Happy "Back To the Future" Day! Meet Paul Revere & Sybil Ludington

With all of the Back to the Future talk going on due to the anniversary date, my mind is still traveling back in time...further than 1955...or even the old west (the third movie in the series).
And I did, in fact, very recently when I portrayed Paul Revere while my friend, Larissa, portrayed the "female Paul Revere" Sybil Ludington for three groups of 8th graders at a local middle school. We had been talking about expanding our presentation 'repertoire' from a mid-19th century farming family to include the colonial period. Since the sestercentennial of the beginnings of the American Revolution is at hand (the Stamp Act, which many consider the catalyst of the War, was imposed on the colonists 250 years ago this year), we agreed that now was probably as good a time as any to present this oh-so-important period in our nation's history. It helps quite a bit that Larissa is a living historian and also works as a "costumed presenter" at the 1750 Daggett House at Greenfield Village, which has taught her quite a bit about everyday life in the 18th century. As for me, I do colonial living history and have been delving more and more into the world of our 18th century Founding Fathers - particularly Paul Revere - as a reenactor/living historian.
So when the opportunity recently arose for us to do a school presentation - three in one day, in fact - we didn't hesitate.

That’s me as Paul Revere.
I am holding a replica of the
lantern that was shown in the
steeple of the Old North Church.
(Yes, I realize Mr. Revere had not
seen the lanterns lit on that
night, but I brought it for effect).
Photo courtesy of the Macomb Daily newspaper

I had been studying Paul Revere pretty extensively over the last couple of years, so I knew what I wanted to do. And Larissa, my partner in all of this, decided to research Sybil Ludington - the so-called female Paul Revere - to not only shine a light on a female patriot, but to also bring out little-known heroics of one of the 18th century women. We plotted our course, worked out an outline, decided which accessories would be brought, and gave each other lots of encouragement.
We were a little nervous beforehand...okay - - I was pretty nervous while Larissa was fairly calm - - but once we got in front of these 8th graders, everything fell easily into place.
We began our presentations with the teacher reciting excerpts from the infamous poem by Longfellow, "Paul Revere's Ride." Unfortunately, most people don't realize that this poem written in 1861 takes liberties on facts, including the mention of what happened when Paul Revere made it to Concord.
Concord??
Um...Revere never made it to Concord that night of April 18th - he got captured not too long after leaving Lexington and his borrowed horse was taken from him. He ended up making it back to Lexington in time to witness the battle events.
And that's the point where I, as Paul Revere, interrupted the teacher, and asked him where he got such misinformation. The teacher responded with having me tell "my" story in my own words.
And that was where I took over and, due to time constraints, gave highlights of Revere's life: birth, occupation, 1st and 2nd marriage, kids, and then some of the events that helped him to make a mark in history, including the Stamp Act, Sons of Liberty, Boston Massacre, his involvement in the Boston Tea Party, his warning rides before the "big one," and some known and little known details about the evening of April 18th.

And there you see Miss Ludington on the right. 
She fits right in with the other teens, doesn’t she?

I concluded my portion by speaking of all the great men who were my/Revere's contemporaries, such as George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, John Adams, etc.
And this was where Larissa, as Sybil Ludington, interrupted me to tell me it wasn't only men who made a difference and helped the patriotic cause, and then she proceeded to tell her tale of duty to country, and how on a stormy evening in 1777, this young 16 year old girl volunteered to warn the countryside of the attack from the British Regulars in Danbury, Connecticut.
It so happened on that April night a messenger was dispatched from Danbury to Col. Ludington, Sybil's father, with the news of the attack, and he reached the Ludington home at approximately 9 PM. Col. Ludington began to organize the militia, but the men were scattered throughout the area in their homes, and it was well into the night. The messenger was exhausted and not familiar with the area, and would not be able to find all of the militia volunteers. Sybil Ludington was very familiar with the area, and left to sound the alert. It is unclear whether she volunteered for the task, or whether she was asked to do it by her father. Some accounts indicate that Col. Ludington had planned the route Sybil would take.

