Ken Spurgeon '89/97/02 zealously embraces and celebrates Kansas history, particularly the seven years prior to statehood known as Bleeding Kansas, a precursor to the Civil War.
As an educator, historian and Civil War reenactor, Spurgeon is surprised by the number of people he meets who are unfamiliar with the period. But he's working to change that.
In a privately funded project that took two and a half years to complete, Spurgeon and two friends, fellow Civil War reenactor Jonathon Goering and videographer Nathan Miller, formed Lone Chimney Productions and created the documentary Touched by Fire: Bleeding Kansas.
The audience at its inaugural showing in Concordia, Kan., this past April gave it a standing ovation.
"The film tells the story of the opening and settling of Kansas Territory," Spurgeon explains. "Using five historians and more than 100 photographs and historical reenactments, the years 1854-1861 are analyzed and presented."
He credits his WSU educational experiences as being extremely valuable in his endeavor, the result of which is an appealing 80-minute film including a soundtrack of period music. DVDs are available at www.lonechimney.com.
Spurgeon plans to produce two more documentaries.
