Reenacting Happenings in February 2020: A Night at the Museum & Celebrating Washington's Birthday, Plus a Reenactor's Shop and Swap

February in the north is traditionally a down time for reenactors.  It's usually a month that is pretty cold, with snow,  sleet,  and sometimes even a biting rain,  for it is the month that only begins to see and feel the change from winter into...um...late winter.  That means we've passed the coldest part of the year,  the sunsets are noticeably later,  and spring is somewhere on the horizon.
But it ain't spring yet!  There's still cold in the air.
...I smell snow...
However,  the end of February saw spring-like weekends,  which found reenactors out and about,  taking in that historic air...
It began for me on Saturday,  February 22,  when I took part,  along with a few others,  in the Plymouth  (Michigan)  Historical Museum's wonderful  "A Night at the Museum"  birthday party,  this time for a ten year old boy and about a dozen of his pals.
You see,  one of the really cool things the Plymouth Museum does that I have not seen elsewhere around these parts are their  "Night at the Museum"  birthday party for kids,  based on the very successful movies of the same name.  This is something that really gets the children involved in history.
As the Museum's website states:
The  "Night at the Museum"  has come to Plymouth,  and now children can experience a birthday party they will never forget.  Executive Director Liz Kerstens and the Plymouth Historical Museum staff,  inspired by the movies of the same name,  created this magical evening where children discover that the characters within the Museum come alive after hours.
Kids begin their evening in the lower level meeting room,  where they gather and socialize before sitting down for a dinner of pizza or subs and drinks while watching one of the  "Night at the Museum"  movies.  When the show ends,  a reenactor meets them and their magical journey begins.  They are greeted on the pretense of touring the Museum,  but when presented with a personalized  "Tablet of Akmenrah,"  they discover that not all is as it seems.  This tablet is a recreation of the Egyptian tablet used in the movies that brings the Museum characters to life,  which the children soon realize seemingly works in this Museum as well.
The Museum is filled with reenactors silently waiting for the kids to bring them to life with the tablet.  Kids could discover a Roman soldier dressed in full battle gear or Civil War soldiers preparing for war,  or women wearing big hoop skirts and fancy dresses.  There may even be a teenager from the 1950s hanging about,  waiting to be awakened so she can dance and sing to her favorite rock and roll music.  Anyone can be discovered at the Museum,  and children will enjoy the living history. Each character chats with the kids about a slice of history so children might learn a thing or two while they are having fun at the party.

So let me show you how our Night at the Museum played out on one particular Saturday in February.
Since I was the first museum character they visited,  we'll begin with me!
~(Special thanks to Marty Kerstens and the Plymouth Historical Museum for allowing me to use some of their pictures)~

Paul Revere awakes to find himself in the 21st century,  
surrounded by a mass of school kids,  itching to learn about 
America's past.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that many of these kids knew 
who I was and of my most famous accomplishment.
They also knew other great American achievements such as the 
date of the Declaration of Independence,  why the Revolutionary 
War was fought,  and the names of a few of the other founders.

I enjoy portraying my childhood hero and telling the true story of 
his most famous of rides,  as well as a few other interesting bits of 
information.  
Thought of as a Disney-type character by some,  maligned 
by others  (for some reason)...unfortunately,  Paul Revere's legacy 
seems to be in a mixing bowl of truth,  myths,  and out 'n' out 
lies.  But everything I have read on the man - and I have read 
probably more on him than the most - allows me to see him as a 
true American patriot and hero,  one whose role in our history 
should not be diminished.
But...still,  many prefer the myths---good or bad.

But Paul Revere was not the only person from the past that the 
kids were able to meet.  Also there was also Greta Zimmer.
Who?!?

Why,  the recipient of the most famous kiss in World War II.
"V-J Day in Times Square"  (also known as  "V-Day"  and  "The Kiss")  is a photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt that portrays a U.S.  Navy sailor grabbing and kissing a stranger—a nurse—on Victory over Japan Day  ("V-J Day")  in New York City's Times Square on August 14,  1945.

A number of women have claimed to be
the nurse in the photo,  but...

