Port Oneida: The Missing Years of 2018 and 2019

Here I am writing about the end of summer while staunchly in the fall - - - 

I was searching Passion for the Past for a few of the previous Port Oneida historic farming presentations that Larissa & I did there when I noticed there were two years that were missing - 2018 and 2019.  

Huh!  Nothing.

So,  I went to my photograph collection only to find that we had indeed presented those two years,  but for some reason I did not blog about them,  which is pretty unusual for me.  So I thought I'd use this week's post to rectify that situation.  It's a sort of  "retro-post"  for the two missing years.  You see,  Passion for the Past is more than just a history blog to me;  it's also a record of my historical outings.  And,  even though the presentations take place in the earlier part of August  (and we're now in late October as of this posting),  I still thought it appropriate to do a post on those two missing years,  just to have them and link them with the other years.  When you think about it,  August is actually the first month of harvest  (click HERE),  and a great way to enjoy the autumn is to concentrate on old-time farming.  To me,  I think farming is a fine way to celebrate as we head deeper into our country's biggest harvest commemoration - Thanksgiving...only about a month away.

I hope you enjoy it~

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This is it!

I think I write more about historic farming than any other one subject in Passion for the Past.  But then,  our past - all of our past - is filled with agricultural laborers  (farmers).  In fact,  the first five Presidents of the United States were also farmers:  George Washington,  John Adams,  Thomas Jefferson,  James Madison,  and James Monroe.  And numerous future presidents followed in their footsteps,  even up until recent times.  And in my own personal family history,  both my Sicilian side and English side are lined with farmers.  Is it any wonder why I have such a passion for the subject?

This past August 9  (here in 2024),  Larissa and I did our annual 1860s farm life presentation at Port Oneida  (which also,  for the first time,  included my wife,  Patty!).  We've been doing this presentation for quite a while,  and as I searched my blog for my summarization of each year at Port Oneida,  I come to find out that there were two years we did the presentation that I didn't write about:  2018 and 2019.  There were also two other years missing:  2020 and 2021,  but that was due to covid.  But what about 2018 and 2019?  Surely we were there then!  So I looked through my piles of photos and,  lo & behold!,  I found my pictures for both of those years!

So why didn't I write blog postings about each?

At this point,  I have no idea,  but I am going to rectify that now!

So,  without further ado,  let's begin with Port Oneida Historic Farming 2018:

2018 - Here are your 1860s farmers:  Larissa and myself~

The fact that Larissa has worked mostly in the historic farming capacity for over two decades at Greenfield Village,  and I have spent the better part of two decades studying the subject and visiting the Village more often than anyone may realize,  intently watching and questioning all of the activities done throughout the planting,  growing,  and harvesting seasons,  has allowed us to present - to teach - on the subject.  It helps that we both have also participated and experienced the practice numerous ways over the years as well.

2018 - Come see us at these times!

2018 - I wrote a little blurb of our presentation to garner interest.
It absolutely did!

Initially we did compare 1860s farm life to city life,  for it was a part of our overall story.  But over time,  we've focused mainly on farm life of 160 years ago,  with the inclusion of parts of our back story.

Some may feel there couldn't be a more boring subject than historic farm life,  but I can honestly say we make it very interesting for young and old,  for we do draw our audience,  no matter the age or occupation,  into our 19th century world.

2018 - Giving our presentation on 1860s farm life.

Larissa & I play off each other well,  with a quick glance letting the other know it's their turn to speak.  We vary our tone and pitch and add emotion to our voices while speaking to keep the presentation from becoming bland and boring as if at a lecture.

2018 - we also speak on the clothing we wear.  Yes,  including undergarments!
Because we dress accurately to the times we are representing - no costumes here...or polyester - we can teach the audience about the farming fashions of the day.

In fact,  sometimes we'll bring extra pieces of clothing or headwear for others to try on.  And we also bring along period accessories that would have been found on the farm or in the farm house,  including oil lamps,  a chamber pot,  a butter churn,  a hay rake,  a sickle,  and a scythe,  among other things.

2018 - Snitchin'  some cookies!
Boy!  Was Heidi upset!
In 2018 our friend,  Heidi,  did kitchen cooking.
Heidi,  like Larissa,  also worked at Greenfield Village.
And she sang in my Simply Dickens vocal Christmas group.

I remember Port Oneida 2018 being a fairly warm day.  But as historic reenactors,  we are used to such temperatures as the 80s and even 90s.  We can handle it.

I also did not write a blog post about Port Oneida 2019,  so here we go - - - - - - 

2019 - The curators there have a traditional kitchen garden, 
so I took advantage of a few photo opportunities.

2019 - Farm life from the 1860s~

Yes,  Larissa and I oftentimes portray a married couple - and sometimes it's simply a sort of inference.  Both of our actual spouses back us in this living history endeavor,  for we are trusted - and have never broken that trust.  But she and I work so well together in this capacity.  Ha!  We do so well that most in our audience believe we actually are  married to each other!  Once in a while we'll get asked that question.  I like to say the two of us are like a Barbara Mandrell country song:  "Married,  But Not To Each Other."  hahaha

2019 - The basics of our presentation do change year to year,  for we add a few other bits of information,  and sometimes changes may occur presentation-to-presentation,  to keep it interesting. 

In 2019,  Larissa was asked to show her historical cooking skills on an old wood stove in the Olsen Farm kitchen,  similar to the coal stove she frequently cooks on at historic Firestone Farm.

2019 - So,  with neither Heidi or any other able to participate this year,  and  since Larissa is well-versed in this chore,  she took on the duty,  so she worked twice as hard,  bouncing back and forth in between presentations!

2019
Larissa made her farm wife presentation come to life!

2019 - A scene right out of the past!
One of these years I'm going to take a ride.

I wrote an article for Magazine Of The Historical Society Of Michigan Chronicle  about summer living in the 1860s,  and Port Oneida actually had it out for visitors to read! 
I was so proud!

There----I now have all of our Port Oneida historic farming presentations posted.  Okay,  so not all are in order,  but I do have a link to each at the bottom of this post.

We very much enjoy our Port Oneida presentations.  If it had one downer,  that would be the long ride there and back  (about 4 1/2 hours each way).  But the audience/visitors are genuinely wonderful and truly interested,  and the folks that run it  (looking at you,  Susan Pocklington!)  are as good as they come as well.

And that's why I felt the need to include these two missing links here.  As I mentioned at the top of this post,  I consider this Passion for the Past blog as an important documentation where I can share not only my researched findings on social history,  but of my own  "time-travel"  experiences.  And even though the presentations from these two years of 2018 and 2019 may have taken place a number of years ago,  this posting will be linked to the others at the bottom here.

Until next time,  see you in time.

To visit  (or re-visit)  our other Port Oneida presentations,

click 2016  (our first time at Port Oneida!)

click 2017

Today's post is about 2018 and 2019.

2020 and 2021 were covid years,  so nothing happened here.

But,  we were back in 2022 - click 2022

In 2023 we did not participate,  but we returned in 2024  (click HERE)

To learn more about historic farming,  please click HERE

To learn more about farming in the 1700s,  please click HERE

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