Sybil left for her now-famous ride at approximately 9 PM into the rainy night, traveling 40 miles from her home in what is now the town of Kent, south to Mahopac, and north to Stormville, before returning home near dawn the next day. Sybil not only had to avoid British soldiers in the area, but also British loyalists, and "Skinners", who were outlaws with no allegiance to either side in the War. Some accounts indicate that a church bell was rung in Carmel after she gave the alarm, and that a man offered to accompany her on the rest of her ride. These accounts claim that she declined his offer, but instead dispatched him eastward to sound the alarm in Brewster.

Col. Ludington's troops arrived too late to save Danbury, but fought with the British troops as they left the area.
Quite a fascinating story that history seemed to have over-looked.
But we're helping to bring it back to life.
We also spoke to the kids a bit about every day life and of our clothing during this era in our history, and gave time for a question and answer period.
And, of course, the opportunity for photographs to be taken.
I am very happy and proud of the way that Larissa and I present our Nation's history, and that we can direct it toward any age group, whether they are school age children or senior citizens or all the age groups in between.
Now, what does all of this have to do with Back to the Future?
Today's date, mainly; I felt the need to write something on such an important pop-culture date. Silly, maybe, but it was something I wanted to do. This is my own Back to the Future  way of showing that I have my own DeLorean - - - it's called Living History.

And that means Back to the Future is NOW - - - - -
October 21st, 2015, the date that Marty and Doc (with Marty's girlfriend) journey from 1985 to 2015 - the exact date that I am writing this post - is finally here.

The Back to the Future time circuits showing the very date as I write and post this.

My wife and I saw each of the three movies at the show when they came out, and when we saw the second in the series (where they travel to 2015), I didn't think it was too far-fetched. I mean, 30 years previous (1955) showed amazing technology, from the microwave over to the moon landing to the Voyager 1 and 2 space probes to compact discs to...well, you get the picture. So hover boards, video phones, and 3-D movies (among other things) wasn't out of range, in my opinion (though I didn't think we would have flying cars in 2015 - and I was right).
Well, with all of the predictions that were in that second movie, some of them actually came true, such as big screen TVs and video conferencing, news drones, video glasses, and maybe even the Cubs winning the World Series.
But many, such as the flying car, did not.
Given the fact that we can teach history in this day of hand-held computers (i-phones, smart phones, tablets, etc) and amazingly graphic video games in such an up close and personal way that kids will still find it fascinating is pretty remarkable. And given the fact that we still have swarms of visitors coming to our reenactments tells me that real living history is as strong as ever and that as cool as the technology may present history, actual living historians will always come out on top.
Until next time, see you in time...
By the way, the Back to the Future trilogy is in my top 10 of all-time favorite movies, right there with the John Adams series, Pirates of the Caribbean series, American Graffiti, Gods & Generals/Gettysburg, A Christmas Carol, and the George Washington mini-series.












.

Wolcott Mill 2015: Celebrating Harvest Time

Farmer Ken
photo taken by Lenore Jordan

A year ago, we in the 21st Michigan Civil War reenacting unit put on a fall harvest display at the autumn-laden Wolcott Mill event, to great success. So, naturally, we thought we'd try again this year. Now, it seems that many times when anyone tries to repeat a success, it falls flat. And I admit I did have some reservations about doing a repeat performance.
But I am so glad we did.
In fact, it was every bit as successful as last year and even went beyond my expectations.
The 4th Texas (Michigan reenacting group) always does a fine job hosting Wolcott Mill and welcomes our unit's harvest scenario with open arms, which we appreciate.
Putting on a harvest scenario is no easy task; we've been talking about it since last year, and we've held meetings, done research, and tried to come up with ideas to expand on and improve on what we've done previously.
I think it just might have worked, for we had even more of our members take part in cider pressing, corn-husk doll making, basket making, drying of fruits and vegetables, apple history, lots of baking, spinning and dyeing of wool, candle making, farm talk, and numerous other chores and crafts that helped to explain and show life during the harvest in the mid-1800s.
There is also the weather to contend with, and in October in Michigan one must be prepared for sun, snow, rain, wind, cold, warmth, or all of the above in one weekend. What we got was a sunny Saturday with highs in the 60s, and a beautiful sunny Sunday with temps in the 70s. Who could ask for anything more?
Yes, I was there with my camera in hand, attempting (most of the time successfully) to take pictures with little notice from other living historians (and the general visiting public) to serve as a documentation of what occurred over this amazing weekend.
Hope you enjoy them:

Welcome to autumn 1865...

