Clearing My Head Before I Go To Work

I went to the Greenfield Village open air museum again today, where I met up with my friend, Guy. We both are members and enjoy walking the Village just to clear our heads, talk a little, and, of course, learn about our American past. As many times as I have been to Greenfield Village, I never cease to learn something new at each visit. This morning's journey found me concentrating on dairy houses and kitchen gardens. Most homes in the 19th century had both.
I cannot express enough the importance of these two necessities to daily life in the 19th century. To give a very basic overview: the dairy barn of course, was where milk would be made into cheese, butter, cream, etc., and was a much busier shed than many may realize, especially when one considers the cows needed to be milked twice a day.

Susquehanna House Dairy Barn

And the vegetables that would sustain a family from the kitchen garden were a necessity that we in this modern day and age, with our stores and fruit markets within minutes from our homes selling fresh fruits and vegetables 12 months a year, cannot fathom. Imagine going months without fresh vegetables... what was grown in these kitchen gardens sustained the family throughout the year, whether they ate the vegetables fresh during the summer and fall, or dried (in the wintertime and spring).

Many folks here in the 21st century have reverted back to kitchen gardens - we have an ever-growing one ourselves that my eldest son maintains.
Some even are lucky enough to live on a farm - not a modern mechanical farm, but a family farm where they grow what they need to eat, milk their cows for the milk products, and, at times, even use oil lamps for their lighting.

Candle Dipping in the Yard of William McGuffey

No, they're not Amish, just very traditional people that are living the way I believe we were all meant to live.
And I am truly envious of these modern traditionalists.
Which brings me back to Greenfield Village: this is why I go so often - - - I can step into the past, enjoy farm life, traditional crafts, horses and carriages, historical houses, and great company virtually any day I'd like (I have a member pass so I can go as often as I'd like).
And it's less than a half hour drive from my house!

A scene right out of the past!

I may not have that 24/7 traditional life YET...but I have what I consider the next best thing.
And, I have found that, aside from reenacting, my "extra" visits to the past are the perfect way to spend the morning before I have to go to that four letter word place known as WORK!

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Tintype Studio Images

I thought I would post a few of the images taken at the tintype studio in Greenfield Village with my digital tintype camera on December 28th.

We certainly had a fine time on that day.

Mrs. White

Mr. And Mrs. Cary

Mrs. Cook

Yours Truly


Miss Lamkin

It's these sort of "out of the box" gatherings that make reenacting/living history fun. There are many of us that like to keep it going during the off season. Actually, with me there is no 'off season'!
I just keep it going...

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Detroit News and Greenfield Village News

Two items of local importance.
First -
In a recent survey of 2,500 employees and entrepreneurs across the nation conducted by Yahoo Real Estate, Detroit was voted 2nd worst place to live and work in the United States. Only New York 'bested' Detroit as the absolute worst.
The best? New York - best and worst.
New York was voted best because of its entertainment, Central Park and great public transportation. However the high rent, cramped subways and long suburban commutes vaulted it to the top of the worst list.
Why is Detroit such a rotten place? Well, the city's public relations image, dwindling population, collapsing auto industry, schools, poverty in the city, and the text message scandal as reason's they would not want to live and work here. The top two negative attributes of Detroit according to the poll were health and safety and image.
Last April, I wrote a blog about What Others Are Saying About Us and it's amazing how quickly this area went from bad to worse. What bothers me even more is that this black zit of a city is bringing down the whole state of Michigan; when folks abroad think of Michigan, they invariably think of Detroit.
That's what happens when incompetence runs a major city, and the state's governors (for the last 30 years) allows it to happen.
Yes, we have wonderful things in the Detroit area - and in all of Michigan - but not enough to keep the natives from moving - there are no jobs and the prospects are slim.
And I don't see light at the end of the tunnel.
So what happens now? Lots of politically correct and feel-good speeches, but that's about it.

