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Focus on Florence
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Florence's Main Street, 1919
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In the 1920s, Florence was a booming town of 3,000 people with plentiful jobs and a bustling downtown. Ninety years later, much has changed in the Flint Hills community. The population has dwindled to 832. Downtown buildings are empty, and many businesses -- including the grocery store and the schools -- have left. What does the future hold for Florence, Kansas?
Florence, Kansas seeks to answer that question. The short film, produced by the Florence Historical Society and filmmakers Stephen Lerner and Frank Barthell, contains recordings drawn from more than three dozen interviews with current and former residents of the town. It also features never-before-released film footage of the devastating July 1951 flood and Labor Day parades from the 1950s.
"I wanted to tell this town's story entirely in the voices of the people who grew up there or who have years of intimate familiarity with this place," said filmmaker Stephen Lerner. "I believe Florence, Kansas has a lot to say about what it means to live in a small rural town today. The story of Florence seems both universal and unique."
A premiere and panel discussion of Florence, Kansas will take place on Saturday, May 28 at 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. at the Florence Masonic Center, 417 Main Street in Florence.
Florence, Kansas is supported by a KHC short film grant.
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