School Tours

Posted on 5/21/2010 at 9:30:17 PM

By Michael Fahrion

Every spring we have groups of school kids come to Medicine Park on a field trip. The book; “Lost in Death Cave” is required reading in area schools and the book is set in Medicine Park. The author, Bill Wallace, lives just north of here in Chickasha, OK and, as a boy, spent summers in Medicine Park as his family’s cabin. The tours are met by the Medicine Park Marauders. Seth Wright, aka Charley Wright, ask the kids about the book and explains about the history of Medicine Park and the surrounding area. Seth always points out Odie as the great-great grandson of the character, Odie, in the book.Whatever Marauders can make it back Seth up.

After a question & answer session about the book Seth tells them they must learn the Medicine Park anthem before they can go on the tour. Of course the anthem is the Possum Song. Odie leads the singing and the rest of the Marauders make sure all the kids, and teachers, sing along to the chorus. Caus’ if they don’t they have to come up in front a lead the singing of the next chorus.

After singing the Possum Song Seth leads the kids on a tour around Medicine park pointing out the places that are in the book, and Bill Wallace’s family cottage. The cottage is no longer used.

The pictures are from May 20th when the kids form Crosby Elementary School where here. We have kids from as far away as the Fort Worth, TX area. The largest group this year was 146 kids from Burkbernett, TX. For one of the field trips this year we actually had Bill Wallace come down and he too sang along to the Possum Song.