Monday, March 18, 2024

March Madness: High School Presentation and the Kalamazoo Living History Show 2024

March has been a busier month in the living history world than one would expect - at least it has been for me.  The first weekend of the month found me spending a day as one of my Revolutionary heroes,  Paul Revere,  presenting for the Paint Creek Folklore Society in Rochester on a Saturday afternoon,  then interpreting as the same man for elementary kids for a special historical birthday party at the Plymouth Historical Museum that same evening  (click HERE).
Less than a week later found me as Revere presenting to high school kids...and then a week after that I was at the Kalamazoo Living History Show,  searching for cool items,  collectibles,  and artifacts to enhance my presentation and/or home.
And it's these last two of which today's posting is about.

<<<^>>>

Let's go back in time.  Not too far back,  mind you - - only around roughly 50 years or so.
It's the time of the Bicentennial - the mid-1970s - and the teenage me is at a school assembly.  The person on the gymnasium stage dressed in a suit and tie is speaking in a drab mono-toned voice.  And he's droning on about ...*yawn*... history ...and ...well... that gym floor certainly looks ... comfortable ...mmm...
Yeah - - that's generally the way most presentations and assemblies were like for me when I was in school.  Even those about history.
Well,  now I  do historical presentations for schools,  and I do my best to make it anything but drab and boring!  As you may know,  I,  along with Larissa  (my partner in this venture)  dress in 18th century clothing,  bring replica period-accessories,  and try  (to some level of success,  I might add)  to convey the excitement that history has to offer in our little expositions.  The two of us have been presenting 18th and 19th century farm life for over a decade now,  and more recently,  with the semiquincentennial  (250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War and Independence)  at hand,  we've been finding ourselves getting busier in our Patriot presentations.
And do the kids respond favorably?
You betcha!
Oh,  there are those who will be perpetually bored.  But it's usually because they don't want to be in school anyhow.
And there are always those who think what we as living historians do is silly or stupid.
Ahhh...that's okay,  too.   They have a right to their opinion.
The majority,  however,  really seem to enjoy it.
And,  as a bonus,  they learn something!
It just so happened that the school that I retired from asked if we would be interested in doing our Patriots Presentation for the students,  and have Sybil Ludington,  Paul Revere,  and Ben Franklin come and speak on their most well-known Revolutionary activity.
But,  of course!
It was unfortunate that our Benjamin Franklin could not make it,  for his modern job kept his nose to the grindstone and he could not break away in time to take part.
But Larissa & I certainly gave the kids  (and even staff)  their money's worth.
Paul Revere and Sybil Ludington
Larissa & I have been  "working"  together in this capacity for over a decade now.
And I am wearing my farm hat here because since Ben Franklin could not make it,  
Larissa & I reverted back to include our daily life farming presentation and also spoke for a short bit on our period clothing.
Larissa began our presentation as Sybil Ludington.  Now,  before you jump on us and say,  "But Ken!  There is no proof about the Sybil Ludington story!"
Larissa knows what she's doing - she tells the story and then will explain afterward the questions historians have about the legitimacy of what may or may not have occurred.  There's no lying or made up tales.
So she begins with - - 
One stormy night in the spring of 1777,  two years into the Revolutionary War,  a 16-year-old girl mounted her horse  (it may or may not have been named Star)  and rode hell-for-leather  (bareback?  sidesaddle?  accounts vary)  through 40 miles of Hudson Valley countryside,  rallying her father’s troops to battle. 
Some modern scholars,  though,  suspect that Ludington,  the  “female Paul Revere,”  uttered nothing of the sort,  and that she even may have stayed snug in bed on that historic night like any sensible farm girl.  There are no official records or contemporary accounts to support the story;  basic facts have proven elusive
Larissa,  as Sybil,  tells her story.
One of the students,  out of camera range in this photo,  did a report on Ludington.
Since there are some question on whether or not the young Ms.  Ludington actually made the journey of which she is so well known,  Larissa asks her audience to do their own research and figure out for themselves whether or not the story is true.  I personally believe it to be true.  In fact,  in an 1854 letter from Sybil Ludington’s nephew,  Charles H.  Ludington,  he asked that she be recognized at an upcoming ceremony for Revolutionary heroes.  “My Aunt Sybil,”  her nephew wrote,  rode  “on horseback in the dead of night...through a Country infested with Cowboys and Skinners to inform Gen’l Putnam.”  It’s the earliest known account of the episode  (and I got the information from THIS Smithsonian site).  That tells me the story was known and passed down through family lore.
Here am I as Paul Revere.
I differentiated myself on this day by my hats:  cocked/tricorn
was for Paul Revere,  and the wide-brimmed hat is for farming.
I even brought along a replica of one of the two lanterns
hung in the Old North Church steeple.  It was made for the
Bicentennial by the Concord Historical Society  (in 1975).

