A week from today, reenactors will remember the Civil War’s Battle of Athens, fought on Aug. 5, 1861, on the banks of the Des Moines River in far northern Clark County.
Here’s a full schedule of the weekend’s events at the Battle of Athens State Historic Site in the tiny former town of Athens. Schedule courtesy of the Missouri Division of State Parks.
In addition, the Friends of Athens volunteer group will lead half-hour “After the Battle” living history tours from the shelter house between 3 and 6 p.m. Saturday. From group member Carla Derrick:
Guides will take visitors on an “After the Battle” tour, with stops at five locations around the historic site. Actors will portray scenes from written accounts describing the panic, confusion, anger and despair that engulfed the citizens of Athens on that day.
The friends group also will recreate a period general store as a fundraiser. The store, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Stone House, will offer baked goods, homemade jams and jellies, candles, soaps, candy, handcrafted rolling pins and souvenir pens, embroidered dish towels, replica toys and more. The Stone House was used at various times in Athens’ history as a private residence, butcher shop and general store.
Considering that Athens has been a ghost town for at least a century, the flurry of historic activity that will descend on its restored ruins next weekend sounds a bit like something out of “Brigadoon.”
