Re-Enactors Bring Glimpse Of 18th Century To Fairgrounds
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
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The blast caused nearby children to cover their ears, and adults flinched from the loud boom.
They were two of many booms heard over the weekend at the fairgrounds during Back to the Days of Kosciuszko. The three-day event honors the namesake of Kosciusko County. The time period portrayed during the two-day historical reenactment is 1746 to 1817, the years of Kosciuszko's life.[[In-content Ad]]Back to the Days started at the crossroads of Redbrush Path and Thaddeus Trail.
The first stop on Thaddeus Trail was Judy Kinsey's fourth-grade Harrison Elementary School class hawking their buckeye jewelry.
Student Taylor Pruitt said they made the jewelry, with proceeds benefitting the classroom and Riley Hospital. "We thought it would be good to give to charity," said Pruitt.
Each student was dressed up in re-enactment garb. Ricky Palenske said it wasn't hard to find the right clothes to wear, but Pruitt said it was warm on the sunny day.
As for the buckeyes, Palenske said they found them in Oakwood Cemetery, along the Tippecanoe River, and in Milford.
Pruitt said the jewelry included bracelets, necklaces, a buckeye for the pocket, garland, door hanger and a buckeye in a shell.
Next down the road was John Hutchison, Claypool, portraying a blanket trader during the fur-bearing era from 1800 to 1840. The fur items on display included pelts from some animals he caught, as well as a fox his nephew trapped in Pennsylvania. All the items were handmade and for sale.
Doing it now for 20 years, he said it's a hobby. "It's a lot of fun. I met a lot of nice people doing this," he said.
Most of the people have a general interest in what he was doing, he said. He tells them why he does it, and gives them a living history.
Portraying a fur trapper, Dan Nelson sat in front of his 18-foot tepee with sassafras tea boiling on the fire. Though he purchased the canvas, he made the poles himself. He has been re-enacting for 15 years. He said he likes the tepee because he does a lot of winter camping and they can have a fire inside the tepee. Four grown men with all their gear could easily sleep in the tent, he said.
To make the tent and do the re-enacting, Nelson said he read and did research quite extensively. However, the tepee wouldn't be historically correct for the Kosciusko County area. He said Americans Indians in this part of the area would have slept in a wigwam.
In the blacksmith building, the blacksmith was hammering out a leaf. He'd pump the bellows to heat the flame with the metal inside. He'd take the metal out, pound it in the right spots, then stick the metal back into the fire, again pumping the bellow. A large crowd swarm around the blacksmith, watching him at his trade as he talked about his job.
Near the blacksmith Saturday, three women performed music on dulcimers.
Carol Spaid, Bremen, said she has been playing the hammer dulcimer for 1-1/2 years. She plays it with hammers that look like wooden spoons, padded on one side. She wants to learn more Irish songs, as well as Appalachian music.
Her fellow musicians, Margwen Wermer, Leo, and Rachael Ford, Grabil, played mountain dulcimers. Though Wermer has played only since February 2004, Ford said she's played for 20 years.
The two women met when Wermer was playing the guitar at a nursing home for a Bible study. Ford worked there. They started playing together, and Wermer "fell in love" with the dulcimer.
With Spaid, Ford and Wermer formed the Thistle Mountain Trio. Their performances at Back to the Days of Kosciuszko were only their third time playing together. Many of the songs they play, they learned by ear.
Anyone interested in booking the trio can call Spaid at 574-546-4568.
"We just love it," said Wermer.
On the porch of the 1854 log house, Charlotte Siegfried, Milford, demonstrated spinning and knitting. She's been spinning since she quit smoking 20 years ago.
She said she enjoyed the reenacting because, "first of all, you leave the 21st century behind. You leave your troubles behind. It's another world."
Most people just want to know what she's doing, they think she's sewing or weaving. They become interested in how yarn is made, and are surprised at how easy it is. Siegfried taught herself how to spin, but picked up tips along the way.
In a day, she said she can spin enough yarn for a pair of socks. She can make the socks in two days. In a month, she can make a sweater.
New this year to Back to the Days was Chuck Molenda's portrayal of Benjamin Franklin. Molenda travels all over the Midwest, giving performances to schools, colleges and groups. He lives northwest of Chicago.
When asked what the most interesting thing about Franklin is, Molenda said, "Ben Franklin." Franklin was a man of different characters, and a statesman, scientist and businessman. Franklin learned most of what he knows by reading. If Franklin were alive today, Molenda said, he's be characterized as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
"He always had to be doing something," Molenda said.
He designed the first cathather and swim fins, and predicted the weather. He was a simple printer, but only one of all the printers he set up failed.
Molenda said he is often surprised on his tours about how little people know about the founding of their country. He said he doesn't expect everyone to know everything about Franklin, but they should know who he is.
Molenda is available as Franklin for classrooms or events. Contact him by telephone at 847-844-1081, or online at www.bfranklin.net
Along Redbrush Path was the tent of William Anderson, of Galion, Ohio, portraying a lieutenant in charge of artillery. Inside his tent was a cross section of items found in the 18th century, from ladies' items to tools and surveying equipment. Anderson has been involved in re-enacting for 29 years.
During the weekend re-enactment, 15-minute presentations of "Punch & Judy" were given. The show required crowd participation, and many of the spectators did just that.