A few of the tents and camps of the 21st Michigan civilians

It's here we find Mrs. Cary making a basket...

...and Miss Goodenow preparing a meal...

...and my wife spinning wool into yarn while enjoying a visit with our neighbor, Miss Lamkin...

...and young master Woodruff churning butter...

...and the littlest Robeck hauling firewood...

...and a little farm boy shelling corn...

...and a farm wife preparing for the thresherman's dinner...

...and kids big and small pressing apples into cider.

The 21st Michigan approved the purchase of a cider press in 2014, and it certainly has been a hit! It really gives an excellent opportunity for reenactors - especially the younger set - to understand the process of acquiring an 1860s treat by hard work: putting the apples into the hopper, turning the crank to grind them up, and pressing the apples tightly to squeeze every last bit of liquid from the fruit. Everyone had a job to do, and did it with the pleasure and the knowledge of soon enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Even some adults helped with the cider pressing...in fact, six bushels of apples were pressed into cider - enough for everyone to have a glass at the thresherman's dinner!

My wife loves to spin wool into yarn, and very recently she's taken to dyeing her spun wool by way of natural "homespun" dyes. In 2014 she used marigold petals to get a yellow dye for her wool. This year she got some cochineal beetles to dye the wool red.

Farmers in south and central America still make a living harvesting — and smashing — the bugs that go into the dye that turns the color of wool red, though now the red color is used more for food and cosmetics rather than fabric. They're called cochineal insects, and their crushed bodies produce a deep red ink that is used as a natural dye.

Cochineal beetles

Wool waiting to be dyed red

A deep crimson dye is extracted from the female cochineal insects, and will produce a range of scarlet, pink and other red hues from the dye found in the insects.

Red was an expensive color to produce in medieval times and red clothes were an important status symbol, with the result that red dyes commanded high price. Cochineal was introduced from Mexico to Europe following the Spanish expedition to Mexico in 1518. Cochineal produced a deeper and longer lasting red than madder root and therefore the cochineal red dye was very highly valued. The Spanish kept the source of cochineal a secret and cochineal was thought to be a plant seed for nearly 200 years.

Notice the red seeping out of the sack that holds the beetles after it had been placed in water.

Use of the cochineal insects for red dye continued until the late nineteenth century, when artificial dyes were developed. This was when the production of cochineal declined markedly as red became very cheap to produce and was no longer valued.

By the way, the distinctive redcoats of the British Army in the 18^th century were dyed with cochineal.

In goes the wool...

...mmmm...spaghetti....
Well...not really...but it could be - - - 

Out it comes! Look at that!

After drying on the drying rack for a while, the wool had a more magenta look to it. Not bad for a first try, eh?

We have to thank our very good friends, Larissa and Beckie - who have been dyeing wool in this manner for years while working at historic Greenfield Village - for their help and guidance in this venture, for these two ladies have helped my wife in the dyeing process these past two years and have played no small role in her presentation.
Yes, there are others from the Village to thank as well, but, well, we kinda "hang out" with Larissa and Beckie, so they are right there to answer any questions that may arise.

They're also in our reenacting group.

For me, I tried something a little different this year in my own presentation: apples.
Yes, apples.
But not your average variety of Ida Red, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, or Granny Smith. I, instead, did a presentation of heirloom apples and included a number of 19^th-century and earlier varieties in my display. I was able to procure a nice selection of red, green, yellow, and speckled apples to show the public, with the long-forgotten names like Belmont (late 1700s), Ohio Non-Pariel (1850s), Westfield Seek-No-Further (late 1700s), Baldwin (1740),  Roxbury Russet (from before 1649 - possibly America’s oldest apple), Peck’s Pleasant (1830s), and Grimes Golden (1804) - varieties no longer readily available here in the 21st century. They all have different characteristics, flavors, and ultimately were used in different ways, either for sale, or for the family’s own use. With such a large amount of apples, there was a need for storage, and those not carefully packed away in sawdust were made into apple butter, apple sauce, pies, dowdies, dumplings, fritters, and cider.

