A timeline is "a visual representation of a chronological sequence of events along a drawn line that helps a viewer understand time relationships."
At the Chesterfield timeline event for 2024, visitors could walk from camp to camp and experience life during the time of the Voyageurs, Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WWII, Korea, and up to the Vietnam era.
Hopefully, in future years, more period stops along the past will be available for our guests.
/^\
I don't think timeline events get the credit that they should. I remember in school I would stare and study timelines in my history books, for at a quick glance one could see how we got from one end - *there* to the other end - *here*.
At one glance we could see the history of the world.
At one glance we could see the history of America!
But it was those years, marks, and notations in-between that I loved the most and I would study intently.
History at a glance.
Now, imagine seeing that timeline come alive right before your eyes...actual people from those in-between notations seemingly popping out off the line and standing right before you!
That's what timeline events are all about.
I've done timelines for years and enjoy the heck out of them. In fact, one of my favorites was one called Michigan History Told Through Fashion: 17th Century Through the 20th Century.
In early June - just two weeks ago from this writing - I took part in my fourth Chesterfield timeline, and it was nice to see quite a few other reenactors there.
It grew!
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| History comes alive... |
Formally known as "History Alive - A Timeline of Historic Reenactors at the Chesterfield Historic Village," having the opportunity to speak with the visitors about daily life during the time of the Revolutionary War is always something I very much enjoy doing.
The visitors making the trek around the historic village grounds were able to visit with a variety of historical folks from the past, and all brought those old school history books to life in a much more interesting manner.
I was dressed in my 18th century clothing and I spent most of my time with reenactors of "my" era, such as the Lac Ste. Claire Voyageurs. Yet, there were others there as well:
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| A Mountain Man, a Native American, and thou...er...me. |
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| Mark, descended from the Osage tribe, showed curious visitors how to start a fire with flint and steel. He did a wonderful job in doing so~ |
Mark's Heritage: The Osage are a Native American people distantly related to the Oceti Sakowin (Sioux). The Osage, along with the Kaw, Omaha, Ponca, and Quapaw tribes, speak a Dhegiha Siouan language. The Osage call themselves the Ni-u-kon-ska, which means “people of the middle waters.” They are part of the Wahzhazhe, or the “water people.” The French called them the Osage.
Then there are the Voyageurs, who befriended, learned from, and intermarried with the local Indians who were already here when they arrived.
Now to get a few 1860s civilians, men & women, to take part. In fact, all the participating eras should include "the homefront" to accent their presentation and tell a more complete story.
One of the occurrences that sadly surprised me at the Chesterfield History Alive event was how few people are actually aware of America's 250th birthday celebration - leading up to July 4, 2026, America's 250th birthday. So I passed on the information to visitors as well as to historical society members.
Dovecotes, such as the rounded structure on the left side of the picture below, were built to house doves or pigeons. In the 17th and even in the 18th century, birds caught from dovecotes provided edible relief from the smoked and salted meats during the long harsh winters.
Anyhow, there is another colonial building not even inside the Village walls.
My Heritage: I am descended from Quaker Farmers who settled in Buck's County, Pennsylvania from England in the early 1700s. Although William Penn was granted all the land in Pennsylvania by the King, he and his heirs chose not to grant or settle any part of it without first buying the claims of the Native Americans who lived there.
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| Ms. Paula always has wonderful period-appropriate children's games and items for sale |
Paula is a part of the Belletre Detroit, a French & Indian War reenacting society dedicated to the preservation and education of the mid-18th Century military and civilian life based out of the Detroit/Southeast Michigan area.
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| Me with Richard. Richard has been a reenactor for over 50 years! He not only does the Revolutionary War period, but also the War of 1812, Civil War, and WWII. Super guy! |
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| A Chocolateer! Mike has been demonstrating making chocolate for a number of years now. One day I'm going to have to taste the chocolate he makes. |
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| Micki & Barb~ Now, in the 21st century, the Ste. Claire Voyageur reenactors/living historians recreate this life from the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries.
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They really do a great job teaching the history connected with the original Voyageurs, Coureur de bois (French/Indian trapper of the Great Lakes), early settlers, and military of the Great Lakes fur trade era. Their living history reenactments of the lifestyles and skills of the era include demonstrations and displays of canoe building, traditional crafts and skills, trade goods and artifacts, blacksmithing, campfire cooking, cannons and weaponry.
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| Lorna utilizing her skill as a weaver. |
One of the things I like about the Ste. Claire Voyageurs is that you will find the greater majority of them working on a variety of traditional crafts, such as what Lorna is doing in the above image.
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| Portraying Mountain Men. I, sadly, did not speak to them about the men they are representing, nor their clothing. |
I know little about the history of such men - please forgive me - only the basics, and I'm not even sure what I know is actually true.
