(by Don Meador)
“Did you know that a battle was fought on the square in Scottsville?” asked Civil War and local historian Matt Pedigo to a group of engaged minds during an introduction session on January 20.
The question was a part of a 30-minute presentation to signal the start of an elaborate four-month project that will eventually impact hundreds of young students in the Allen County School District. In a collaboration between Gifted and Talented (G/T) students and three local historical organizations, students are learning how a national event impacted the local community over 160 years ago.
“The City of Scottsville Historical Preservation Society, the Allen County Historical Society, and Friends of Dugas Community Park will be working with kids from the Gifted and Talented Program (G/T) for the next four months,” explained Holly Wood, City of Scottsville Historic Preservation Committee Chair. “The kids will be studying the importance of Dumont Hill during the Civil War. In turn, the G/T kids will be doing a walking tour in the spring for students from the Allen County Primary Center.”
The first part of the project involves 21 G/T students in sixth through eighth grades---under the leadership of G/T Educator Heather Pierce---learning about Dumont Hill and Scottsville’s role during the Civil War. The kids will then take what they learn and pass it forward.
“The GT kids will learn how to explain why Dumont Hill was important during the Civil War and give a timeline of events,” Wood added. “A few kids will become living characters and talk about a person that was in camp at Dumont Hill or maybe someone talking about the raids that happened in Scottsville during the Civil War. Somebody might want to play Glenn Conner and talk about his research in the modern day in order to write a book. They might want to play a teacher or a nurse or just a town folk. Other kids will be tour guides to lead the kids through the park.”
To launch the project, Pedigo and Wood visited the STEM Hub at Patriot Academy for an opening session. Pedigo---a history major and reenactment role player----appeared in the character of a Civil War soldier. His presentation included a brief overview of the history of the Civil War but mainly focused on what it was like to be a soldier. Pedigo talked about camp life, exhibited the uniform of soldiers, and displayed the weaponry which a typical soldier carried---weaponry shown with prior approval of District officials.
Pedigo also explained the efforts to transform Dumont Hill---part of Scottsville’s Civil War encampment---from farmland to a site to showcase a slice of history. Starting in the early 2000s and continuing over the course of several years, the Friends of Dumont Hill organization searched for ways to purchase and preserve the land for a tribute to the past and an educational setting for future generations.
“At one point we crawled through water and caverns looking for an endangered bat species," Pedigo said, explaining that such a discovery would help in the preservation process. “But all we found was the normal bats for this area. But we kept going. One of the things that really helped was Rippavella near Spring Hill Tennessee. Rippavella is a Civil War plantation that was a Civil War hospital. Prior to 2004, Civil War reenactors had their spring muster (reenactment) there. For whatever reason, the people at Rippavella moved that event so the actors needed a place to go. Ron Orange (a local reenactor and Friend of Dumont Hill member) invited them to come here. Within three weeks we had about 200 reenactors coming with canons, tents, muskets, everything. We worked with teachers at the high school who got kids coming out for extra credit. The kids could fire the canons and see muskets. We had a reenactment battle. This really got a lot of publicity and public awareness of what we were trying to do. That got us going and we kept pushing and pushing. In 2005, the Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation along with the Dugas Family went ahead and bought the property and asked the City of Scottsville to make a park out of it.”
Pedigo explained the development of the park we have today would come over the next several years.
“About 15 years ago, the Dugas family who owned the adjacent land started talking about uniting Dumont Hill Park with what they owned to form a giant community park.”
Pedigo’s historical information was supplemented by Wood talking about how the G/T project would unfold. Students will start by learning and researching and include some students learning to role play---to become characters that will present guests with a glimpse of life at the time. Wood also added that If role play was not something that a student liked to do, multiple additional roles were available.
“We are just here to help you make this the best project it can be,” Wood said. “We are really excited about the project.”
The project itself was derived from Pierce’s personal visit to the park last summer.
“I have always had a passion for local history and PBL, so I was inspired with this idea one day over the summer while walking at Dumont Hill,” Pierce explained. “When coordinating club offerings for each semester, I try to create two options for students in grades 6-8 that appeal to their interests and areas of strength. While the Dumont Hill Expedition appeals to students who enjoy history and storytelling, it also allows them to be creative and build skills around research and collaboration. The other club option this semester for students 6-8 is Puzzle Quest, which appeals to creative thinkers and those with a strength in math. Students will be solving puzzles and designing their own escape room.”
Last week’s historical presentation concluded with students asked to start looking over information about the park. In the coming weeks, the students will visit Dumont Hill and the Allen County Historical Society to learn more.