Here was my quickly thrown-together heirloom apple display.

I wasn't sure how my presentation would go over, but it did great! People were not only surprised to learn of these apples from history, but they learned a bit of really cool American history they had not known before on a subject they had previously given little thought. I had nearly everyone who stepped up comment about how they had never heard of these varieties, and a few commented on how, um...ugly they were in comparison to our modern apples. Of course I explained about each apple's history, its taste, and what they were used for (baking, cider, drying, etc), with great interest.
Something very special happened that I'd like to tell you about: an older woman came to the table of heirloom apples with her granddaughter and got very excited to see them. She asked if it would be alright to smell some of them because they reminded her of those from her grandfather's farm.  Of course we said she could and she carefully picked up the Belmont apple, smelled it, and breathed in the memory of eating these apples at her grandparents' home as a child. She then offered the apple to her granddaughter to smell and told her, "You won't find anything in a store as fresh as this."
Friends, that's what it's all about!

Next up we have something that just might be one of the most anticipated dinners on any 21st Michigan member's list, the Thresherman's Dinner. A thresherman's dinner was the celebration meal in which the ladies of the house prepared a fine serving of food to the farming men, including neighbors who helped with the harvest. Oh! It was a grand spectacle of a meal, and wonderful servings of fresh vegetables and fruits abounded, along with fowl and other meats.
And, for the 2nd year in a row, we had one just the same!

A grace was said, thanking the Lord for the bountiful feast He had given us.

Grace...

A bountiful feast indeed!

As evening fell, the lanterns gave off a period light that can only be matched by the real deal. This was an almost magical feeling, and we were part of the lantern tour as well.

Many, many thanks must go to all the cooks who participated (yes, including me - - I cooked corn on the cob!) As you can see by the plate of food a couple pictures up, it was quite a feast!

We were in 1865...

Next up - - - - -

A few of the men in the 21st Michigan Volunteer Infantry.

The local tintype photographer.

Kristen poses for a fine photograph. Yes, this is an actual tintype - not a modern picture that I made to look like an original through computer technology.

Even the littlest ones are part of our reenacting unit!

This is my wife and I, enjoying a Victorian autumn near the gristmill

My wife and I relaxed at the mill. We had just brought in a couple dozen sacks of grain to be made into flour.

My beautiful daughter poses near the mill stream.

An afternoon walk with my friends, Beckie and Larissa.

Taking in the autumn splendor.

This is what we were gazing at. Beautiful, eh?

A few of the lovely ladies of the 21st Michigan.

We take at least two group pictures every year - one at Greenfield Village in May and then one at the end of our season at Wolcott Mill in October. Folks, this is the finest group of people one could ever reenact with. I am proud to not only be among them, but to call them my friends. God bless them, everyone...

And there you have Harvest Home! Celebrating the Fall Harvest at Wolcott Mill 2015. It's definitely one for the record books!
Now...onto preparing for our period Christmas celebrations!
Until next time, see you in time.










.

Colonial Ken Re-Visits Greenfield Village: Fall Harvest Edition 2015

Come with me as I open the door to the past...

I really, really enjoy wearing 1770s period clothing. Yes, more than wearing Civil War era clothing. And when I can be surrounded and immersed in buildings that were around during the time the clothing was fashionable (rather than at a reenactment), well that just sort of becomes the cool whip frosting on the cake.
It's just a shame that there are only a few reenacting opportunities for me to wear the garments here in Michigan;
there are plenty more occasions to don the appearance of living in the 1860s /Civil War era, however. And as you know, I grab those moments quite frequently.
But because there are far fewer events of the 1770s in my general area (right around a half-dozen or so), it took me a while to finally spend some research time and cash on such clothing knowing that it may only be worn a few times a year. In a way, it hardly seems worth it, when you really think about it.
But I am not like most people.
I will grab any and every opportunity that comes my way to throw on my shirt, waistcoat, coat, breeches, cravat, clocked stockings/hose, buckle shoes, and tricorn (or cocked) hat and head off to Greenfield Village (or anywhere else historical)...just because.
In fact, I very recently did just that during the fall harvest weekends at Greenfield Village, and the best of these photos taken I put here in this week's post. You see, for two weekends in a row in late September and early October - the time of the fall harvest - I donned my 1770s finest, grabbed a few friends, and off we went for a photo shoot. Well, not just a photo shoot - we also really enjoyed spending time around all of the traditional autumn activities that takes place this time of year inside the historic open-air museum.
Usually my wife and/or a few friends will also 'dress' and join me on such an excursion. Unfortunately, it was not to be this time. But I hope what you see here doesn't make me seem like I'm vain or anything of that sort that I'm in so many of the photos, for I am not that way at all. What I wanted to do was to put myself into period scenarios strictly out of my love and want for being a part of history.
Does that make sense to you?

