Koh Koh Mah

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	Koh Koh Mah & Foster Living History Encampment September 20-21, 2008 Photos by Jim & Kathy Cummings


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The Battle

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Koh Koh Mah and Foster
If You Build It - They Will Come!

By Jim Cummings

On a promise made to a friend - we started out to Kokomo, Indiana to attend the Living History Event entitled Koh Koh Mah and Foster.

This is a French and Indian War Event. I have been hearing good things about this event for the past several years. One of the things I had heard was that about 1,000 re-enactors and sutlers register annually for this event. I have never heard figures as to the attending public but the area is nicely wooded with plenty of room for both camps and spectators.

The founder and organizer of this event is Bob Auth. Along with his staff of volunteers they do a great job as evidenced by the parking area when we arrived. Volunteers were on hand to direct the parking, shuttles to take those unable to walk, and a lot of friendly faces to help answer any questions.

But picture this if you will. This event is located 10 miles from Kokomo, Indiana and 30 miles from Lafayette. If you have ever seen Kevin Costner in the movie “Field of Dreams” you will better understand the set up here. Bob Auth has had to have a real sense of vision and a whole lot of faith.

For to understand his vision you must understand where this event is located. Smack, dab in the middle of a corn field. Corn to the left of you, corn to the right of you and corn in front and behind you. This is not a little patch of corn in your home garden, this is big business corn. Corn everywhere. And where there is not corn, there are fields of soy beans. Fields and fields of them.

And like the corn in the song from the musical Oklahoma, “the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye.” And I am not exaggerating. Corn was peeping out over the tops of the cars and trailers in the re-enactors and sutler’s parking areas. Over the 8 ft high, trailers and trucks!

Bob Auth really must have had that thought - if you build it they will come. And come they did. In droves. He started the event out small and it has grown each year. Like all events they come for the camaraderie, to see old friends and new. They come for the history. For the history of Indiana and for the history that is being made at such a large event.

We walked through the camps and through the sutlers area to get to the battle field. You must be juried to attend this French and Indian era event.

The second battle of the day started at 3:00 PM and I wanted to arrive early enough to scope out the best area for taking photos. The amphitheater is amazing. Cut into the natural side of the hill it must be 30 or 40 feet from top to bottom. There is seating made from wooden benches fitted into the hillside. The spectators face a natural backdrop of woods. The re-enactors involved in the battle can enter from either side - left or right. There is additional viewing area around the rim of the amphitheater. Down below on the battlefield there is a creek and three or four wooden foot bridges.

There were natural trees growing everywhere - something I was not prepared for from a photography standpoint. It was a real challenge to photograph, not only because of the visual effect of the trees but for lighting reasons too. It made for low light and with the addition of lots of fire power from the re-enactors it became very smoky. But at the end of the day all was well. We had a higher percentage of blurred shots than we would normally have but the rest were truly spectacular.

The battle lasted almost 30 minutes and the smoke at times was quite heavy from both the muskets and the cannon on the field. But the public loved it and so did we. If you haven’t tried this event - put it on your schedule for next year.