4-H alumnus planning brick ‘memories’ project

Ginger Nichols accumulated many fond memories at the Osage County Fairgrounds during her days as a young 4-Her more than two decades ago.

Over the past weekend, she picked up 1,000 bricks to help preserve those memories.

Nichols is currently spearheading a project to construct a walkway for the new OSU Extension Office Building that’s to be built at the Osage County Fairgrounds south of Pawhuska.

In order to make room for the new construction, workers recently demolished the 1930’s-era Livestock Exhibition Building — which had been the site for decades of junior livestock shows and 4-H events.

“I had some of the best times of my life in that building — and I’m sure I am not the only one who feels that way,” Nichols said Sunday, a day after she and several local volunteers picked and dug the 1,000 bricks from the demolition rubble.

The back portion of the old livestock exhibition building had been knocked down last fall and the main structure was leveled in the middle of last week.

While Nichols thinks the Clarence Brantley Indoor Arena is a vast improvement to the old facility, she can’t help her nostalgic feelings for the old building.

“Even though I nearly froze in there a few times, I can’t help loving it,” the Sand Springs-area resident said.

Originally, Nichols had hoped salvaged bricks from the site could actually be used for the walkway. She considered painting the names of sponsoring individuals on them, then incorporating the pieces of the old building into an adornment for the new one.

“Unfortunately, these bricks are hollow and can’t be used that way,” the Rock 4-H alumnus said. “But I’m sure we can come up with some way to exhibit them.”

Nichols said she had hoped to formally announce the project earlier this month during Osage County’s 80th-annual Junior Livestock Show. The building was not taken down until after the event, however.

She is now considering waiting to launch the project until next year’s event. In the meantime, Nichols has created a Facebook page to publicize her idea. The Facebook site can be viewed at: Osage County 4-H Alumni.

Nichols said she hopes to receive input about possible brick-related plans in addition to generating interest about a project to honor the old fairgrounds structure.

“I just want to do something that will make people remember the building and all the great times they had there,” she added.