After our presentation,  we gave the students a chance to ask questions,  to take photos,  and even to pose for photos themselves wearing some of the extra garb we had with us.
These teens certainly enjoyed their time dressed in the past!
If you can entice teens to enjoy and to perhaps research history through a variety of means - and then look at the past through the environment of the time - then it is all good.  We try to help them to understand that contrary to what seems to be pushed in too many of today's narratives,  history is not all bad.  In fact,  there is so much more good.  Unfortunately,  too many have their discussion on Facebook with all of the back-and-forth arguing and name-calling and attacks,  which accomplishes nothing.  I'd rather have an actual and honest-to-goodness old-fashioned share-our-knowledge sit down face-to-face  friendly discussion.  That's where accomplishments can happen.
Another set of teenagers enjoyed wearing period clothing~
We are supposedly in an age of inclusiveness,  so let's show that rather than just stating the opposing views and pit one group against another.
That's where Larissa and I are at - inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness.
And the response from all the kids and teaching staff has been nothing but positive.
We can do it~

"+"+"+"

A week after our school presentation found us,  along with other friends,  at the Kalamazoo Living History Show,  "The largest,  nationally recognized,  juried show in the Midwest devoted to pre-1890 original or reproduction living history supplies,  accouterments,  and related crafts."   This is the place for any living historian who portrays the pre-1900s to get pretty much what they will need to build up their kit and add to it.
You see,  now and again I'll hear many reenactors are leaving the French & Indian War,  Revolutionary War,  War of 1812,  and the Civil War to head forward in time to the 1940s and World War II.  I have been told that people aren't interested in bringing the distant past to life,  that it takes too much time,  work,  and research to do so.  Plus,  the guns of WWII are  "cooler."
Well,  judging by the upwards of 10,000 living historians / reenactors who made the trek to the Kalamazoo Living History Expo,  I would say the reports of the death of reenacting pre-20th century America are greatly exaggerated.  We can all survive together - - - - 
Just ask  Maggie Delaney,  the Irish indentured servant:
Here we have Carol Jarboe portraying Maggie Delaney,  the Irish indentured servant. 
I own the DVD which depicts Ms.  Jarboe portraying fictional character,   Maggie Delaney,  an Irish indentured servant who gains passage to the new world,  only to lose her family in the process.
(Click HERE)
From where I live just north of Detroit,  it's almost a three hour drive to the city of Kalamazoo where the living history show is held.  Nearly 300 of the finest artisans and vendors of pre-1890s clothing,  supplies,  and related accessories & crafts from throughout the United States and Canada come together to sell their wares to those who practice the art of living history.  It's a sort of  'gathering of the tribes'  (so to speak);  living historians representing numerous non-electric eras can be seen intermingling with each other,  talking history,  finding the perfect item that is needed for the upcoming season,  and,  especially,  for newbies to the hobby trying to build their first kit - all of this taking place inside three very large halls/rooms.
Here's 1774 Ken with good friend from the future,  1860s Angie.
I spent time wandering and shopping and taking photos,  many of which I have here.
By the way,  the night before is like Christmas Eve - so  hard to get to sleep!
Woke up bright...er...dark  and early and was soon on the road,  where five of us drove together in my van,  filling the air with wonderful conversation.  Lucky for us,  this year the weather on the drive out there was pleasant enough,  though coming home was a different story - rain!
But no snow!  Our drive was fairly easy.  
The ol' time-traveling van got us there safely - - - 
Upon entering,  I scurried over to Samson Historical,  the owners of whom I consider friends.  I have been dealing with Samson's since I first became acquainted with them when I began my journey into America's colonial past a decade ago. 
Abbie Samson and I.
The coat I am wearing was purchased from them a few years ago.
This year I bought another.
Abbie Samson and her husband,  who is in the picture below with their daughter,  Payton,  are the owners of Samson Historical

"OUR PASSION IS HISTORY
UNVEILING THE PAST WITH PASSION,  SAMSON HISTORICAL IS A TRUSTED SOURCE FOR AUTHENTIC 18TH-CENTURY EXPERTISE.  FROM METICULOUSLY RESEARCHED AND CRAFTED PERIOD CLOTHING TO ARTISAN-MADE PRODUCTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,  WE DELIVER TO YOU THE RICH HISTORY OF THE 18TH CENTURY AND REGENCY ERA.  OUR DEDICATION TO HISTORICAL ACCURACY ENSURES AN UNPARALLELED EXPERIENCE FOR REENACTORS,  LIVING HISTORIANS,  MUSEUMS,  AND HISTORICAL ORGANIZATIONS.  DISCOVER THE LEGACY OF THE 18TH CENTURY WITH SAMSON HISTORICAL."
As I moved about their product,  something caught my eye:  a new woolen frock coat.  "The pattern used for this coat was derived from four examples in Henry Cook's personal collection,  as well as one other in a private collection.  If he had lived in the eighteenth century,  Henry Cooke would have been called a Master Tailor.  Today we call him a Historical Costumer,  but his tailoring is no less masterful.  If you’ve been to a museum,  a site with historical interpretation,  or a reenactment,  you may have seen his work or at least seen his influence.
So...with the money I have been saving since my Simply Dickens performances last Christmas,  I purchased it.  I swear my colonial wardrobe is larger than my modern clothing.  Except my t-shirts----I have dozens and dozens of t-shirts - more than any other piece of attire.
I received quite a lot of compliments while in my new frock coat,  too,  especially from these guys:
Queen's Rangers reenacting group.
Even though we are on opposite ends of the Revolutionary War,  they are a great group of people who actively portray Simcoe's Queen's Rangers.
My friends who formed this Queen's Rangers reenacting outfit have what I consider to be the best recruitment poster. As a Patriot, I would never join, but I certainly would buy a t-shirt if they made one.  Yeah...they saw my new green frock coat  (which you'll see shortly)  and told me I was close to being one of them  (lol) - - sorry gang,  love you all,  but I am a Patriot!
The Queen's Rangers host the wonderful Vermillion Creek event which takes place the first weekend in October.  It's a great event in which Native Americans also take part.
By the way,  Scott Mann founded this unit back in 2014.