OK, enough politics. Back to history.
And second -
Unfortunately, some more bad news, although this will have a happy ending - -
The Sarah Jordan Boarding House in Greenfield Village, which was built in New Jersey in 1870, housed many of Thomas Edison's workers during its 1870's/1880's heyday and was one of the first ever to have electricity installed by Edison himself, caught fire on the afternoon of Monday January 5th. One of the workers at the Village wrote this on Facebook: No major structural damage. The front room's ceiling (floor of the front right bedroom) is a bit bad, but has some bracing. Most things made it out alright, but will need cleaned/dried. Lots of cosmetic damage. With the water on the roof, it may need replaced, but may not. The porch will need replaced.

The house is now badly scarred - fire totally torched the top two rooms and most of the bottom parlor, as far as I could see (I couldn't go in). All the artifacts (charred, dirty, untouched, and everything in between) were moved all night until the house was stripped.

He went on to say that many of the artifacts were damaged, and some were lost, but most were saved.
It seems that a construction worker may have accidently started the fire while working on the gutter.
The folks at The Henry Ford have all of the original blueprints from when Henry Ford's chief architect, Ed Cutler, brought the structure to the Village in 1929, so repairs will be wonderfully accurate.
Still, it's upsetting to come so close to losing such an important piece of history.

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Christmas at Greenfield Village 2008

It was a harrowing journey through the late afternoon snowstorm but, after a nearly hour and a half ride (normally 25 minutes!), we arrived at Greenfield Village. Since we left early, we were there on time for the opening of the gates.
Our first stop, upon entering, was the home of Henry Ford, where the house is decorated as if it were 1876. The smells of bread and pie filled the air as we entered the building. I enjoy watching the presenters cook on the old woodstoves and explain what they are making. Not only is it a learning experience, but it helps to bring the past to life. It gives my wife ideas in many cases for our own meals.

From there we walked over to the Wright Brothers home. Again, the home is decked out for Christmas, only in this house it is Christmas 1903. On this night that we were there - December 23 - we were told it was the 105 anniversary of the Wright's return from Kitty Hawk. I liked the way the presenter told us: "On this very night, Wilbur and Orville walked through that same door filled with the news of their first airplane flight."
Gives one chills.

The Adams House was celebrating Christmas of the 1860's, and the aroma of a spicy Christmas drink (smelled like Wassail to me) filled the rooms. The decorated Christmas Tree in the back parlor had a Noah's Ark scene (built in Germany in the 1830's) underneath. Greens were placed throughout the rooms. This home is a wonderful example of a Christmas celebration of an average middle-class Michigan family of the 1860's.

Across the road from the Adam's home is the McGuffey schoolhouse, now being used as winter quarters for Civil War soldiers. The re-enactors there are my friends from various units in the area and they do a super job presenting what life was like for the northern soldier stationed in Virginia on a cold Christmas night. Lit only by candles and warmed by the fireplace, Mike, the chaplain, told us that this was one of the best times he's had at Christmas, but the heat from the fire did little to truly keep him warm. It helps to understand just what the guys went through all those years ago.

The home of Thomas Edison's grandparents was next, and it was 1915 in that house. An old Edison phonograph played scratchy Christmas music and a beautifully decorated feather tree stood atop the table, ready for Christmas dinner.

Over at the Cotswold Cottage, originally from England, the American soldiers of WWII did their best to have a Christmas far from their loved ones across the ocean. The mistress of the house was there, stringing popcorn to help give the guys the best Christmas she could. WWII re-enactor soldiers were placed throughout, telling how the locals in England would take the Americans into their homes for the holidays to try and give them as nice a Christmas as they could.

The 1822 home of Noah Webster was next, all decorated as it would have been in Mr. Webster's time. But, this home shows New Year's traditions rather than concentrate specifically on Christmas. The New Year's feast is there in the dining room, waiting for the visitors with calling cards to come a-courting the Webster daughters.

The next couple of houses we entered showed what many people may not realize happened in America - how certain religious denominations did not celebrate this holiday. Many folks often wonder why the Village presents this when it is supposed to be Holiday Nights. Well, remember that this is a historic place and part of their job is to show history as it was. But, if one listens to what the presenters have to say, very interesting stories of the times abound. I love entering the darkened great hall of the Daggett saltbox house, lit only by a fireplace, a lantern, and a rush light.

