April 2021 • Nebraskaland 95
A Volunteer Profi le
Making Magic
By Renae Blum
When you think of the Wild West, "you think
of cowboys and Indians, soldiers, the railroad,
gunfighters and rustlers, stagecoaches, the
Gold Rush. Fort Hartsuff is definitely a part of
all that," Johnson said. "Long story short, for
anybody interested in the history of the Wild
West, Fort Hartsuff is definitely a place you
want to visit."
What you should know about
Fort Hartsuff
At Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park's
living history events, scenes from the
past are everywhere: soldiers drilling
on the parade grounds, the blacksmith
hammering away, the surgeon
displaying his instruments, men playing
cards in the barracks or making meals in
the kitchen.
It's enough to give you goosebumps,
said Shane Johnson of Columbus, one
of the park's living history interpreters.
"You see it and you just kind of get
transported back in time," he said. "You
almost start pinching yourself."
Johnson, who's participated in Fort
Hartsuff 's living history events for over
10 years, is a big part of making them
happen. Johnson hosts, coordinates and
organizes all of the living history events.
It can make reenacting feel like a job,
he said, but "when you put on an event
and it becomes successful, it makes it all
worthwhile."
Johnson has been fascinated by history
for as long as he can remember, and that
interest continues today. He strives to
provide an accurate portrayal. "I read
voraciously," he said. "I fi nd myself
constantly looking back and referencing
things and looking things up."
While Johnson has reenacted
elsewhere, Fort Hartsuff is special to
him because of how fully restored the
grounds are. He believes the park is a
hidden gem.
"Bringing attention to it, bringing
visitors to it by doing the stuff we do, is
defi nitely rewarding," he said.
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