By Luis Hernandez / Visalia Times Delta
ALLENSWORTH STATE PARK – Archie Jenkins said he wants Col. Allen Allensworth’s military accomplishments to receive proper recognition.
“He was the first black colonel in the army,” Jenkins said. “He was the highest ranking African American when he retired. That’s something that needs to be uplifted.”
Jenkins, who resides in Allensworth, was among those who attended the Allensworth State Park Open House on Saturday, when volunteers, dressed in period clothing, were stationed at 10 historical buildings that made for a tour that provided a glimpse of what the town used to look like in the early part of last century.
“History is history,” Jenkins said. “You should feel the history.”
The Open House was held in observance of Black History Month.
Besides the 10-stop tour, the Open House included a chocolate scavenger hunt. Visitors were instructed to find the destinations that had offering made with chocolate, including chocolate cake, hot chocolate and chocolate candy. The hunt’s final destination was a stop near the park’s information center, where there were samples of exotic chocolate.
At the Allensworth Hotel, the mother-daughter volunteer tandem of Josephine Triplett and Leah Green offered tours of the rooms, background in the hospitality business and Hershey’s chocolate candy….read more