At the Giddings home, tales of Mummers are told. Mummers are/were (usually) men who dress(ed) up in costumes and masks and would travel house to house, putting on skits for the owners and singing songs as well in hopes of receiving money or food, or perhaps a bowl of hot wassail for their efforts. If the butler or owner closed the door on them, the mummers would find their way inside of the home and take for themselves the meat and drink they wanted. Usually a mummer was a neighbor, but because they wore masks and disguised their voices, the homeowner did not know who these people actually were.

The Susquehanna House shows a Christmas from 1860 on a slave owner's plantation. The home is decked beautifully and the "owners" are preparing for a New Year's Day wedding. Again, the sites and smells of foods from long ago permeate the air.

Speaking of food, vendors selling roast beef, chestnuts, hot chocolate, and other Christmas treats were set along the roadside. And sellers of lanterns, greens, and newspapers were also hawking their wares.

On the other side of the Village is an ice skating pond where patrons (and talented presenters) can skate. Horses and carriages, along with Model T's, are available for free tours of the Village. And brass bands, wandering minstrels, vocal quartets, a colonial fife and drum group, a dulcimer player, a lone fife player, and still other musicians are posted throughout, entertaining the patrons with the sounds of Christmas.

There is much more going on than in my description above - more houses to visit, fireworks, Santa and real reindeer, etc. Maybe I'll write a complete descriptive picture on my Greenfield Village blog http://gfv1929.blogspot.com/
in the future.
We attend the Holiday Nights event at Greenfield Village no less than twice a season and I enjoy it more and more each time, especially this last time, on December 23, when we had the snowstorm. The snow, instead of preventing all of the activities, actually helped here - it was only half as crowded as before. Now, that does sound selfish of me, and I apologize for that, but the lesser crowds (and the snow) certainly made for a more festive evening.

To all of you I wish a wonderful Christmas season - as traditional or as modern as you would like.



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Hallowe'en at Greenfield Village

On the 11th of October, I took my two youngest children (ages 12 and 7) to the Hallowe'en event at Greenfield Village. They both wanted to dress in colonial costumes - Rosalia as the American Girl doll Felicity, and Miles as a colonial boy (not authentically dressed, mind you, but good enough where everyone knew what they were).
Wow! Did the Village do a spectacular (or is it "spook" tacular?) job! Walking around the Village at night is in itself kind of creepy, but add to that the Hallowe'en touch and it becomes scary fun.

No, you don't enter the houses but throughout the Village they have different scenarios taking place. For instance, over at the Edison Machine Shop, a mad scientist scene unfolds as colonial dressed characters shout to the crowd of the missing monster who went "toward the covered bridge!" as they attempt to capture the mad scientist.

You may catch a glimpse of his monsterous creation peeking through the windows of the shop - keep your eyes peeled.
As for the covered bridge, it was misty and very dark on the inside - my daughter loved it (as long as dad was around!). In another scene, a mournful bride sat atop a balcony at one of the houses, moaning in her hideously scary voice for her missing beau;

the headless horseman rode around on his horse, looking for his head; the Grim Reaper sharpened his blade, pointing to his next victim;

a graveyard with a freshly dug grave and its caretaker;

"ghosts" of Henry Ford and the Wright Brothers...and then there were the goody stops along the pumpkin carved pathway where one can meet a knight in shining armor, the Spider Queen, and even Little Bo Peep (the little girls loved this one!), handing out treats to the little ones.
I have barely touched upon all of the goings on. There was much more.
It was scary in a totally fun way - enough for the younger ones to wonder, but "just enough."
If I had one complaint it would be that it was very crowded. It was packed! But, it is a very popular event, and seeing all the little ones dressed up (and even some of their parents dressed in costume) was quite a sight to see.
I would love it if the Village would have an adult-themed event scarier than the children's - maybe taking place later in the evening, say, 10:00, and really give us older folks a good fright. Wouldn't that be cool?
Another very fine holiday event done in a traditional way by Greenfield Village.
Great job!

