Concordia, Kansas, is located in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains. It is the county seat of Cloud County. The city is situated along the Republican River and has a population of 5,111 as of the 2020 census. There are a variety of places to visit and explore in the city.
Statue Stroll
The Statue Stroll in Concordia, Kansas, is an opportunity to see the city’s unique history. The city has many statues to choose from, including the one dedicated to Children’s Aid Society agent Anna Laura Hill, who dedicated her life to helping orphans. She accompanied orphans west on the orphan train and made repeated welfare checks. The statues are located in downtown Concordia.
Visit the National Orphan Train Complex, located at 300 Washington Street in Concordia. There, you’ll find the Orphan Train Rider statue, the 38th statue unveiled at the Complex. Another new statue dedicated on June 8 honors Sister Eva Marie Vale and Sister Roberta Dreiling.
Orphan Train Museum
If you’re looking for a place to visit in Kansas, the National Orphan Train Museum in Concordia is one of the best. It’s free and offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of the orphan train movement. This social reform movement was one of the largest in the United States, and it led to the creation of the foster care system and many social-work occupations.
This museum is situated in a former Union Pacific depot. It houses black and white photographs of orphan children in the New York slums of the 1800s. These photographs were taken by a social reformer named Charles Loring Brace, who hoped to send the children to orphanages and other wholesome communities.
The National Orphan Train Museum in Concordia, KS is a historic museum and research center that was founded in 1917. The museum and research center are located in an old Union Pacific depot and house various artifacts and stories about the orphan train movement. The museum also includes an archive of over ten thousand files on individual orphan Train riders and their descendants.
There are also many educational opportunities at the National Orphan Train Complex. The exhibits and audio/visual displays are informative and moving. Visitors will learn about the histories of the children who travelled by orphan train and the reasons why they were rescued. The museum is dedicated to spreading awareness about the plight of orphans through the museum’s research center.
POW Camp Concordia
Today, visitors can learn about the history of POW Camp Concordia, a World War II internment camp for German POWs. The camp operated from May 1, 1943 to November 8, 1945 and was home to over 4,000 POWs. The camp was strategically located in the heartland of the United States. It was the largest of 16 POW camps in Kansas and housed mainly German POWs. It was constructed in just 90 days at a cost of $1.8 million. Today, the site is a tourist attraction.
After the war, many of the POWs were sent back to their homeland, but some came back to the US to live and work. Local farmers and guards were compassionate to them, and they helped them return to their lives in the United States. Today, you can tour the POW camp buildings and learn about their history.
The camp is now a museum. Visitors can learn about the life of German POWs in the Midwest during World War II. A museum houses their memorabilia and offers tours of various buildings. The museum is free to visit. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 to 2 p.m.
The prisoners at Concordia were all German and most served under the leadership of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. The local population flocked to see the Germans before they were transported to the camp. The camp commanders separated enlisted men from officers, as well as the “hard-core Nazis.” Each enlisted man was assigned an apartment, and each apartment housed four men. There were few acts of violence among the prisoners.
The camp was designed to be the central camp of a network of small work camps. It had seventeen branch camps. In the end, only one company remained at the camp. In addition to the POW Camp Concordia, four of them were taken over by the POW camp Concordia in Kansas.
The author has used official reports and newspaper accounts for his research. He has also drawn from personal memories of prisoners and staff members. The book is a good resource for anyone interested in the history of the POW camps. It will provide a valuable insight into the lives of POWs and the war that led to its establishment.
The first group of new arrivals entered the camp on 4 May 1944. The weather was improving by then, and the camp was more livable. However, the conditions continued to be tough, and the organization was not perfect. The men were divided into two groups, one for enlisted men and another for officers.
The German camp leadership also held an artistic competition, and the winners will be recognized with prizes. They will also be featured in an exhibition after Christmas. Participants must submit their works of art to the German camp leadership by 10 January. Alternatively, they can submit them in team entries.