University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 1970
7
'Cornstalk '70'
Festival Ends Peacefully at Pittsburg
By ANN MORITZ News Editor
Southeast Kansas can take a deep breath and begin to recount calmly the events of its first rock festival.
Scheduled for the Labor Day weekend just outside Pittsburg, the festival began Friday and lasted through Monday. Unofficial estimates of the overall crowd at the farm site ranged from 8,000 to 25,000 persons.
Youth Enjoys Sun
. . . admission was free
The largest of the crowd began to flow in early Saturday evening. Many spent the night at the site.
Compared to festivals across the country the "Peace at Pittsburg" festival, nicknamed "Cornstalk 70," was rated average. For the first major festival of its kind in Kansas, it was rated good.
The festival events were marred by one accident which injured two young people. Mary Orr of Raytown, Mo., was reported in serious condition with head injuries after she and Thomas Brockmeier, Kirkwood, Mo., were run over by a car at the site. Brockmeier was reported in good condition at a Pittsburg hospital.
A brush fire threatened early Monday to sweep into the site but was controlled by members of the audience and the rural volunteer fire department. There were no injuries and damage was confined to brush and trees.
Promoters Kenny Ossana of Arma and Fulton Wilhelm of Pittsburg tried for three locations before they were permitted to use 80 acres of farm land owned by Florn Meyer of Weir. Meyer was said to have offered the land free of charge.
"I really didn't know what to expect to happen here," Meyer said. "Tm just a farmer and don't know too much about the kids nowadays—just what I read in the papers or see on TV.
"From all the news stories I had seen, I was afraid of a bunch of kids coming down here and making some kind of a riot or something or maybe tearing up half the country, but they didn't."
Middle-aged couples equippee with cans of beer and young children spiced the crowd of "long hairs" and clean-cut college students. One woman with a parasol nervously skimmed through the crowd. She was followed by a young "long hair" with a camera which appeared to make her even more uncomfortable.
For those with intentions of sleeping when they remained overnight at the site, the activities didn't subside. A group of about 150 youths began chanting to the beat of tin cans from about 2 to 4 a.m. Sunday, seemingly unaware of anyone around them.
Admission was free and money came from proceeds of concession stands and donations collected each day. Expenses included maintaining a medical tent, supplying a water truck, maintaining portable toilets, food (consisting of cooked rice) and cleanup operations.
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Small Enterprise Flourishes at Rock Festival
Brush Fire Briefly Threatened Rock Festival volunteers from the audience helped contain the blaze
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