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"History is Bunk!" - What Henry Ford Really Meant, and the Beginning of Greenfield Village

The year was 1914, and Clara Ford, wife of Henry, watched children play one day as they made their way home from school. A childhood rhyme suddenly came to her, and she said it aloud: 'Hear the children gaily shout, "Half past four and school is out!" '
Henry and Clara both thought the rhyme came from one of the William McGuffey Eclectic Readers, first published in 1836. After a futile search to find which Reader it came from, and through it all amassing a rather large and complete collection of the 145 different editions, he found he had a penchant for collecting. He already had a rather large collection of clocks and watches, which he loved to tinker with as a child. And, he had accumulated objects of his hero, Thomas Edison. So the McGuffey Readers were just another extension of what was quickly becoming his passion.
It was around this WWI era that, in part, due to his strong pacifism during that "Great War," a number of newspaper articles were published expressing Mr. Ford's anti-war sentiment, called him an anarchist, among other things, and quoted him as saying, "History is more or less bunk..." which has been repeated often ever since. What most folks don't know is that this "bunk " comment was stated for reasons other than what the press said. It is here that I quote from the book, A Home For Our Heritage by Geoffery C. Upward: "...what (Ford) meant and explained many times in later years was that written history reflected little of people's day-to-day existence. 'History as it is taught in the schools deals largely with...wars, major political controversies, territorial extensions and the like. When I went to our American history books to learn how our forefathers harrowed the land, I discovered that the historians knew nothing about harrows. Yet our country depended more on harrows than on guns or great speeches. I thought a history which excluded harrows and all the rest of daily life is bunk and I think so yet."

It was shortly after the war, in 1919, that Ford found that his birthplace home was in danger due to a major road expansion through the property of his family's farm. The house lay directly in the path of the road. Ford and family decided to prevent this awful occurrence by moving his house and barns out of harms way. But, they didn't stop there. They also restored the old homestead back to the way they remembered it being in 1876 - the year Henry's mother passed away. They searched high and low for every artifact that matched their memories and soon found many more items than necessary. Mr. Ford kept them all, and then some.
According to numerous sources, the idea for preservation and the displaying of the everyday items he had (and continued to acquire) came sometime in the mid-1920's. But, before he could put that idea into a reality, he was asked to restore The Wayside Inn in South Sudbury, Massachusetts, built in 1686. Ford bought the inn and 2600 acres of the land surrounding to not only restore the historic structure, but to preserve the setting in which the inn was located.

He also purchased and restored the 1846 Botsford Tavern, located outside of Detroit. Henry Ford had first seen the tavern while courting his future wife, Clara, in a horse and buggy in the 1880's. Ford and his soon-to-be-wife were regulars at the Saturday night dances and became good friends with the owner. In fact, according to the Detroit News (from 1925): Mr. Ford was always a favorite and no matter how big a crowd or how many guests, there was always a stall for Henry's horse. The "young Ford boy" was granted another honor by Mr. Botsford, and that was permission for him and his sweetheart to place their wraps in the parlor, a place reserved only for the intimate friends of the proprietor's family.
This "young Ford boy" purchased the inn in 1924 and did extensive restoration, doubling the size of the ballroom, adding to the kitchen, and sprucing up the other rooms, all the while restoring them as close as he could to their original splendor. He, too, held grand parties and balls here, but seemingly all but forgot about the old building once the planning of his Greenfield Village commenced. Throughout the 1940's the Botsford was rarely used.
(A few years after Ford died in 1947, the tavern was sold by the Ford family to the Anhut family).
The restoration bug had bitten Mr. Ford, and it awakened a passion for social history like nothing ever had before.
One little known fact was that the city of Williamsburg, Virginia offered to have Ford purchase the more than a dozen colonial era buildings on the original sites in hopes of a financial backing to turn the original capital of Virginia into a living history extravaganza.
Ford declined. He had a better idea.
Once the decision had been made to build a museum like no other, he felt the land upon which he stored his antique collection would be the perfect spot to build this unique American village, and by October of 1927 construction had begun under chief architect Edward Cutler and the watchful eye of Henry Ford himself. The two men planned the lay out of the village together early in 1927, copying the traditional early American plans of a village green surrounded by a church, town hall, and, eventually, other buildings.