The variety of people and reenactors here in Kalamazoo is amazing,  versatile,  and outstanding.
Here we have Jeff Dewey with a western cowboy era
impression,  though he portrays no one famous.

I do enjoy those who work their crafts here on the spot.  I would love to see more of this done at actual reenactments.
Tanning hides...

...and spinning wool into yarn.

Lanterns,  lanterns,  and more lanterns.
All the lanterns from many eras.

Wm.  Booth,  Draper,  at the Sign of the Unicorn
"A large and excellent assortment of linen checks and stripes,  linen Hollands,  cords,  diaper,  and jeans,  Scotch,  Irish and flaxen ozenbrigs;  Russia sheetings,  Hessen,  Russia and ravens duck,  canvas;  plains,  serge,  broadcloths,  woolens,  worsteds,  white flannels,  scarlet,  drab,  light and dark blue,  brown,  claret,  garnet,  sage,  purple and pea green,  coarse cloths;  coloured threads,  Scotch threads;  wool doubled,  and ready for knitting;  mould,  thread and wire shirt buttons;  fashionable  plated and brass buttons;  Indian binding,  white,  and red,  white twist,  white tapes,  colour’d silk ribbon,  worsted braid,  gold lace;  scissors,  bodkins,  stilleto;  brass,  Pinchbeck,  shoe and knee buckles,  plain sleeve. links;  With a general assortment of other goods as usual.

If I were to photograph each vendor,  I would probably have nearly 300 photos.  So I just took pictures of what jumped out at me.
Pewter and silver and all kinds of cool items - - - 

Cedar Creek Forge~
There were numerous blacksmiths there.  Next year I need to make a list of items I am looking for,  for when I would come upon one,  I would forget what I wanted!

I was told that the Kalamazoo Living History Show began many years ago as a gun show,  and overtime morphed into the largest juried living history show in the Midwest! 
I am so glad that it did morph in the way it did and became what it has - - and I am also very glad that they do keep it pre-1900.  That makes all the difference.
Oliver Pluff & Co were there~
"American-Made Teas,  Toddies,  & Coffees are hand-packaged by Oliver Pluff & Company in Charleston,  South Carolina.  Find us at historic sites, museum stores, gourmet stores, and our online store.  Oliver Pluff & Company asked the question, 'What teas were thrown in the harbor during the Boston Tea Party?'  We sought what tea gardens supplied the British East India Company in the markets at Canton,  China in the 17th and 18th centuries.  We recreated those blends and hope to share a cup of history with you!"

A cap is an absolute necessity for any woman in the 18th century.  While caps range from simple to extravagant,  the basic round-eared style is commonly found. 

This has the look and feel of a frontier trading post.
"Though often no more than a collection of dilapidated cabins,  frontier trading posts served as the commercial centers of the frontier,  built on or near waterways to expedite both the shipment of furs and pelts downriver,  and the return of supplies and trade items upriver."

Don't know this person's name but he had a very cool
sort of  "knapsack"  on his back.

Woven belts.

I enjoy when we can see the variety of clothing worn from the
same period in time.

The 49th Regiment of Foote,  run by Doug Lee  (here with his wife Sheila).
It's this reenacting group who come out as Redcoats during the Patriot's Day event where we reenact the battle of Lexington and Concord,  as well as join us during the awesome 4th of July event - both held at Mill Race Village.
For the 4th of July they dress Continental.
I appreciate all they've done in helping to keep our Patriot's Day up and running,  and for their participation for Independence Day,  especially with the 250th Semiquincentennial at hand.
A great group!

Two long-time friends  (and somewhat legends)  in the
Civil War-era clothing world,  Sandra Root & Pam Yockey.
They are the go-to ladies and have earned the trust & respect
of so many who do 1860s.

Thank this man on the left - Maurice Imhoff - if you enjoy that the Jackson Civil War Muster is still going on!  At one point it seemed dead in the water,  but Maurice put a lot of time and a lot of effort and brought it back.  Slowly at first,  and now definitely picking up steam.
It's back!
It's getting better all the time!

Jon Townsend was at Kalamazoo as well,  representing not only
his excellent Townsend store,  but his You Tube Channel as well. 
Yes,  Jon is a sort of celebrity in his own right,  and his channel
is one that I watch pretty much weekly with every new  "show,"
which is a great learning experience.  Super nice guy!
"Jas. Townsend & Son Inc. is a manufacturer and retailer of quality reproduction 18th and early 19th Century clothing and personal accessories.  We service the living history community,  historic sites,  museums,  and theatrical,  motion picture,  and television production companies.
Skillfully made,  reasonably priced,  satisfaction guaranteed."
And their accessories  (and straight-last shoes)  they sell are 2nd to none!

Norm and Tony Gerring - father & son.
Tony was promoting his 1st Pennsylvania reenacting group
as well as selling a few extra accessories he had on hand.
The 1st Pennsylvania is a top-notch high quality Continental
reenacting unit - spot on for nearly every year of service
 during the Revolutionary War.
My son,  Robbie,  belongs to this group.
By the way,  the 1st Penn also plays a major part in our
Patriot's Day event at the end of April,  for they portray,  rather accurately,
I might add,  the Militia who fought against the Redcoats.

Will Eichler was there promoting his History Fix streaming channel, 
one that I myself subscribe to.
Historyfix is great history streaming channel  - 
it is what The History Channel should be...though isn't!
But History Fix is!
Yes,  I really do subscribe to the channel and have watched it often,  for it covers a wide range of history going back to the 1st century,  along with a wide range of topics.  
Well done!  Check them out!

21st Michigan President,  Ian Kushnir,  and his family.
Ian also still belongs to the 5th Texas.
Perhaps next year the 21st Michigan can have a recruiting table.
The 21st Michigan has a large and active civilian contingent and an ever-growing military.  With the events also growing,  I suspect the 21st is heading in the right direction.  Yes,  I have been a member since 2004 - I would call that long-term membership!

Jackie Vohlken and her husband John,  both of the
wonderful 3rd Michigan Civil War reenacting group.
The 3rd is perhaps the largest Civil War reenacting group on the Lake Michigan side of our state.  And when the 21st Michigan celebrated its 150th back in 2012,  the 3rd was there and really helped to make it quite an  awesome event  (click HERE).

Of course,  you all know Bob Stark,  long-time Ben Franklin interpreter.
Well,  he and his daughter also run The Salty Lantern - makers of quality rope beds,  tomahawk tosses,  and,  soon to be available,  the shaving horse. 
His daughter,  Abby,  is also a seller of tea and does public speeches on historic teas,  including what was dumped into Boston Harbor back in December of 1773.
Larissa and Jackie are at it again!
They were tired from all out walking and wanted to take a rest - a nap - on one of the Lantern's fine rope bunk beds.  Well,  Abby would have none of that!

Long-time friend and 21st Michigan member,  J.R.  Schroeder and
his two youngest daughters.
The Schroeder family have been reenacting since,  I believe,  the 1970s.

On our way home we decided to stop at a restaurant called 
Ray Ray's Italian Beef & Sausage.
This is a good old-fashioned diner in every respect - as you
can see Charlotte enjoying her food.
"BBQ,  dogs,  and burgers Chicago style."
Very nice people who work there,  too!
Charlotte,  Larissa,  Norm,  Jackie,  and myself,  who you've seen here,  all belong to Citizens of the American Colonies,  a group always striving to  "up our game."  We host Patriot's Day  (The Battle of Lexington & Concord)  and the wonderful 4th of July event,  both at historic Mill Race Village in Northville,  Michigan.  We have other members,  but,  sadly,  no photos of them from Kalamazoo.
.

Now for photos of me in my new frock coat that I purchased from Samson Historical while at the Kalamazoo Living History Show:
I am lovin'  my new frock~
My  "go to meetin' "  coat.
"This frock coat features defining details from the second half of the 18th century,  making it appropriate for everyday wear by men of all classes.  This coat has a more rounded front  and narrow back which was prominent in the 1770s.  While simplistic in style,  it is accented by buttonless cuffs and  scalloped pocket flaps,  which were popular during the period.  
The pattern used for these coats,  including the self-covered wooden buttons and flapped pockets,  was designed from two surviving pieces:  one from a 1780 garment of which is in a private collection in Bristol,  Rhode Island,  and the other,  from about 1770,  is in the collections of the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford,  Connecticut."
Mine,  as you can see,  is of green wool.
Back at home,  my wife got behind the camera
and we set up a few poses.
This ended up being my newest Facebook profile picture.

Aside from all of the shopping,  I think what I enjoy most about the Kalamazoo Living History Show is visiting with everyone...so many friends in this time-travel world!  Larissa said it best when she wrote:  "Walk 5 feet…stop and give hugs to someone….walk 5 feet and see someone else….walk 5 feet and look there’s someone else!  So fun running into everyone."
And the conversations on the drive there and back with friends was wonderful as well.
So,  in a current world of grumbly,  unhappy people,  it was great seeing all of the smiling faces...everyone preparing for the coming season.  Oh,  Happy Day----
I suppose I just like it all,  actually.
O0O

Now I'd like to show you something that I am very excited about---something I've been wanting for a while but had to wait for the right one to come along,  and it finally did---the week before Kalamazoo  (gotta love Ebay!):
My vintage cider press.
Now I've searched and I searched but I couldn't find a cider press from the 18th century.  I figured an original would be impossible,  but a replication might be nice.  The trouble is,  I simply cannot find any photos or etchings of an 18th century apple press,  aside from those built into a large building.  And as for anything smaller,  well,  they're still a bit large and would probably be pretty expensive.
And difficult to lug from place to place.
Middle Ages,  going by the clothing,  but this is about
as close to the type of cider press as I would need, 
more than likely,  for 18th century as well.
I do not have something to mash up the apples beforehand - - so what will I do without an apple masher - something to  "pulverize"  the apples to make pressing easier and getting every bit of juice pressed out of it?
Why,  mash them myself with a cudgel!
I've read about and seen a video on this.
Looks like I'm going to need a type of cudgel to mash the apples before pressing.
I am very pleased with my new vintage press,  even if it is not exactly 18th century,  for the process will still be in the same manner.
Now to wait till Fall.

So---onward and upward,  right?
Looking forward to the past.
I'm pumped up!

Until next time,  see you in time.
And just in time for America's 250th birthday!
Click HERE



Henry Cooke information from HERE










































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Monday, March 11, 2024

Historic Structures Brought To Life: The Mid-19th Century Susquehanna Plantation

I've done  "extra"  research on many of the historic homes and structures located inside the hallowed walls of Greenfield Village  (located in Dearborn,  Michigan,  for those of you who live out of state).  
Hopefully,  fans of history and fans of Greenfield Village will read these posts I write before visiting to help enhance that visit.  Nearly all of the information came,  in some form or another,  directly from the Benson Ford Research Center,  the various books and guidebooks,  and from the presenters themselves - all a part of the campus of The Henry Ford,  in which Greenfield Village is,  perhaps,  the largest part.  Oh!  And some info even came from a couple of internet sources.
I hope you enjoy this interesting piece of history - American history~

......--.....

Old houses always have a story to tell.  Sometimes it may take a while to learn the tales,  but mark me,  every home - even your own - has a story.  The Susquehanna Plantation from Maryland has a long and interesting history to it - not just in of itself but after it was moved and restored inside of historic Greenfield Village as well.
The Susquehanna Plantation was part of  one of the largest,  most productive farms in southwest Maryland during the 1800s.
The house,  when Henry Ford first heard about it and then saw it,  was tagged to be razed by the U.S.  Navy.  As stated in a 2005 Baltimore Sun newspaper article:  "The Navy was taking over what had been the crossroads of Cedar Point;  eviction notices were tacked to front doors,  with some owners given 30 days to leave."
This picture is from around 1941 / 1942  while still in its original Maryland location.
Even in its rundown condition,  the house still had beautiful features.
Samuel Young,  who lived in Michigan,  had bought Susquehanna at the behest of his late wife,  a St.  Mary's County native.  When they were told to leave,  Young offered the home to Henry Ford.  Young apparently told Ford of the property's connection to Christopher Rousby,  an affluent colonial tax collector of the 17th century,  and of life in Maryland a century before the American Revolution.  The house could be Ford's for free.  All he had to do was come and get it.
Included in the package,  by the way,  was a tombstone belonging to Christopher Rousby,   a his bones were buried beneath!
Who could say  "no"  to that deal??
When Ford's architect Ed Cutler arrived to inspect it,  the building was intact but run down.  
The kitchen hearth before moving to Michigan and restoration.
Inside Cutler had to wade through 18 inches of grain to take measurements.  After viewing the drawings and photographs that were brought back,  Ford decided to acquire the home.  The building was moved in March of 1942 and erected by that following August.  An interesting fact here is that it is situated exactly in the same position and direction in Greenfield Village as it had been in Maryland.  The shadows are the same...
The  "colonial"  Susquehanna Plantation House as it looked in 1965
inside Greenfield Village.
Originally built on the bluffs of the Patuxent River in the Tidewater region of Maryland,  initially it was thought that the house was constructed around 1650.   So,  for years,  presenters in colonial clothing at the Village told the story of the house,  Rousby,  and of Rousby's death at the hands of a cousin of Lord Baltimore,  and showed off the tombstone/grave situated behind the home.
This was how the presentation of this house had been told up until the late 1980's when historians realized that this was not Christopher Rousby's house.
I remember the days when this house was thought to be a colonial home,
as this photo shows,  and the presenters used to tell us about the
tombstone out back.
I took a photo of the tombstone but cannot seem to locate it now.

Here is the parlor located on the eastern side of the home,  opposite end from the kitchen.
I did not take this picture,  but as you can see,  the room seemed to be ready for company from the 17th or 18th century.
But things were about to change.  I recall hearing from a presenter about the new changes that were going to be made to this house.  New and unexpected research had given them information that took them off guard.
As an article in the Baltimore Sun explains:  "...historians became suspicious of claims that the house dated from the late 1600s.  In the 1980s,  a group from St.  Mary's County  (in Maryland)  told museum officials that there were only two buildings from before 1700 standing in Maryland -- one in Anne Arundel County and one on the Eastern Shore."
Well,  this news alerted the staff at Greenfield Village that something was amiss.
A winter scene greets us from the back of the Plantation House.
Again,  from the Sun:  "Soon the staff realized there were major flaws in the story of Susquehanna.  After doing tree-ring dating on the beams of the house and doing archaeological work on the home's Maryland site,  it was determined the house wasn't so old.  It likely dates to possibly around the 1830s.  That meant it couldn't be Rousby's house.  He had been dead more than 150 years when it was built.  The Village staff knew they had to make changes."
The tombstone was removed and put into storage and the bones were exhumed to be examined by a mortuary scientist,  who found that the collection of bones were from three different people!  And none were even Caucasian males!  The museum received permission from the local court to have the bones cremated.  They did and held a funeral as well,  with the ashes reburied at Susquehanna.
In 2002,  a Rousby historian from Maryland named Joan Kocen was able to have the tombstone returned to its home state where she has it packed carefully away until she decides what she can do with it.  No one has any idea of what became of Rousby's body.
The original site of the house in a photo taken by Steven Lindsey.
Now,  how did this mix up originally occur?  The Sun article states that:  "The tombstone,  clearly dating to the 1680s,  was automatically linked to the house.  Oral histories perpetuated the error.  The Carroll family  (Henry and Elizabeth),  who built the house in the 19th century,  knew how old it was,  but their descendants either had died or moved,  leaving no link to the past.  Meanwhile,  a prominent historical architect of the early 20th century,  Henry Chandlee Forman,  helped solidify the myth when he dated the house to 1654."
A unique perspective of a unique house.
However,  the historians of Greenfield Village and the Maryland Archaeologists un-earthed the true history mystery of the Susquehanna House,  for the archaeological investigations at the Susquehanna site were funded by the Edison Institute of the Henry Ford Museum and the Maryland Historical Trust.
It was then noted that Henry and Elizabeth Carroll and their family built this house in the mid-1830's,  (though now the guidebook says  "probably constructed before 1820")  where it sat upon 700 acres,  and they enjoyed a prosperous life,  including hosting extravagant parties.  "On the eve of the Civil War,  Carroll had 65 slaves living at the farm  (according to the latest guidebook and other sources,  though other older sources counted 75 - not sure what made the numbers change),  probably in cabins and duplexes hidden among the trees along the bluffs of Harper's Creek."   These were 13 small,  wood shacks with dirt floors,  and those who lived in them were made to work brutal hours in the fields,  usually sun up to sun down,  especially during harvest time.  "Carroll lived with his wife and six children"  (I've also read five children)  "at the plantation's principal dwelling  (this house),  and a female schoolteacher also appears to have resided with the Carrolls.  Carroll probably had at least one overseer living on his property,  but it is impossible to reconstruct who this individual might have been from census records." 
Italicized information in the above paragraph was written by Julia A.  King.
The Carroll family was one of the wealthiest in St. Mary's County - the slaves alone,  according to the 1860 census,  were valued at $49,000.  Among the slaves were skilled craftsmen,  including blacksmiths,  carpenters,  coopers,  shoemakers,  and seamstresses.
And the house servants.
Madelyn Porter,  who won a Kresge Artist Award for her work telling stories,  
portrayed one of the Carroll slaves - one who worked in the kitchen.
Folks,  this woman's presentation was simply amazing.  
And done,  of course,  in a very respectable and teachable manner.
She explained that the Carrolls were preparing for a wedding,  and it was up to her to make sure the food and desserts were perfect.  She told us that even though she was a slave,  she still had her pride and made certain that everything was up to the high standards expected because of her talent more than of fear.
The way she spoke as she told her stories as a slave at the Carroll Home just 
drew me/us into her world,  making everyone listening feel as if they were there,  
back in her time of 1860.  It was extremely effective. 
In no way,  shape,  or form is slavery presented in a passive manner,  but,  rather,  in such a way that it grabs the visitor almost unexpectedly,  and shows them its horrors on an emotional level as well as in a factual way.
Here are just a few of the comments I received after posting Ms.  Porter's picture on Facebook from others who saw this presentation:
"She was spell binding!"
"Gave me chills."
"She gave a really stunning performance."
"She is amazing!!"
"She was awesome!!!"
"She was fabulous,  all but made me cry!"
"She was definitely my favorite!"
I concur with each of these comments.
Don't believe us?
Well,  someone took a video of her presentation:
Whew!  It still gives me chills to watch.
And,  as I said,  very effective,  too.
The Carrolls' slaves labored in the hot sun and in the rain to take care of the abundant crops grown and cultivated on the land:  In the decades preceding the Civil War,  Susquehanna had been a well-managed farm with one of the largest slave labor forces in the region. The farm's owner,  Henry J.  Carroll,  was reform-minded,  practicing soil conservation,  crop diversification,  and experimenting with innovative agricultural implements.  Susquehanna stood in stark contrast to the antebellum stereotype of  the exhausted,  dilapidated tobacco plantation.
Buffer stands of trees between the fields and waterways certainly helped preserve the farm's rich soils and protect the creeks.  Carroll probably owned woodlands nearby to provide his plantation with firewood,  fencing,  and lumber.
In 1849,  Carroll grew com and wheat and,  in 1859,  he grew com,  wheat,  and tobacco.  He also grew oats and hay,  probably for farm consumption,  and he kept comparatively large numbers of horses,  cattle,  oxen,  sheep,  and pigs. 
Julia A.  King
Early Springtime preparation.
There are times when visitors can catch agricultural laboring taking place in the field next to the house,  where they grow tobacco crop.  The tobacco does not make it to fruition,  however,  for Michigan's weather is not conducive to growing this southern-oriented crop.  But it will grow enough where the visitors can get a good idea of what the plant looks like,  as well as keeping the history of this house alive.

Tobacco are the smaller plants to the right here.
I believe that's corn growing to the left.

The following about this dwelling comes from How the Past Becomes A Place: An Example from 19th-Century Maryland  (Volume 31 Article 9  Historic Preservation and the Archaeology of Nineteenth Century Farmsteads in the Northeast)  by
Julia A. King:
Archaeological and documentary study of the Susquehanna property suggests that Henry Carroll maintained a well-ordered landscape at his plantation.  He was sensitive to issues of land management and appears to have suffered little of the erosion plaguing other farmers in 19th-century,  southern Maryland.  Slave dwellings were hidden out of view,  while Carroll's dwelling was prominently displayed at the center of the farm.  Yet,  access to Carroll's house was restricted to a long,  straight,  tree-lined avenue nearly two miles in length,  and the dwelling itself was enclosed within an unusual elliptical fence.
Distributions of shell, bone, and 19th-century ceramics indicate the yard surrounding the dwelling was divided into a service end and a formal end.  The service end was located off the kitchen with associated domestic outbuildings.  The formal end was situated off the parlor with virtually no evidence of domestic activities in the associated soils.
It was precisely the orderliness of this landscape that made one archaeological feature especially intriguing.  Adjacent to the dwelling's formal parlor end,  hundreds of fragments of brick were encountered during archaeological testing.  These fragments were initially believed to have been left over from the 1941 dismantling and removal of the main house to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.  Careful study of the soil stratigraphy,  however,  indicated that the brick concentrations were located below 1941 soil levels,  thus pre-dating the 1941 move.  Subsequently,  traces of a buried brick foundation and cellar were revealed in this part of the dwelling yard.  Enough of the foundation was exposed to conclude that it was probably an earlier dwelling built sometime in the second half of the 18th century.  There was virtually no evidence to suggest that the 18th-century building remained
standing after the newer dwelling was built,  and plenty of indirect evidence to suggest that it did not remain in use through the 19th century.  For example,  there is no evidence in the fabric of the surviving building in Dearborn to indicate the two structures were ever connected, nor were the foundations integrated in any way

So let's take a tour of the inside of the Susquehanna House.
As it sits inside of Greenfield Village,  the Susquehanna House is open for visitors,  where a few times a year period dressed presenters show cooking and crafts as they might have done in the mid-19th century.  
Left of the east entrance door we see the parlor.  This is the same parlor seen in the black and white photo earlier when it was thought to be 150 years older than it actually was.
This is the  "corrected"  version.
During the Victorian era,  the parlor was an important room of every middle and high-class homes and for some,  used exclusively to receive and entertain guest and for others,  used as an environment for family intimacy.
The parlor - I took this picture through a window.  Normally,  visitors cannot see this room from this angle.  It's as if you were sitting on the couch you see in the next photo.
During the Victorian era,  weddings,  funerals,  and other large events where members of extended family and friends would attend and gather were held in the parlor.
You see the small table there,  for decorative purposes when not in use,  though the table's round form also allowed people to sit close together and created convenient gathering spots for sewing,  reading aloud,  conversation,  and other group activities.
Parlors are still featured in both historical homes and in modern homes alike.  They can be used to welcome guests and,  as such,  often feature the home's best furnishings.  Because it was in parlors where funerals were held,  once the funeral business became popular and  “funeral parlors”  became the norm,  parlors in homes became the  “living  rooms.”
Think about it.  And,  yes,  this is true! 
And I went to the other window across the way  (see photo above this one)  to snap this image of the parlor.

And then we move to the center room.
There is one long hall that runs along the front
wall that connects all of the rooms.
I was told this next room was the dining room.
The nineteenth century dining room was used to stage all formal and informal social functions in the home.  The family circle gathered together in this room two or three times a day,  therefore,  great importance was placed on its decoration. 
And it is easy to see the Carroll family would have followed suit.

Though not original to the Carroll family,  all of the antique objects placed inside the rooms of this house would have been similar to what the Carroll family may have had.  Nothing is placed randomly inside any of  the structures at Greenfield Village.  The curators carefully consider each and every object before allowing it to become part of the site. 
It helps to give the appearance that someone may live there,  whether the house is a showpiece without presenters or one that is in constant historical use  (Susquehanna employs both manners of presentation).  And it's this type of vigilance that maintains the appropriate period appearance for each building.  Every object tells part of the story.  Nothing is there by accident,  and nothing is there that doesn't support the overall story.
And this includes items in the kitchen.
Oftentimes,  kitchens would have been separated from the rest of the house - an actual separate outbuilding kitchen would have been made.  This was for two main reasons:  fire prevention and to keep the rest of the house cooler during the hot summer months.
See the items high upon the shelves?
Those are artifacts.  The presenters do not use or even touch them. 
Whatever they need for cooking is brought in specifically for
demonstration purposes and were either made there at the Village 
(the crocks they use,  for instance),  or were purchased from vendors
who make such items for living history.
But the actual artifacts are not to be touched at all.
In the Susquehanna House,  the kitchen was not in a separate building but,  instead,  was located clear on the opposite end of the structure,  therefore being able to keep the added warmth at bay.  
Toward the top of this post you will see a photo showing this same kitchen roughly from this same angle before restoration.  And here it is as it looks restored to its 19th century glory.

There is also a stairway to the second floor for the servants/slaves.  It's not often we as visitors see it being used,  however.  But I have seen servant/slave stairs in other Victorian kitchens.  
This staircase may have lead to the kitchen slave's quarters,
should the slave be permitted to sleep inside the Big House.

From the top of the stairs looking to the kitchen.

Looking out one of the 2nd floor windows
I see the Giddings house across the way.

This was the large 2nd floor room - I imagine this was the head of the house's bed chamber:  belonging to Mr.  and Mrs.  Carroll.
Notice to two small doorways - they allow the slaves to move from one room to another on the 2nd floor,  though they would have had to crawl to pass through.

The stairs leading from the main bedroom to the dining area on the 1st floor.

The Carroll's slaves produced 400 pounds of butter for the year 1860.  Ten milk cows provided all the family's needs for dairy products,  plus some surplus for sale.  The slaves were not allowed to consume any of the dairy products they made.
So,  what do we see behind the house:
This structure is the dairy house where slaves separated cream and made butter. 
Of Susquehanna Plantation's original outbuildings.  It is the only one that survives.


Management and presenters at Greenfield Village utilize this house in multiple different fashions,  which gives a wonderful history lesson of plantation life in the mid-19th century.
At Christmas the house is prepared for not only the holiday itself,  but also for a New Year's wedding as well.
The Carroll wedding table is all set to go as the rest of the house is ready for Christmas.
Next to the wedding dress,  the biggest part of a wedding is the ceremony itself.  19th-century couples often held the ceremony at the home of the bride and it typically took place around noon.  A short affair,  it included an exchange of vows and a dinner feast and dancing afterwards.
It is not always been traditional to have a June wedding.  In Victorian America,  many weddings took place on New Year's Day.  
The custom of the father giving away his daughter,  the exchanging of rings,  and having a reception were all practiced in 19th-century America.  Typically,  the reception was held at the bride's house where toasts were made and games and dancing entertained the guests.
This shows a white wedding dress,  but more often than not,  the bride did not wear white.

