Days of Autumn Past in Photos

For this week's posting I thought I'd show mostly pictures that I took over the last couple of weekends of my favorite season.
Oh,  and there are a few videos to boot,  to whet your appetite for my updated historical fall posting. 
Anyhow,  I don't know about where you live,  but here in Michigan,  the months of September through early November is cider mill time,  where thousands of city folk trek out to the country to experience,  in a way,  "old-fashion"  traditional family fun.  Cider mills are packed with people this time of year,  and people cram to watch the apple presses squeeze the apples into pulp,  all the while collecting the juice to make cider.  They buy caramel apples,  apple pies,  apple cider,  apple butter,  pumpkins,  gourds,  and all kinds of fall decorations.  They spend exorbitant amounts of hard-earned cash to climb haystacks,  get lost in corn maizes,  take hay rides,  visit haunted houses,  pet the animals in the petting zoos,  and take pictures posing behind wooden stand ups.  It's also this time of year when people love to take scenic country drives to enjoy God's splendor and marvel at how He painted the leaves the beautiful colors we now associate with autumn.
With me being the historian that I am,  what better place to take fall pictures and to enjoy the old-time autumn atmosphere than at the historical open-air museum of Greenfield Village?  Much better than the over-priced cider mills,  Greenfield Village has so many wonderful events for folks who love history,  but I believe they present autumn the best, as you shall see:

Welcome to the world of autumn past.

I didn't know they had pumpkin trees!  But here in the 1920s,  we came across one as soon as we came out of the time-tunnel.

Now we're in 1915,  and I see a home with a splendid garden.

This is the garden as it might have looked at the Edison cottage in 1915.

Though this picture is from southern Michigan,  it certainly has a southern United States feel to it.  Maybe Tennessee or Georgia.

As we continued on the road to autumn past,  we saw some cows out to pasture at the 1880s Firestone Farm.

Walking toward Firestone Farm,  I noticed the hay baler sitting in preparation to do its work.

Here's another shot of the hay baler.

And that's just what they're doing here:  baling hay!

The horses are getting ready to plow the fields.

Wait---who is this I see plowing?

Yes...that's me looking determined to do it right for my first time out plowing behind a team of horses.  What a thrill it was to have that opportunity.  The Firestone Farm workers told me I didn't do bad at all,  especially considering it was something I've never done before.

It was hard work,  and I only did a couple of rows,  but I did it!
A highlight of my living history life!
I thank the powers-that-be at Greenfield Village for allowing me the opportunity to experience this chore from the 19th century.  I also thank Steve Opp  (pictured with me)  from Firestone Farm for his wonderful guidance and direction to help me do it correctly.  I was even welcomed into the  "very small group of people who actually done this"  club by one of the farm hands!  Yep---this truly was a major highlight in my living history  'career.'

Here are a few of the trees in the Firestone heirloom apple orchard.  The tree on the right is a Belmont from the 19th century.

The heirloom apple tour was very cool,  and we not only were able to learn of the many heirloom varieties here in the Firestone orchard,  but we were able to taste six or seven of them.  Here's one of the tour helpers cutting up the apples for tasting.

And here are the rest of the apple guides.  They use no pesticides other than what was used in the 19th century,  and yet the apples fair wonderfully every year.

The kitchen garden has been harvested as well.  The Firestones had a fine year and should be well-off over the winter months.

The ladies in the Firestone kitchen were very busy cooking a meal - a thresherman's dinner - for all the hardworking farmers harvesting the crops.  Boiled dinner,  potato salad,  squash biscuits,  fried green tomatoes,  and pumpkin bread.

The candle sticks and holders upon the mantel.

The cellar will soon be filled to over-flowing.

The country road leading you further into the past...

A country store - JR Jones General Store  (1880s) - has a fine selection of gourds.

We passed the Scotch Settlement School on our time-travel journey,  looking every bit as it did when Henry Ford went here in the 1870s.

While in the 1870s we visited the Ford kitchen...

...where they were boiling grapes to make jelly.

Greenfield set up a few fall displays throughout the Village.

Nothing says autumn like pumpkins!

Now we're in 1860 and visiting the kitchen of the Susquehanna Plantation from Maryland where the ladies of the house are cooking up a seafood meal.

The food from Susquehanna Plantation:  fish croquettes,  fricasseed oysters,  caramel carrots,  and corn bread.  And please watch the following videos to see more of Susquehanna.

After smelling all of this fine food,  we decided to head to 1850 and enjoy a meal at the Eagle Tavern

My wife looked lovely as she sat awaiting the dinner bell to be rung.

Awe heck!  We both look pretty good!  Like we were made for each other!  This was taken directly after I plowed - look at my shoes!

A warming fire was roaring in the dining room fireplace.

Being it was pretty cold outdoors  (a damp, windy 48 degrees),  standing by the fireplace was the perfect way to warm ourselves.

Taking another leap back in time,  we landed in 1760s Connecticut, at the home of Samuel and Anna Daggett,  where we find the men of the house brewing beer.  During the formative colonial years most of the brewing and drinking was done in the home.  Although the young villages would soon witness the establishment of commercial breweries,  it was in the home where most beer was produced.

Yes,  it's true.  Beer was brewed quite frequently in colonial times. Now,  the silly introduction the the all-knowing History Channel's  "Founding fathers"  series makes a point to state something along the lines that it was a wonder the Founding Fathers could stand up with all the beer they drank.  Hey!  Guess what?  Although there were those who drank to get drunk,  most drank because it was healthier than water.  Even kids drank beer.

Ale and beer was a major dietary staple in the colonies. Literally everyone partook.  It was the common item which spanned generations,  from cradle to grave everyone drank beer.  Infants were fed beer and it was especially recommended for nursing mothers. Farmers,  laborers,  merchants,  lawyers,  and craftsman all drank beer.  It was a common thread in all their lives and this democratic beverage would even play a role of mid-wife in the formation of government.
It was not uncommon for drinking to begin even before breakfast and it continued with every meal throughout the day.  See the video below with more beer brewing information.

Inside the 1760 Daggett lean-to farm house,  the kitchen was also bustling with activity,  where a fine harvest meal was being prepared.

Onion pie,  sausages,  potato cakes,  dressed vegetables,  and a pupton of apples for dessert.

Dried herbs and spices hang near the kitchen hearth.

More herbs and spices hang at the back window.

The walnuts are also drying in preparation for dyeing wool.

Even the Daggett table has a feel of autumn about it!

Since we were in colonial times we decided to visit one of the fancier city houses,  the home of John Giddings.

Mrs. Giddings awaits her guests for a harvest tea.

She had a special fruit tree.  Please watch the videos below to hear more about it and of the house itself.

"Oh!  My guests shan't be too much longer,  I pray."

In the Giddings kitchen,  the servant girl prepares to make mussel stew along with saffron and queen cakes for the tea.  Again,  please watch the videos below to learn more about her life at the Giddings home.

I thought this little fall vignette inside the Giddings kitchen looked nice.

Americana:  an Independence Hall replica against an autumn sky.
So long til next time,  18th century!

Time to leave before the old lamplighter comes around to light the street lamps.

I hope you enjoyed this fall journey through America's past. As I mentioned at the top of this posting, I am working on a new version of my autumn post from a few years ago, including a lot more videos. It should be posted in two to three weeks or so.

~   ~   ~