the state historical society, also offers nearly 3 miles of walking trails where visitors can view the battlefield up close, several hands-on exhibits, a museum store, and a number of living history programs throughout the year.

The site serves as a repository and tells the story of the Oct. 25, 1864, battle between U.S. Army and Confederate forces along the banks of the Mine Creek.

The site is supported by the Mine Creek Battlefield Foundation. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday between the months of March and November, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday between December and February. The site is closed on all state holidays.

Admission is $2 for adults, and $1 for senior citizens and all students. Children under five years of age are admitted free of charge.