Summertime gives visitors the opportunity to listen to slave stories in the various skits. 
Again,  slavery is not presented lightly.  Rather,  it is well done in an effective  manner.  
Madelyn fully gets into the spirit of  telling  what slavery was like,  and one
can't but help 
to be drawn into her world - a life
 - of 1850s Maryland.
It is a true learning experience.

A telling of the tale  "Br'er Rabbit"
Brer Rabbit is/was a trickster figure originating in African folklore and transmitted by African slaves to the New World,  where it acquired attributes of similar American tricksters.  "Br'er,"  as used here,  means brother or bruh - a title before a man's first name.  The words Brer and bruh both originated as written forms of a spoken alteration of the word brother that is used especially in southern African American English.
"Br'er Rabbit"  was one of my personal favorite stories as a young child,  and to hear Madeline and Tony tell the tale in a way it was meant to be heard just gave me goose bumps.

.


There is always more to the story when it comes to studying and hearing about the past, 
and this is especially true when one visits historical houses,  such as Susquehanna.
The interpreters of history in museums can only give so much information in their presentation before it becomes rather tedious to many of those listening who would rather have the icing on the cake rather than the filling.  That's where these blog posts come in.  And the deeper I dig into the past - finding the little known stories - of these historic structures,  the more I've come to realize just how much history is in each one.
I commend all of the researchers and historians who not only took the initiative to find the truth about the history of this house,  but were not afraid to make the necessary changes in its presentation.  Sometimes it can be awfully hard to admit a mistake had been made,  especially to one as big as this.  The staff at The Henry Ford learned this,  researched it to make certain,  and then corrected the mistakes.
Kudos and bravo!

 O 0 O

Sources for this post came from the staff of the Henry Ford
Benson Ford Research Library
Various guidebooks of Greenfield Village
and from an article written by Julia A.  King


Ackley Covered Bridge 1832
At one time, covered bridges were commonplace. Not so much anymore. But Greenfield Village has one from 1832.

Daggett House  (part one)
Learn about the 18th century house and the family who lived there.

Daggett House  (part two)
This concentrates more on the everyday life of the 18th century Daggett family,  including ledger entries.

Daggett House  (part three)
Learn about the Daggett House before it was brought to Greenfield Village.

Doc Howard's Office - The World of a 19th century Doctor
It's 1850 and you're sick.  Who are you going to call on?  Why,  good ol'  Doc Howard,  of course!

Taverns were the heart and soul and pipeline of early America.  The Eagle Tavern,  built in 1831,  is one of the most famous of its time on Old US 12,  and still is today at Greenfield Village.
Here's why.

~Edison Posts:
Tales of Everyday Life in Menlo Park (or Francis Jehl: A Young Boy's Experience Working at Menlo Park)
Menlo Park is brought to life by one who was there. First-hand accounts.

Follow the route that Thomas Edison took as he rode and worked on the rails in the early 1860s,  including the Smiths Creek Depot.
 
The oldest windmill on Cape Cod is not on cape Cod - - it's in Michigan!
Lots of interesting things about this wonderful piece of Americana from 1633.

Firestone Farm at Greenfield Village
Learn about the boyhood home of Harvey Firestone, the tire magnate.

The Giddings House
Revolutionary War and possible George Washington ties are within the hallowed walls of this beautiful stately colonial home.

Recreating this store to its 1880s appearance was extremely important as the overall goal,  and so accurately reproduced items were needed to accomplish the end result,  for many original objects were rare or too fragile,  with some being in too poor condition.  

Research has shown that,  as a young attorney,  Abraham Lincoln once practiced law in this walnut clapboard building.  I think this post will make you realize just how close to history you actually are when you step inside.

This necessity of early village life was built in Monroe,  Michigan in the early 1830s. 
Here's its story.

Built in the late 18th century,  with some slight modifications from its original style,  this is one of the oldest original American log cabins still in existence.  

Mills  
General overview.
These buildings were once a part of everyday life in American villages and towns and cities - including the Gunsolly Carding Mill,  the Loranger Gristmill,  Farris Windmill,  Hanks Silk Mill,  Cider Mill,  and the Spofford and the Tripps Saw Mills,  all in one post!

Noah Webster House
A quick overview of the life of this fascinating but forgotten Founding Father whose home, which was nearly razed for a parking lot, is now located in Greenfield Village.

The Plympton House
This house,  with its long history  (including American Indians)  has close ties to Paul Revere himself!

Preserving History
Henry Ford did more for preserving everyday life of the 18th and 19th centuries than anyone else! Here's proof.

Richart Carriage Shop
This building was much more than a carriage shop in the 19th century!

And for some haunted fun, 
Ghosts of Greenfield Village
Yep - real hauntings take place in this historic Village.
Bonafide?
You decide.

Virtually each structure inside Greenfield Village has come from another location,  I took on a project to seek out the original locations of many of the more localized buildings and visited where they first were built and walked that hallowed ground.

Nothing is placed randomly inside the structures at Greenfield Village.  The curators carefully consider each and every object before allowing it to become part of the site. 
And the Clothing Studio at The Henry Ford covers over 250 years of fashion  (from 1760 onward)  and is the  premier museum costume shop in the country.
































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