WENDY OGDEN PORTRAYS MOKA, WIFE OF FAMED CAVALRY SCOUT BEN CLARK, ON A HISTORIC FORT RENO TOUR.
The children enjoyed learning about the fort’s history as a remount station from 1908 through 1947, providing horses and mules for all branches of the military, and examined the various saddles on display with interest. The famous riderless horse Black Jack trained at Fort Reno and is a familiar image to those recalling President Kennedy’s funeral procession. We also heard tales of visits to the fort by Amelia Earhart and Will Rogers. The kids found the touchable historic items like the metal drinking cup dented by a bullet that saved a soldier’s life and the antique polo stick fun to examine, a reminder that learning through touch is vital for little ones. Ogden shared the history of the fort’s attempts to both protect and westernize the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, which at times resulted in battles and loss of life. Passionate about educating the public through historical interpretation and making events come alive
for all generations, Ogden portrayed and taught us about Moka, wife of famed cavalry scout Ben Clark, both of whom are buried at Fort Reno Cemetery. We walked by the small former home of Clark and Moka and contemplated how they lived there with their 11 children! Other highlights included a walk by the chapel built by German POWs and a look at the commissary with a brick inscribed by “Buffalo Bill” Cody. The U.S. Calvary Museum is also located onsite. The children were intrigued by the Fort Reno Cemetery, the resting place of military families stationed at Fort Reno as well as European POWs from Texas and Oklahoma, where Pawpaw explained the coins left on headstones were placed there out of gratitude for their service by visitors or fellow soldiers. Fort Reno hosts Tombstone Tales in the fall and spring where costumed historians
portray persons buried there in the candlelit cemetery. The annual Firing of the Christmas Guns in early December kicks off the Christmas season with German folk tales and a vintage Santa. The historic site is open for tours Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Children 4 and under are free; ages 5-17, $4; adults, $6; and military and seniors, $5. (7107 W Cheyenne St., El Reno; fortreno.org) Before or after a visit to Fort Reno, swing by Sid’s Diner in El Reno for a burger, coney with slaw and a myriad of creamy shakes and malts. My favorite is the orange shake, which reminds me of a creamy Dreamsicle, while Pawpaw and the kids preferred the more modern Oreo option. Acclaimed by several food network reviewers, Sid’s offers seating inside and out as well as online to-go orders. (300 S Choctaw, El Reno; sidsdinerelreno.com)
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / EVERYTHING GUIDE 2020-2021 93
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker