ST. JOSEPH - DAYS OF CIVIL WAR

Documentary Premiere May 29, 2007

In conjunction with the 150th commemoration of the American Civil War, KQTV and the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau has produced an hour long documentary on key events that occurred during the war in St. Joseph. The documentary was written and directed by KQTV’s Jim Conlon.

Work on the documentary began in April 2006 and is now in post production. It is expected to be completed next month. A premiere has been scheduled for May 29th at 6:30 PM at Potter Hall on the campus of Missouri Western State University. The documentary will also be shown in June on KQTV over a three night period at 6:30 PM each night. The documentary will also be available on DVD by July.

Conlon says the project was shot in three states including the communities of St. Joseph, MO, Wathena, KS, Brownsville, NE, Jefferson City, MO, Western Frontier Adventure, KS, Rosendale, MO, and Barnard, MO. Conlon added the project could not have been done with out the support of those communities and the hundreds of local actors and reenactors from the three states.

Conlon says the documentary focuses primarily on the biggest events that occurred in the area specifically in 1861 at the outbreak of the war. Live reenactments of events include William Seward’s speech at the Patee House, Mayor M. Jeff Thompson’s inaugural address at the launch of the Pony Express, and the famed flag incident in which Thompson tears the US flag from a pole atop the post office and tosses it to an angry mob below. Other live action scenes include the steamboat incident when a stand off occurred between union troops and southern sympathizers, the union takeover of St. Joseph and the Patee River train wreck. In addition, Conlon says there will be a brief historical perspective on the beginnings of St. Joseph and the years preceding 1861 and after 1861. But the main focus Conlon concluded, is on 1861.  

posted 4/12/07 pk