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| Curtis has a spread of items a Civil War soldier might carry with him on a march. |
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| It was great to have the Sons of Union Veterans set up there. |
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| They, too, had a few military men along. |
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| This father and son team had a gun display that covered much of the 19th century. Included were muskets, rifles, and pistols. |
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| WWII is still a very popular period for many men (and women with their "Rosie" presentation). |
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| Paul is dressed as a WWII US Marine. Between WWII and the Revolutionary War, we are beginning to see a greater variety of time periods growing. |
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| World War II Italian soldiers. I believe they are representing the men under Mussolini. |
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| There were also a couple of men showing the Korean War. |
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| And then there were those who showed American soldiers in Vietnam, which is the earliest war I personally have actual recollections of. I recall seeing war news footage on the TV, as well as seeing the protests against the war. The draft was a topic often spoken about whenever I saw my older sibling's guy friends come over - anyone male near draft age. Then there was the music - the A.M. hits and the F.M. alternative. |
I remember writing President Nixon, pleading with him not to draft my older brother. I must have been about nine or ten years old, and the thought of my brother going off to war horrified me, especially after seeing all the footage shown on the TV news. The reply I received from the White House came in a manila envelope which included a booklet about the Nixon Family and of the presidency with a note written more or less as a form letter thanking me for my letter.
I wish I would have kept it - I was so proud. I mean, it still may be around somewhere, but if it is, it is lost between a couple of houses, buried within piles of boxes.
"On Dec. 1, 1969, the United States held its first draft lottery, which gave young men a random number corresponding to their birthdays. Men with lower numbers were called first and told to report to induction centers where they could be ordered into active duty and possibly sent to the Vietnam War."
Due to a bum leg from a car accident that prevented him from being accepted, my brother did not get drafted, thankfully, though he had a low number so he would have most certainly been called.
I was very happy, needless to say.
Yeah...the mind of a 9 or 10 year old...
My sister's then boyfriend was called up to go overseas. I sent him numerous letters and he even wrote back. I believe my sis still has those letters packed away. I would love to see them again.
When he returned, he and my sister got married.~
So there're my own personal homefront stories about the Vietnam era.
Is it history?
I couldn't tell you - but the stories are true from when I was a kid in around the year 1970.
I couldn't tell you - but the stories are true from when I was a kid in around the year 1970.
Someone in Lansing's not doing their job!
The Chesterfield History Alive event was very well done. However, I would love to see a timeline where all of the Eras of US History are showcased, but that would be up to those reenactors representing each time period to take part to represent the history, now wouldn't it?
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| We are leading up to celebrating America's 250th birthday! |
But just think...
Colonial America & Revolution (1565-1783)
This would include the great explorers, the first European settlements, and Native villages.
And, of course, the Revolutionary generation: French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War
And the Voyageurs
The New Nation/Early Republic (1783 - 1860)
This would include expansion/Lewis & Clark, the War of 1812, and the Mexican-American War
Pioneers & Mountain Men & Natives
Civil War (1861 - 1865)
This would include soldiers and civilian fashions
Reconstruction/Industrialization (1865 - 1889)
This would include cowboys and inventions (electric light, phonograph) and Native villages
Gilded Age
The Progressive Era (1890 - 1913)
This would include Spanish American War
And the Gilded Age plus the Titanic period along with the growing popularity of the automobile,
World War I and the Roaring 20's (1914 - 1929)
This would include flappers, radio, and Jazz & Country music, movies, speakeasys
The Great Depression (1929 - 1940)
This would include Swing music and culture
World War II (1941 - 1945)
This would include the military, V for Victory patriotism, Big Band music, and Rosie the Riveters
The Modern Era (1945 - 1979)
This would include the advent of Rock & Roll, The Beatles, teen culture
the various anti-war & civil rights protests
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| From a poster I purchased for my son: "History of the American Soldier" Yeah...let's bring this to life! (click the picture to enlarge) |
~Can it be done?
But, of course it can!
Oh, maybe not each aspect, but at least a representation.
To have all of these eras represented to some extent would be a dream come true!
And what better way to show the history of America?~
One never knows...
Okay now, don't leave yet - - the history isn't over - - how about another period-dress Greenfield Village visit:
~A Special Visit To Greenfield Village~
Here we have a few photos taken at Greenfield Village of my friend Norm and I. We visited the historic open-air museum just a few days before the Chesterfield event. Often he & I will dress in period clothing when we go there - he as a preacher, and me usually as an anyman of the period.
Whereas the weather at Chesterfield was A-1 perfect, it was a damp day at the Village.
No matter, for we always enjoy ourselves.
