Fort D Historic Site open for Labor Day

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Fort D is a celebration of history for Cape Girardeau that gives us a look at what life was like during the Civil War.

Fort D is open year-round but only open on the inside during special holidays such as Labor Day.

Pat Baehr is a member of The Ladies Union Aid Society in St. Louis which is a part of the Western Sanitary Commision.

She enjoys traveling and reenacting as she has been doing it for over 30 years. Baehr says she learns more pieces of history by playing a part of the history. 

“I think it’s important for everyone that we talk to but it’s more important for us and when you do the reenacting you learn things that you wouldn’t have learned otherwise out of books,” said Baehr.

She also showed off the quilts she made for display and shared how special stories like how she helped her son do a gun powder making project. She said helping him made the project brought a new level of education to her.

“We made the bags that the gunpowder was in,” said Baehr. “I never thought about the smells, but the bags were made of Woll and animal fiber and every time they would shoot it would smell like burning hair and adding the aromas was a whole new thought for me.”

Another re-enactor is Andrew Porter. He played the role of an engineer from the Civil War. 

He has been playing this role for nine years as he tries to portray the living history of the troops that were stationed in Cape Girardeau from 1861 to 1865.

“I am dressed as an engineer from Cape Girardeau,” said Porter. “There was a company raised from here mostly made up of German men and they fought mostly throughout the Civil War; they mainly went down south through Georgia and North Carolina and South Carolina.”

Porter explains that Fort D is always open for the public to come look at, but they only get to experience the re-enacting, materials, and inside the fort on special holidays dedicated to United States history. 

“We are open on Memorial Day, Labor Day, Fourth of July and Veterans Day and we do those holidays mainly because they are military related so that is why we are open on those,” said Porter.

Fort D will host a reception celebrating ‘The Return of George’ on Monday, September 9 from 3-5 p.m.