For more information on the 17th annual Back to the Days of Kosciuszko, visit online at www.backtothedays.com
The blast caused nearby children to cover their ears, and adults flinched from the loud boom.
They were two of many booms heard over the weekend at the fairgrounds during Back to the Days of Kosciuszko. The three-day event honors the namesake of Kosciusko County. The time period portrayed during the two-day historical reenactment is 1746 to 1817, the years of Kosciuszko's life.[[In-content Ad]]Back to the Days started at the crossroads of Redbrush Path and Thaddeus Trail.
The first stop on Thaddeus Trail was Judy Kinsey's fourth-grade Harrison Elementary School class hawking their buckeye jewelry.
Student Taylor Pruitt said they made the jewelry, with proceeds benefitting the classroom and Riley Hospital. "We thought it would be good to give to charity," said Pruitt.
Each student was dressed up in re-enactment garb. Ricky Palenske said it wasn't hard to find the right clothes to wear, but Pruitt said it was warm on the sunny day.
As for the buckeyes, Palenske said they found them in Oakwood Cemetery, along the Tippecanoe River, and in Milford.
Pruitt said the jewelry included bracelets, necklaces, a buckeye for the pocket, garland, door hanger and a buckeye in a shell.
Next down the road was John Hutchison, Claypool, portraying a blanket trader during the fur-bearing era from 1800 to 1840. The fur items on display included pelts from some animals he caught, as well as a fox his nephew trapped in Pennsylvania. All the items were handmade and for sale.
Doing it now for 20 years, he said it's a hobby. "It's a lot of fun. I met a lot of nice people doing this," he said.
Most of the people have a general interest in what he was doing, he said. He tells them why he does it, and gives them a living history.
Portraying a fur trapper, Dan Nelson sat in front of his 18-foot tepee with sassafras tea boiling on the fire. Though he purchased the canvas, he made the poles himself. He has been re-enacting for 15 years. He said he likes the tepee because he does a lot of winter camping and they can have a fire inside the tepee. Four grown men with all their gear could easily sleep in the tent, he said.
To make the tent and do the re-enacting, Nelson said he read and did research quite extensively. However, the tepee wouldn't be historically correct for the Kosciusko County area. He said Americans Indians in this part of the area would have slept in a wigwam.
In the blacksmith building, the blacksmith was hammering out a leaf. He'd pump the bellows to heat the flame with the metal inside. He'd take the metal out, pound it in the right spots, then stick the metal back into the fire, again pumping the bellow. A large crowd swarm around the blacksmith, watching him at his trade as he talked about his job.
Near the blacksmith Saturday, three women performed music on dulcimers.
Carol Spaid, Bremen, said she has been playing the hammer dulcimer for 1-1/2 years. She plays it with hammers that look like wooden spoons, padded on one side. She wants to learn more Irish songs, as well as Appalachian music.
Her fellow musicians, Margwen Wermer, Leo, and Rachael Ford, Grabil, played mountain dulcimers. Though Wermer has played only since February 2004, Ford said she's played for 20 years.
The two women met when Wermer was playing the guitar at a nursing home for a Bible study. Ford worked there. They started playing together, and Wermer "fell in love" with the dulcimer.
With Spaid, Ford and Wermer formed the Thistle Mountain Trio. Their performances at Back to the Days of Kosciuszko were only their third time playing together. Many of the songs they play, they learned by ear.
Anyone interested in booking the trio can call Spaid at 574-546-4568.
"We just love it," said Wermer.
On the porch of the 1854 log house, Charlotte Siegfried, Milford, demonstrated spinning and knitting. She's been spinning since she quit smoking 20 years ago.
She said she enjoyed the reenacting because, "first of all, you leave the 21st century behind. You leave your troubles behind. It's another world."
Most people just want to know what she's doing, they think she's sewing or weaving. They become interested in how yarn is made, and are surprised at how easy it is. Siegfried taught herself how to spin, but picked up tips along the way.
In a day, she said she can spin enough yarn for a pair of socks. She can make the socks in two days. In a month, she can make a sweater.
New this year to Back to the Days was Chuck Molenda's portrayal of Benjamin Franklin. Molenda travels all over the Midwest, giving performances to schools, colleges and groups. He lives northwest of Chicago.
When asked what the most interesting thing about Franklin is, Molenda said, "Ben Franklin." Franklin was a man of different characters, and a statesman, scientist and businessman. Franklin learned most of what he knows by reading. If Franklin were alive today, Molenda said, he's be characterized as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
"He always had to be doing something," Molenda said.
He designed the first cathather and swim fins, and predicted the weather. He was a simple printer, but only one of all the printers he set up failed.
Molenda said he is often surprised on his tours about how little people know about the founding of their country. He said he doesn't expect everyone to know everything about Franklin, but they should know who he is.
Molenda is available as Franklin for classrooms or events. Contact him by telephone at 847-844-1081, or online at www.bfranklin.net
Along Redbrush Path was the tent of William Anderson, of Galion, Ohio, portraying a lieutenant in charge of artillery. Inside his tent was a cross section of items found in the 18th century, from ladies' items to tools and surveying equipment. Anderson has been involved in re-enacting for 29 years.
During the weekend re-enactment, 15-minute presentations of "Punch & Judy" were given. The show required crowd participation, and many of the spectators did just that.
For more information on the 17th annual Back to the Days of Kosciuszko, visit online at www.backtothedays.com
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