...Lawrence Verria and George Galdorisi are authors of   "The Kissing Sailor,"  a 2012 book about the identity of the couple in that famous photograph.  To find the identities they used interviews of claimants,  expert photo analysis,  identification of people in the background,  and consulted with forensic anthropologists and facial recognition specialists.  They concluded that the woman was Greta Zimmer Friedman and that she was wearing her dental hygienist uniform in the photograph.
And the young schoolkids were able to  "meet"  her and hear her story.

Next we have Thomas Edison.

Once again we see enthralled 9,  10,  and 11 year olds excitedly 
listening and contributing to the most famous of inventors and his 
stories concerning the incandescent light bulb.

Mr. Thomas Alva Edison.

And then there was another famous inventor,  Mr.  Alexander Graham Bell:

The kids you see in these photographs were every bit as excited 
to be here,  meeting great American historical heroes,  as they 
would have been had they been at Disney World.

Bell was a Scottish-born American  (citizenship in 1882)  inventor,  scientist,  and engineer who is credited with inventing and patenting the first practical telephone.  He also co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company  (AT&T)  in 1885.

Mr.  Alexander Graham Bell

The use of hello as a telephone greeting has been credited to Thomas Edison;  according to one source,  he expressed his surprise with a misheard Hullo.  Alexander Graham Bell initially used  "Ahoy"  (as used on ships)  as a telephone greeting.  However,  in 1877,  Edison wrote to the president of the Central District and Printing Telegraph Company of Pittsburgh:
Friend David,  I do not think we shall need a call bell as Hello!  can be heard 10 to 20 feet away. 
What you think?  Edison - P.S.  first cost of sender & receiver to manufacture is only $7.00.
And there you have a Bell-Edison connection!

And finally we have...

Mike Gillett.

Wait---who??

Mr.  Gillett tried something a little different than portray a famous 
name in history:

As Mr.  Gillett stated:

"My spiel went along the lines that I was  'nobody.'  Nobody 
special anyway.  They had met famous people - Paul Revere,  
Greta Zimmer,  Tom Edison,  Alexander Graham Bell."  

"But history has more regular people than famous ones.  And while we have to know the famous people  (and famous dates)  to pass tests,  it helps to find history interesting by how those big dates and all affected the regular people.
"And so I had them think about what their grandfather's grandfather's grandfather saw and did and felt about all they saw and how they went about their lives.  So I encouraged them to put themselves in the history lessons to make them more interesting and have them stick with them longer..."
Imagine,  putting yourself in history.
What a concept,  eh?
I love  being a living historian!

And it's schoolkids like this that gives me hope for our future 
past.  Their excitement - their exuberance - tells me that history is 
in better hands than we may think.  It's not the college kids of 
today that will care for our past.  It's the children you see here,  
for,  to them,  it is still living and breathing.

To the Plymouth Historical Museum:
This is such a wonderful and important opportunity to teach history to youngsters.  My hat is off to you and all involved who makes such living history possible.
The kids that attend will remember this for the rest of their lives.

And then the very next day....
Tony Gerring,  the head of Michigan's 1st Pennsylvania Revolutionary War reenacting unit,  held his annual celebration of the birth of the Father of Our Country - George Washington.  What a great idea:  to have an opportunity to get together with friends to commemorate our favorite general and president.  It gives us a good excuse to don our period clothing once again during a time when most reenactors are hibernating.

On the right is the host of the annual George Washington 
birthday party,  Tony Gerring.
On the left is Tom Bertrand,  who presents as an 
18th century doctor.
If you recall,  last year he bled me to get rid of the bad humors:

That's my son,  Robbie,  on the right,  and that's
Paul on the left.  Both are a part of
the 1st Pennsylvania.

Mother and son reenact together.
Mom is a part of the Citizens of the
American Colonies,  while EJ is the
youngest 1st Pennsylvania member.

We have Ken and Jerry...and I am not sure who the gentleman on 
the right is,  though I have seen him around at reenactments.

Even though it was a bright sunny day,  we still brought our 
lanterns,  for last year they were necessary.
A few of us brought other accessories to share what we have 
purchased over the winter months.