If you like what I wrote here, you might enjoy my newest blog site devoted to Greenfield Village
http://gfv1929.blogspot.com/
It is an ongoing history and tribute to this one-of-a-kind museum, unique beyond compare.
Please check it out and, like this blog, check back for updates and additions.

Click HERE to read about Mr. Ford and historical preservation




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A Very American Holiday

This year, my family and I had one of the very best 4th of July holiday weekends that ever!

It began, of course, on the 4th itself, when Patty and I, along with our two youngest, took advantage of the perfect weather and our Greenfield Village membership and visited the open-air museum. A rare appearance to the place in modern clothing!
Now, we have been to the Village countless times - being members we visit nearly a dozen times a year, enjoying all of the different activities each season brings. But, it's been a number of years since we have gone on the 4th of July.

So, this year, that's what we did.

During the summer season Greenfield Village has actors playing different roles to perform vignettes in numerous locations throughout the place: a "difficult customer" and how the proprietor deals with her at the J. R. Jones General Store; life as a slave on the Susquehanna plantation; 19th century school days in the Scotch Settlement school; and, at the Wright Brothers' home, the two brothers and their sister speak of that day in December when man, for the first time, flew an airplane. And we made sure to see each one.



They also had candle dipping, of which my daughter enjoyed participating in very much. She told me she wanted to wait to light her beeswax candles on her birthday in December. That's a fine idea, if I do say so myself. There were also period games for kids on the Village Green.





And for dinner (lunch), we ate at the Eagle Tavern, where it's always the year 1850.

To fill in the gaps in between the scenarios we entered some of our favorite homes: the houses of Adams, Giddings, Firestone (pictured above left), and the Carrol Family (Susquehanna Plantation).

Mostly, however, we just enjoyed the beautiful day, strolling the along the streets of the past.

Then, at five o'clock, we had to leave - which we did. But, we didn't leave the grounds: we stepped back out to the entrance area and got back in line, only this time armed with chairs, a blanket, and a cooler with sandwiches for a picnic, for we were going to spend the evening there, listening to music followed by a fireworks display.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to bring cameras in for this evening extravaganza, so I have no shots to show.

At 6, the gates re-opened and in we all went - eight thousand of us - and skedaddled to what we hoped would be the perfect location to see and hear the sites and sounds of America's 232nd birthday celebration. We chose a patch of grass on the hill directly behind Noah Webster's home. A festival atmoshphere ensued, with tents for food and drink, men riding the old-time high bicycles, strolling singers with Captain Banjo, and vendors yelling out their wares. The 1st Michigan Colonial Fife and Drum Corps marched up and down the sidewalk, performing Revolutionary War music. They were followed, on the stage set up in Walnut Grove, by the River Raisin Ragtime Band. Then, as the sun was getting ready to go down, a true 'heavy metal band' known as The Detroit Symphony Orchestra took the stage. Performing classics and pop standards for the next hour and a half, it was the perfect setting. During intermission, I took advantage of the darkness and strolled about the Village; peaking in windows of some of the houses while it's dark is eerie fun. And, I got to witness something I don't normally see in my suburban Detroit neighborhood - an arial display by the firefly brigade dancing to tunes no one knew (thanks to the Moody Blues for that line). Just excellent!

The DSO continued after the intermission with a medley from West Side Story and a few other classics, and then they completed their show with what is now a standard at most 4th of July musical celebrations - Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. The best part is they used real cannons for the BOOMS at the end. Awesome! Truly Awesome! My favorite part of the whole night, to be honest. But, the night still wasn't done: an amazing fireworks display, accompanied by the DSO, took place. Rosalia was in awe and wide-eyed as she watched the spectacle. And Miles, who fears greatly the loud boomers, even watched as I covered his ears.