Anyhow, there are photos of others as well...and what I have presented here are my favorites of what was taken over the two weekends.
Hope you like them

(I'm so vain...

I probably think this blog is about me!):

~ Crossing through the space-time continuum bridge...back to 1770...
Hey, did you know that
I'm always going back in time?
I am the backwards traveller
Ancient wool unraveller...

(Paul McCartney)

Greeting me on the other side of the bridge was this beautiful scene from October 1770. This is the home of John and Mehetabel Giddings, which originally stood on Meeting House Hill in Exeter, New Hampshire from around 1750 until Henry Ford brought it to Greenfield Village in 1929.
Giddings, a prosperous merchant and shipbuilder, built and lived in this home with his wife and their five children: Mary (1752), John (1754), Dorothy (1758), Mehetabel (1764), and Deborah (1770).
In December of 1790, it became the home of New Hampshire's first Secretary of State, Joseph Pearson, who, inside this house, married Captain Gidding's daughter, Dorothy, in April of 1795.

I was kindly welcomed into the home by Mary Giddings.

Mary and Dorothy Giddings were planning a tea and awaited for their guests to arrive. They welcomed me to sit as I waited for the arrival of their father. They treated me kindly to 'Black Caps.' Black Caps are apples that are baked in their skin upon ashes (or sometimes under or before a fire). The skins sometimes burn on one side, and make, well, Black Caps.

This was such a delicious treat that some people would imagine that it was time to seek another world if Black Caps were abolished.

(see below for the recipe). 
The ladies also served up Queen's Cake, Butter Drops (the cookies), as well as a plate of Chocolate Almonds - all popular dishes of the later 18th century.

'Twas a cooler fall day than usual this early October, and a warm fire was much needed and appreciated. I willingly helped Dorothy in getting some warmth into the room by adding fuel to the fire.

"You do me the honour, Miss Giddings, of allowing me to enjoy this fine repast of treats as such I've not had in many a day."

After an enjoyable delight, I asked if I may step into the kitchen to thank the servant for doing such a fine job in her cooking expertise. Though a bit befuddled, Miss Giddings honoured my request.

Inside the Giddings kitchen, where the fine foods of the house are cooked over the hearth by their hired girl.

Colonial Ken at your service.

"I wish you a good day, Madam.
May I compliment you on such
a fine repast of savory delights?"

The Giddings' servant girl made Black Caps in this way:

Cut 12 large apples in half and take out the cores and place them on a thin patty pan, or mazarine, as close together as they can lie, with the flat side downards; squeeze a lemon in two spoonfuls of orange-flower water and pour over them; shred some lemon peel fine and throw over them, and grate fine sugar all over; set them in a quick oven and half an hour will do them. When you send them to table, throw fine sugar all over the dish.
From The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Mrs. Glasse (from 1776)

Before baking...

The kitchen cooking fire...

While back in 1770 I thought I might take the opportunity to travel out to visit with Samuel Dagget and his wife, Anna. They live quite a ways from Giddings so I concluded a coach would be the wisest choice to travel on this overcast and cool fall day which held the promise of rain.
Rather than sit inside the coach, the driver kindly granted me permission to take the reins. 

Off to the countryside I then travelled, along Shoddy Hill Road, to where my friends, Samuel and Anna Daggett, lived.