Tony held a silent auction of accessories that he  (and a few others who donated)  no longer needed to help in purchasing other supplies for the members of his unit,  such as fabric and other items needed to make what will be needed for the upcoming reenacting season.

This is what I bid on and won:
a tomahawk  (for work as well as my farming impression)  and a 
couple of spoons made from cattle horn.  I actually bought four of 
them but gave two away to the ladies you see in the picture below.
All items will work well with my 18th century farming 
impression  (of which I will be writing a post on in the not-too-
distant future).

A thorn betwixt to lovely roses.
I have known Jackie and Amanda for many years,
for I've reenacted with them in the Civil War era.
And now we three are also doing late 18th century
colonial.  How cool is that?

Here are all of the females who came out to celebrate
George Washington's birthday

Ken Roberts poors Madeira for a toast.
It's been said Madeira was Washington's
favorite wine.

A toast to the general who won America's freedom from Britain 
and then became our 1st President,  George Washington:
"First in war,  first in peace,  and first in the hearts of his 
countrymen."  The famous quote about George Washington 
came from a eulogy written by Henry  “Light Horse Harry”  Lee. 

Yes,  this was a fitting tribute to the father of our Country,  and I thank Tony for putting it all together to help commemorate and celebrate this truly great man.


Only days following the spring-like temperatures found us buried in a half foot of snow and some pretty cold conditions.  By the following Saturday - Leap Day  (Feb. 29)  we were back to sunny skies and temps reaching into the 30s.
That's Michigan  (and the upper midwest)  for ya.
And that's why I believe the reenactors swap and sell,  again,  held at the old schoolhouse,  was such a grand success;  after such a wint'ry week,  folks were itching to get out of their houses and think of the warm-weather when the major reenactments would take place.

February 29 found us back at Eastpointe's 1872 school house.

As soon as the doors were open to the public,  the people began 
pouring in.  There were items for those who did 
Revolutionary War,  Civil War,  and WWII.

Many who came were reenactors,  looking for that  "one thing"  they needed  (and ended up buying a few things!),  and others were newbies who needed to build up their  "kit"  with lanterns,  period kitchenware,  even tents and poles,  while still other customers were the curious non-reenacting public who were interested in seeing some of the eclectic items that we living historians go ga-ga over.

So we had a goodly amount of  people come in, 
most happily leaving with at least one treasure.

And by the end of the day,  our hostess
was plum wiped out!
Yes,  this is Charlotte,  and it was her idea
to put the 2020 swap and sale together.

Another plus was having so many people who have not seen our 1872 schoolhouse be able to come inside and see the beautifully restored building that served our local children from 1872 til 1921.  I was able to tell the story:
It was in 1921 that a new,  larger school was built,  due to the growing population.  Local resident,  Mr.  Kaiser,  who had recently started his own fuel and supply business with his sons,  bought the old building and moved it,  by way of horses and skids,  to the southeast corner on Nine Mile Road and Gratiot;  the structure was to be used mainly as a warehouse for coal supplies and storage,  which lasted from 1921 to 1984.  To turn the old schoolhouse into a warehouse Kaiser covered the windows,  walls,  and flooring,  thereby preserving local history.  It's been said he did this purposely.  We are in his debt for having the historical preservation foresight that he did.

Eastpointe's pride,  the 1872 Schoolhouse, 
all restored and receiving visitors.

In 1984,  the East Detroit Historical Society - and more specifically John Gardiner,  its then president and also superintendent of the East Detroit School District - enabled the school system to purchase the building back from the Kaisers and remove it to within 100 yards of the original site on September 4th,  1984.  This was when restoration began on the old building.
The schoolhouse now sits as it once did in 1872,  a-waiting for students and guests to stop in for a visit.

Until next time,  see you in time.


To read about Washington's death,  please click HERE
To learn more about farming in the colonial era,  please click HERE
To read more about winter in the colonies,  please click HERE
To learn more about a colonial kitchen,  please click HERE
To have a general overview of life in colonial times,  please click HERE

To reach the Plymouth Historical Museum,  please click HERE
To learn more about the early days of my hometown of Eastpointe,  please click HERE

And HERE is an interesting article about the differences between axes,  hatchets,  and tomahawks

~   ~   ~