By: Ryan Duey
A new documentary on the legacy of a Ghost Town that was once sprawling with miners and their families north of Concordia will be shown in Belleville on Thursday, April 24th, at the Republic County Historical Museum at 6:30 p.m.
Titled “Minersville: The Town, the Mines, the People, the Legacy,” this 30-minute documentary features the story of Minersville, Kansas, from its inception to its eventual demise. Greg Stephens, Producer, spoke about why they filmed this documentary.
“Debi Aaron, who is an archaeologist, Tom Fleming, who is a producer, along with myself spent some time in Minersville.”
“Debi had done extensive research there, and we decided to do a PowerPoint Presentation on it. We found out that a lot of people were not very familiar with the story, so we decided to make a documentary on it. That’s where the idea came about.”
Supported by a Humanities For All Grant, the documentary takes a look at the life of the local miner owners and workers who formed Minersville in the late 1800s, into the early 1900s. Stephens said the town had a big impact on the region.
“The documentary tells the story of the impact of coal mining that took place when early homesteaders came out here and how important lignite coal was for the steam engines that eventually showed up, and for heating the sod houses.”
“People from 100 miles away would come and pick up the coal in the town. So, it did have a big impact on the communities of Concordia and Belleville.”
The screening is free and open to the public. A panel discussion will also take place after the screening. Stephens said this documentary will provide insight into the courage, resiliency, and challenges of the early settlers in the region.
