D E I F I S S DECLA
Story & Design | Kaitlyn Seiwert
Hidden in the Wheat Fields
HutchCC’s South Campus’ previous life as a naval base
Did you know there was a navy base near Hutchinson? My grandpa has told stories through the years about the many things he knows about and has experienced, one of them being a navy base in the middle of Kansas. In the planning process for this edition of the magazine, we decided to do a story on South Campus. I amazed everyone in the lab with the small detail that South Campus used to be a navy base. The story quickly shifted from “what happens at South Campus” to “the history of South Campus.” After a little research, I found a few names, came across a book written years ago by a HutchCC professor, interviewed around, and pieces of the puzzle started to come together. There was one important piece that I had not yet found. I surveyed newspaper archives, websites and navy archives looking for one specific date - when the land was transferred from the navy to HutchCC. I had hit a wall and deadlines were coming up. I was mapping out different ways to say no one knows this information. That was until Amber Brawner, HutchCC magazine advisor, suggested that I try one more point of research - the Reno County Museum. That same day, a couple museum employees helped add just a little more depth to the entire story. After a lot of story boarding and planning, I came to the conclusion that the story must be split into two issues, there was simply that much information. So, in this issue of the Dragon’s Tale Magazine, you will find “Hidden in the Wheat Fields,” the story of the navy base in the middle of Kansas, and in the following issue, you will find “Dragons Plant Their Anchor,” the story of how HutchCC acquired the grounds and the various programs offered throughout the years at South Campus. Information for this article was collected from the following sources: www.military-history.fandom.com www.kshs.org www.airfields-freeman.com www.history.navy.mil www.navsource.org
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2/24/22 1:25 PM