This was probably the best 4th of July I can remember. It was as good as it gets!


Then, the following day, we packed up my clan (except for Robert, who is off in Gettysburg, fighting the rebs - more on him on the next blog posting) and traveled north - not too far north - to Lexington, just north of Port Huron. Our family cottage, which is now owned by one of my brothers, is on the banks of Lake Huron. What better place to spend a sunny and warm day-after-the-4th-of-July than at a summer cottage with family?

And to start this traditional day off, on the ride up we listened to WKNR and CKLW radio from the summer of 1967 - actual recordings that I have from that year 41 years ago. A perfect beginning.

Most of my childhood memories are of this place that my grandfather bought before I was born - I spent all of my summers here as a youth. Once again, the sites and smells took over.

Eating lunch at the local A&W, spending time at the beach, eating the traditional (in our family, at least) Italian soup and chicken, and, of course, visiting with extended family members made for a fun and relaxing day. Relatives that we hadn't seen in years paid us a surprise visit, which kind of made the day for me.

My son, Tom, pulled out his guitar and played a bit, a game of Bocce Ball was played, and, as twilight time took over on this day, a bonfire was lit. Marshmellow roasting and sparklers (for Rosalia and even a few of the adults) made for a fun evening.

It brought back very fond memories of my (not-so-long-ago) youth up there - the different phases of my younger days: grandpa and grandma, my dad, cousin Mike, and, of course, when Patty and I were first married and our eldest kids were little.

And that was my July 4th, 2008 weekend. A very American - or I should actually say, a very traditional American time - just like the ones we used to know.

Decoration Day at Greenfield Village

For my family and I, this past weekend - Memorial Weekend 2008 - was spent at Greenfield Village. And what a time we had! It was the Civil War Remembrance Weekend, and nearly 500 of us reenactors spent the entire weekend wearing period clothing and giving the record-breaking crowd a taste of what life was like during those four years in the early 1860's, camped out in canvas tents, cooking our food over an open fire, and emulating the life of our ancestors.
The president of our Civil War unit, Mike Gillett, loves to use the the term "The Best Ever" at every event. Like me, he cannot wait to don period clothing and head out to an event. Heck, he and I would be satisfied wearing 1860's clothing and sitting in our own back yards!


This here is a photo of Mike and our unit watergirl, Emily.

Anyhow, this past weekend at the Village truly was The Best Ever. Everything just seemed to fall into place, especially the weather. But, seeing all of our reenactor friends - not just from our own unit, but from the many other units who participated - is like a reunion of sorts. We're all one big happy family and the hugs and greetings abounded throughout the weekend.

And not once did any of my kids even hint at missing the television, radio, video games, or any other modern electronic devices.

So, why was this particular event better than all the rest? I can't just pick one instance. It just seemed that all factors fell into place. Saturday evening, my oldest son played his (modern looking) guitar, performing the great period tunes of the time: Hard Times Come Again No More, Just Before the Battle Mother, Wayfaring Stranger, Goober Peas...much to the delight of not only members of our own unit, but other unit members stopped to listen as well.

Walking among the historic structures (unfortunately, walking on very modern cement!), helped to give one that feeling of stepping into the past. I especially enjoyed the mourning presentation at the Adams House.

As the only postmaster in the reenacting community, I enjoyed receiving and delivering mail. Of course, the civilians had to come to me to get their mail, but I did deliver (with the help of the Good Chaplain) mail and packages to the troops. Feedback tells me that, for those who received mail, it was a great success. I guess my finest compliment came from Beth Turza, who told me that I was helping to make us all more of a community and was bringing all of the different units together.

I also had a great time working with another group I belong to, the Michigan Soldiers Aid Society (MSAS), a civilian-only unit made up of a few men and many women. They are sticklers for accuracy in virtually everything 1860's, which is one of the reasons why I joined their organization - they know their stuff! At the Village, we put on a scenario where Reb prisoners were being brought in to the Smith Creek Depot by train to then be transfered to a northern prison camp.

