Fort Scott is a small town on the southeast side of Kansas, rich in character and steeped in history. It’s also the birthplace of the iconic Gordon Parks. Although Parks left at a young age to chase bigger dreams that Fort Scott couldn’t provide, he eventually returned to document the lives of its residents. His work in the 1950s focused on segregation and the realities of life in small-town America.
Inspired by Parks' project Back to Fort Scott, we also went back to Fort Scott to explore how time has shaped the place and its people. For my part, I focused on the Fort Scott Sale Barn. Since there’s no known record of Parks documenting the barn, I took it upon myself to dig into its history. I learned that it once operated in a different location than it does today. My work captures the day-to-day life of the barn, the structure itself, the livestock, and, most importantly, the people who keep it running. From the auctioneer and work hands who manage the sale flow, to the desk clerks who track records and assign bidder numbers, to the bidders themselves, each person plays a vital role in this long-standing tradition.