The Daggett Farm Hay:
The hay would have been made into a rick although some of it would have gone into the loft of the stable for horses.
A hay rick, by the way, is a stack of hay used as a covering or thatching for protection from the weather. Many farmers would bank their homes with hay during the fall to help insulate it from the winter's cold.

Samuel, a housewright by trade, built this saltbox house sometime between 1746, when 40 acres of land was deeded to him by his father, and 1758, the year he married his wife, Anna Bushnell. 

Twas a busy day at the Daggett home

I watched for a while as the Daggett daughters, Asenath and Tabitha, worked hard in the kitchen, preparing the day's meal. A fine harvest was had, allowing for a good serving of vegetables before preservation was to begin.

Over the Daggett hearth were more 18^th century delectable delights, including Essence of Ham, Apple Tansy, Windsor Beans, Dressed Parsnips, Crookneck or Winter Squash Pudding, Applesauce, Apricot Chips, Hasty Fritters, Common Peas Soup, and Brandied Peaches & Cheesecake for dessert.

While the ladies of the house were very busy cooking and preserving food, Samuel had his own chore outside making a goodly amount of beer for the winter.

“Permit me, Sir, the honour of assisting you in your endeavor.”

Beer and ale 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 beverage would even play an important role 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.

I certainly appreciate opportunities such as this!

Now, in the silly introduction of the all-knowing History Channel's "Founding Fathers" series, a so-called "historian" makes a point to state something along the lines that it was a wonder the Founding Fathers could even stand up with all the beer they drank. Well, hey! Guess what? Although there were those who drank to get drunk (just like in the 21^st century), most in the colonial times drank beer because it was healthier than water. They did not drink to get inebriated.

Just correcting another myth that tries to make our founding generation look bad.

Preparing to make the beer

Ben Franklin’s favorite type of beer could have been similar in gravity and strength to the modern version of an Old Ale (1.060 to 1.086). Franklin’s own writings refer to, “the type of strong, harvest-time ale, or October ale.” Yet, his regular drink couldn’t have been excessively strong because he was known to have intellectual discussions in Taverns while, “lifting a few pints of ale,” and Franklin felt (along with many of the time) that ale was a healthful tonic if consumed in moderation.

In colonial times, brewers took malted barley and cracked it by hand. They would then steep (or soak) the grains (including corn) in boiling water. They called the process mashing. 

Mashing:
Eighteenth century texts say to, “Bring your water to a boil and put it into the mash tun.When it has cooled enough that the steam has cleared and you can see your reflection in the water, add your malt to the tun."
This translated to a mash temperature of  approximately 154F. This mash temperature is supported by both Noonan’s recipe for an 1850 Scottish ale and Daniels’ recommendation for an Old Ale.
Mashing allowed the brewer to extract the sugars from the barley.

As I stirred the mash, I noticed it smelled just like the modern 'Malto-Meal.'

Seriously...it did!

Brewers in colonial times took the mash they had created, which had the consistency of oatmeal, and dumped it into a sawed-off whiskey barrel. The modified tub acted as a sieve, filtering the sugary liquid from the grain. Modern brewers pass the mash into a device called the mash/lauter tun for straining.

“Are we ready for the hops yet?”
 In researching the era, it is believed that due to the high cost of imported hops and the documented hop shortages in Colonial America, the hopping rates would have been appreciably less than that of Old Ale and more comparable to a Strong Scotch Ale.

The colonial brewer returned the strained liquid to the boil kettle, or the copper as it was called, for a 2-hour boiling. He added hops, chilled the brew, sprinkled it with yeast, and drained the final product into wooden kegs. The brewer then placed those kegs in a cellar for three weeks to a month.

Yeast is added, which helps turn the sugar from the malt into alcohol.

Social historian from Camden, New Jersey, Richard Pillatt, tells us a story of beer's importance in our history:

"After we announced (that we were doing a historic beer-brewing demonstration) this summer, I was in a nearby restaurant eavesdropping on some people who were discussing our publicity, and one of them asked the other, 'what does BEER really have to do with history?' Well, in terms of daily life in 18th-century Camden County, one word easily answers that question: 'Everything,' I said. Beer played a central role in the social, economic and political life of almost all our regional ancestors. It provided daily nutritional sustenance, it was made from the crops that they grew and bought and sold in huge quantities, and it was the key lubricant in the networks of local taverns that were the culture's primary social and political venues."

