MTFCA Forum

Flatland T’s of Central Kansas
2021 Tour
Arkansas city, Kansas
August 27-29, 2021


This will be a hub tour, starting and ending each day in Arkansas City, Kansas.
In June 2015, archeologist Dr. Don Blakeslee led a wide-ranging field study in central and southern Kansas. One of his primary goals was to rediscover the long-lost Native American city of Etzanoa. He was successful. The location, size and significance of Etzanoa — or the “Great Settlement,” as Spanish explorers labeled it after their 1601 expedition there — had become lost in the mists of time. For many decades, archeologists debated these issues. But in recent years, Blakeslee, a Wichita State University anthropology and archeology professor, became convinced that the town inhabited by 20,000 ancestral Wichita Indians — the second-largest, or perhaps even the largest, settlement in North America in the early 1600s — was hidden in plain sight. It was in the present location of Arkansas City, Kansas.
Arkansas City grew steadily through the latter part of the 19th century, and enjoyed a population explosion starting in 1891, when thousands of people moved into the area in anticipation of the Cherokee Strip Land Run.

We are asking for a $70 registration fee to help offset the costs of the tour book, Museum tour fees, catered lunch and dinner, windshield card, snacks and drinks. See the registration form attached. You must preregister so we have a count of people attending. Some stops and meals will be pay-as-you-go.

Friday August 27-Arrive in Arkansas City. Registration/hospitality will be open starting at 3pm at the host hotel. Dinner on your own. Hospitality room will be open for informal socializing in the afternoon/evening.

Saturday August 28- We will start with a brief participant’s meeting in the parking lot at 8:30am. First stop will be at the Cherokee Land Rush Museum and a tour of the Etzanoa Indian Tribe history. We will then drive to a local Winery for a light lunch and entertainment. Proceeding lunch, we will make our way to the newly renovated Burford Theatre and tour all the work done to restore it to its former glory. We will venture across some local stone bridges and may stop for a quick photo shoot. For dinner we will make our way to a hosted dinner at a local's home and finish the evening relaxing and enjoying the beautiful sceneries.
Lunch and Dinner are catered for the day and all Museum fees will be paid from your registration's fees.

Sunday May 26- We'll start from the hotel parking lot at 9am headed to some more stone bridges and make our way into town and stop at one of the first building built in Arkansas City. It is now a shop where a local blacksmith sells his good from. We will get a history of the building and shown some of the blacksmith products and how he creates he work. Proceeding that we will venture off and have lunch of your own choosing. We will meet at a parking lot central to the food locations at 1pm to continue to the Dexter candy factory to see what delicious thing they have to offer and will be a sweet ending to the Arkansas City tour.
Lunch on your own in Arkansas city.
Some Stone Bridges stops may be removed or added due to time constraints.
Hotel information. It is up to you to make your own reservations. We have a block of rooms reserved (under “Model T Tour”) at:
Best Western Plus Patterson Park Inn, 6100 Patterson Parkway, Arkansas city, KS – single King room $70.00 + tax - (620)-307-6767. Includes breakfast, indoor pool, fitness center, business center with copy, fax and mail and outdoor patio area.

Trailer parking. Trailer parking is available at the hotel and hospital across the street, park the farthest away from the hospital or closest to the hotel. We can have someone to help direct you upon arrival.

Tour check-in begins at 3pm Friday at the hotel. If you arrive after 9am Saturday, we will leave a tour book at the hotel front desk.

Registration fee: $70 per person
To register, please fill out the attached form, return to Aaron Frazer (contact info below) and make your hotel reservations.
Registration is due before June 26.
Any questions? Please do not hesitate to contact us.
Aaron Frazer
924 Sycamore pl
McPherson, KS 67460
620-386-4180 or modeltroadsterpickup@outlook.com
You are not required to be a member of the Flatland T’s to attend.

2021 Flatland T’s Arkansas city, Kansas Tour
August 27-29, 2021


Driver/Owner:_____________________________________
Address: __________________________________________
__________________________________________
Phone: _____________________
E-mail address: ______________________________
Car information:
YEAR _______ Make___________________
Body ____________________________
Tour Registration Fee
$70 per person
Includes costs of the tour book, Museum tour fees, catered lunch and dinner, windshield card, snacks and drinks.
$______

Names of All Passengers: (If child, give age)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________





Please complete this tour registration form,
Make check payable to: Car Tour
Return to:
Aaron Frazer
924 Sycamore pl.
McPherson, KS 67460
Total due:
$______

I will send you a confirmation upon receipt of your registration. It will include additional details as necessary.

A couple of photos from a short drive the other Saturday on a road we will be traveling on.

A question of kids rate was asked that I had neglected to consider. Kids 12 and under take $20 off the registration fee, please make note under 12 on the registration . If you have already sent registration and need a refund I can get with you on how you want that handled.
Saturday Lunch will be along the lines of 2 sandwich meal choices Probably a sub and a chicken salad. Chips. Potato or Pasta Salad. Cookies. Water or Soda.

Saturday dinner - Stuffed Chicken Breast, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans, Dinner Salad, Cheesecake.

Lunch and dinner on your own: There's a slew of fast food joints, plus — Best Mexican is La Fiesta; Pretty good Chinese at East Buffet; All-you-can eat buffet is at Pizza Ranch.


The Burford theater opened in October, 1924: Watching candy-making at Henry's.

Crossing Silver Creek

Thanks for the pictures and input Steve. I’m looking forward to hopefully producing a good tour.

There's still time to get your registration in (the form says June 26). There are still a few hotels rooms left.

The Flatland T's annual tours are always a lot of fun - this one should be too.

Any questions, let Aaron know.

Still have openings! looks like we’ll be driving around 60 miles a day I can safely say. Total Will depend mostly on the guided local history tour route. Few things have changed dinner will be at a different venue due to the hostess at the other location will be unavailable. Will not have music at the winery but looks like we be attending a concert in the theater after dinner to finish the night. Working on adding another historical tour on Sunday. Will have to drive a 65 mph county highway for 8 miles to the candy factory and cross one Four lane highway. As of now no dirt roads are expected. Any questions or comments please call me I will be happy to talk with you.

Also at this time no changes in price of registration

There are low speed roads to Dexter if you don't mind getting off the pavement.

Dirt roads are still an option I’m considering, I’m just trying to accommodate people who do not like driving dirt road. If all registered for tour do not mind a little dirt I can change the route. I was there Sunday and drove out to the candy factory in dexter and the worst of the traffic was a tractor pulling a plow taking up the two lanes . If that’s the kinda traffic we’ll have and have a car and half distance per car for that 8 miles I don’t foresee it to be an issue if dirt roads are a no option. Once again I am open to questions and comments please feel free to tell me your input.

With less then a month to go, is anyone else want to go I need to get a headcount finished soon.