The lone guy with the women of the MSAS - yup! That's me!

The Memorial Day/Decoration Day service on Monday was as touching as any I have ever been a part of. It included the laying of the wreaths by women dressed for mourning. The day - this weekend - means more than the barbecues and cottage openings. And it's this sort of service that brings it all home. It is truly a day to remember those who have fought for our country - yes, I thought of my father, who fought in WWII, and who passed away at the much-too-young age of 55. Here is a photo of him taken back in 1945.

Civil War reenacting has become a lifestyle - a passion - almost an obsession - and I am very proud to play a role in this hobby. The Oakland Press, in the May 29th issue, says it best: "More interactive than a book and more accurate than many movies, reenactments allow visitors to not just glimpse history, but to step back and experience a moment in time."

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By the way, welcome to the newest 21st Michigan members: The Keeney Family, Mark Bonekowski, Tommy Spanski, and Lynne Dunn. This was their first real reenactment - hope you all liked it!!

Crossroads Village

As I stated in a blog last month, we here in southeastern lower Michigan are blessed with having not one but two open-air museums. Most people know of Greenfield Village in Dearborn, of which I did a blog on late last year. Because auto-magnet, Henry Ford, had the wealth he was able to create a village beyond compare anywhere else in the United States, and probably Canada, too. I love Greenfield Village immensely, but, unfortunately, they have changed it quite a bit from Mr. Ford's original vision, adding cemented curbs and sidewalks and removing buildings that should not have been removed (the cooper and cobbler shops are but two that have been scrapped). There is a Disney feel to it now, and that has taken away the Victorian ambience one got as they strolled through the village streets. Fortunately, the majority of the houses remain intact and are more accurate in their presentations inside and out than ever before. They did their homework for this portion and it shows.
However, the younger, poorer, not nearly as famous open-air museum known as Crossroads Village located in Flint will give that Victorian feeling immediately, as soon as you enter the gates. The whole look and feel of the place just takes you right back in time, as you can see from the picture above. Yes, this is what you see as you step through the wooden ticket booth.






As you move past the original cars of the 19th century railroad (of which you can actually ride upon), the wood-plank sidewalks take you through the "town" part of the village, the main street, which looks exactly like you would expect a main street to look like. It has stores, an opera house, a barber shop, a hotel...




And then there's the tavern on the outskirts of town.
Of course, every town (even one without horses, unfortunately) needs a blacksmith shop. Here is where one can watch the smithy work his trade, just as in the old days. And, as with a blacksmith, most period towns had a gristmill. It's here that one can watch as the giant stone wheels grind the grain into flower. It's here where one can hear (and feel) the deafening roar of the water turning the magnificent equipment to turn the wheels. And, it's here where one can purchase flour made right here at the Atlas Mill.
Without refridgeration, ice houses were a necessity in keeping ice available (covered in sawdust) throughout the warm weather months.


As you move out of town you'll enter the neighborhood and see the houses - mostly farm houses - of Crossroads. I swear you fill feel as if you had literally stepped through a time travel portal.




The milk cow was as important as any livestock a farmer could own. It's great that they show how a cow is milked for those of us living in the city.




















And, of course, the picturesque church. For some reason, they feel that this church should not have a cross lest they offend any non-Christians. Let's face it, by far and away the greater majority - without question - of the population in the 19th century in every state had a minimum of one Christian church. Of course, folks today like to change the past for the people of the present due to politically correct mumbo jumbo. But, we all know...

There is plenty more to see than what's pictured here - much more. And about the only couple of things I would change would be the addition of horses and carriages and probably a few more shops and houses - cooper, cobbler, etc. And, the addition of a cemetery (only the tombstones, of course) would be that touch of realism that no one else has (Mike Gillett's idea, and it's a great one!!!). They also need more period accurate presenters - you get what you pay for. Not that they are terrible but there is room for improvement.

They do have a carriage shop, barns, more houses, a lawyer's home, a doctor's office - all of the period.

Now, if only they would bring back the Civil War weekend!!!