~Hops on the barrel head~

Ahh...tis always a fine day when I visit my friend Samuel Daggett! And he never fails to send me off with gifts from his garden.

Rather than drive, it was into the coach I went to head back from whence I came. The condition of the roads were not of a high order, and as we wound snake-like over hill and dale, through thick woods and meadow land, riding in the coach was like a ship rocking or beating against a heavy sea; straining all her timbers with a low moaning sound as she drove over the contending waves. 

As I rode back, I decided to stop at this log cabin I passed by on the way to the Daggetts. It was occupied by the Hamilton family: Mr. & Mrs. Hamilton and their three children - David, Daniel, and Ann.
(If you know well Greenfield Village, then you might recognize this as the McGuffey Cabin, built around 1780, though I did a little photographic trickery to give it a more lived-in look! I chose the Hamilton Family because they were the main characters in one of my favorite books as a child, The Cabin Faced West, fictional drama about an actual family who lived in Pennsylvania during the birth of our Nation.) 

As it was still a might cold out, with a harsh wind a-blowing, I set myself down near the fire for a warm.

Mrs. Hamilton prepares the ingredients for a fall favorite, apple pie.

Ann stoked the wood and added more fuel, not only for the heat but for baking the apple pie.

To make an apple pie from a 1776, make a good puff paste crust, lay some round the sides of the dish, pare and quarter apples thick, throw in half the sugar you design for your pie, mince a little lemon peel fine, throw over, and squeeze little lemon over them, then a few cloves, here and there one, then the rest of your apples, and the rest of your sugar. You must sweeten to your palate, and squeeze a little more lemon. Boil the peeling of the apples and the cores in some fair water, with a blade of mace, till it is very good; strain it, and boil the syrup with a little sugar, till there is but very little and good, pour it into your pie, put on your upper-crust and bake it. You may put in a little quince or marmalade, if you please.
From The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Mrs. Glasse (from 1776)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The coach dropped me off at the tavern in town. As much as I enjoyed my stay in the autumn time of year in the 1770s, I knew it was time for me to journey through the continuum of time and space...back to the 21st century...to rejoin my family.

Who knows? Maybe next time they'll come with me. And if we find a cozy little saltbox house that we can call home, perhaps we'll stay...

It was not too long a journey from the tavern to the bridge to the future.

Back to the future:

Happy and I'm smiling, walking miles to drink your water.

Let us close our eyes, for outside their lives go on much faster.
Once I used to join in; every boy and girl was my friend.

Oh, we won't give in, let's go living in the past.

(Modified Jethro Tull lyrics)

But I plan to travel back in time, once again, to search out more eighteenth century adventures. Maybe at Christmas tide...
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little autumn time-travel excursion to the colonial times. I certainly enjoyed travelling there. As mentioned at the top of this post, if I have an opportunity to wear my colonial clothing, I will take it...even if I am the only one wearing such clothing!
Until next time, see you in time - - -
(For a more extensive "tour" of harvest time in the 18th - and 19th - century, please click HERE)

Many, many thanks to Ian & Carrie Kushnir and April Folcarelli for coming out to Greenfield Village with me and taking such wonderful photos. I appreciate it!
(All other pictures - you know, the ones I'm not in - were taken by me).

Some of the information about beer brewing came from THIS Benjamin Franklin site.

And THIS SITE as well.
However, much of the brewing information also came from the master brewer at the Daggett Farm in Greenfield Village, Mr. Roy Mayer.
Other bits came from THIS SITE.

To learn more about Taverns in the 18th century, please click HERE.
To learn more about Food and cooking in colonial times, please click HERE
For an overview of everyday life during colonial times, please click HERE
For my 1st excursion visiting Greenfield Village as Colonial Ken, please click HERE
Celebrating Patriot's Day - the New England Holiday - at Greenfield Village: HERE
And to learn about celebrating Christmas in colonial times, please click HERE






.