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| Norm is coming up around the bend... This could be merry-old-England, for that's where the building and the walk-way are from. The structure and walk-way here were built around 1620 in Chedworth, Gloucestershire, England. Now why am I showing an 18th century man at a 17th century structure? Because though the building was built around 1620 (or maybe before), it was still an active place from that time through the early 20th century, so pretty much any pre-20th century period can work well. |
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| Still in England...sorta...but with early America thrown in! Lots of history in this picture: We see, on the far left, the 1620 forge - next to that the dovecote from the same year. In the far distance, barely seen, is the Daggett House built in Connecticut around 1750, and then center right in the distance we have the 1633 Farris Windmill from Cape Cod. Closer to the front right center is what I used to think this was a sundial, but, I learned it is actually an Armillary Sphere. |
Around the time the Cotswold Cottage was built, the armillary sphere was the prime instrument of all astronomers in determining celestial positions.
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| The same shot as the photo above, only zoomed in a bit and from a slightly different angle. The Daggett House can be seen a bit more clearer. |
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| Meanwhile, inside the Daggett great hall we see weaving tape on the box loom~ |
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Imagination sets in, pretty soon I'm singin' Doot, doot, doo, lookin' out my back door. |
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| Spending time in the oh-so-important kitchen garden. I call it Anna Daggett's "farmacy"! |
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| Norm and I standing just outside the Giddings House, built in 1750. |
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| The interior of the Giddings House. This room to the left of the front door is the hall/best room/drawing room/the Sunday parlor~ take your pick at what to call it, for during the later 18th century, it went by all four titles, though "drawing room" seemed to be the term most often used in the wealthier homes. |
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| Here we have the Plympton House, which has an illustrious history all its own, including involving Indians, a fire, and even one of Paul Revere's riders. There is a link at the bottom of today's post that will take you to much more information. |
Built in Sudbury, Massachusetts in the early 1700s, this well-preserved primitive two-roomed structure (one room above the other), with its simple sheath covering of walls and a low, open ceiling with a central "summer" beam, reflects the typical colonial architecture of the earliest period of New England, and the furnishings show the simplicity of home life of these early times.
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| The Plympton interior is such a great example of early 18th century living. You are looking at the interior of an original home that represents life in America just a little time before the birth of Ben Franklin (1706), only a decade or so after the Salem Witch Trials (1692/1693), within 100 years after the Pilgrim Mayflower crossing (1620), and nearly a century after Jamestown was founded (1607). History alive indeed! |
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| Though the Cotswold Cottage is the oldest structure in the Village, the Plympton House is considered to be the oldest American home there. |
All of these structures in the above Greenfield Village photos - Cotswold, Daggett, Farris Windmill, Giddings, and Plympton - are located at the east end of the Village. I like that they are all situated in one location. Now if they would move the 1789 McGuffey Cabin to that area...it would fit nicely to the west of the windmill...it would be/could be an amazing colonial collection of houses.
Ah, well, if I had the donation money to do so...
By the way, if you'd like to read a bit more in depth on a few of the houses mentioned, please check out the links at the bottom of this post.
Okay---it's not exactly a colonial building, but it is as close as can possibly be done without moving the original:
Henry Ford built a replication of the original Independence Hall in Philadelphia (called the Pennsylvania State House until 1876) - an exact replication in all details. Henry Ford not only had the bricks made from the same brick-maker of the original, but also included the same measurement mistakes as well!
Until next time, see you in time.
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| My good sir, I am hearing talk of Independence. Perhaps we shall go and listen. |
However, one thing that most people are not aware of - this building we know and love - our Independence Hall - did not look quite like this back in 1776 at the time our Founding Fathers held meetings inside, preaching sedition, and the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
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| Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was renovated in 1897-1898. During the renovation, 16 of the original beams holding up the floor on which the giants of the era debated the future of the 13 Colonies were replaced. |
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| However, in this image, the part of the Pennsylvania State House seen here looks as it did in 1776. Either way, it is pretty amazing that we have such a building right here in metro-Detroit! |
As you can see, I had a wonderful time celebrating history at two separate places on two separate days. One was an actual bonafide event (the History Alive timeline) and the other a sort of off-the-cuff made up event. Both were wonderful.
So far in this year of 2024, I've found myself in period clothing at least 15 separate times...and it's only mid-June! And there are plenty more opportunities to come! All I can say is if you want to do it, there's no reason or excuse not to. As the old adage goes: where there's a will, there's a way.
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| I have not heard anything on if Greenfield Village/The Henry Ford plans to participate in our country's 250 birthday celebration - the semiquincentennial. It would be a very big shame if they chose not to, for it is a big deal...almost as big as the bicentennial nearly 50 years ago. I certainly hope they do have plans for some sort of decent patriotic commemoration, for nearly every state in our union plans to take part. |
Until next time, see you in time.
Interested in a deeper research of the houses mentioned in today's post?
Here are a few links for you:
Here are a few links for you:
Daggett House (part one)
Daggett House (part two)
Daggett House (part three)
Daggett House (part four)
I have not done the Cotswold Cottage as of yet - but fear not, for when they reopen the Benson Ford Research Center - been closed since covid - I will get on the ball and do some deep research on it.
By the way, coming up in a few weeks is a special 4th of July blog post, and a week after that will be a posting about celebrating the 4th of July.
And plenty more before and aft.
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