I've been going through a few older photos of my "past" history excursions - some that have not seen the light of internet day in years, and even a few that I've never posted before. They include my visits to a variety of museums, fun with living history - both 18th and 19th centuries, and...well, grand reenacting memories that have been flooding my mind as I gaze at them, taking me back in time in a different way. Sort of like when I was doing my daily reenacting pictures of the day during the covid shut down. Only most of these pictures are different than what I posted then.
I hope you like them.
..............................................................
"If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten."
– Rudyard Kipling (19th and early 20th century novelist & poet).
This is a wonderful quote that I fully believe to be true; it is exactly what I try to accomplish, whether in my reenactments or even in my life.
 |
| A road from the past... |
I have surrounded myself with history. Whether I am on social media such as Facebook (lots of pretty cool history pages there), in my personal "library" collection of books, in my music collection, what I watch on TV, writing this Passion for the Past blog, my collection of collectibles (for reenacting as well as "Daggett-izing" my house), genealogy, and especially through my living history adventures and visiting local museums. Oh, I may not live on the east coast of our Nation where history abounds with every step one takes, but Michigan certainly has quite a bit of the past within its borders.
Yeah, many think I'm nuts and should speak to a doctor about my, ahem, "problem."
Um...I can think of far worse problems than being hooked on the past.
There are also those who feel I live too much in the past.
Yeah-no---I am very much a "present" kinda guy. In fact, my infatuation for the past is my escape from the present and its stresses. It's my sanity.
So---with that being said, let's prove the naysayers right and show them that I am nuts and that I do live in the past, shall we?
It was on Saturday, April 14, 2012 - exactly 100 years ago to the day that the ill-fated ocean liner, Titanic, struck an iceburg - that my family and I made our way to The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, and viewed with awe the wonderful exhibit dedicated to the ship.
While we waited to 'board' the Titanic, I thought I'd take the opportunity to give a quickie tour of the Henry Ford Museum to my then future daughter-in-law, Samm. I pointed out just some of the amazing collection of historical items this museum holds, such as the camping equipment once belonging to George Washington and a writing desk once owned by Thomas Jefferson.
But the piece of American history that I felt was most significant to see on this particular date - April 14 - was originally owned by Henry (Harry) Ford (no relation to the auto-magnet). Harry happened to work at the Ford Theater in Washington City (now D.C.) as the treasurer. When he had heard that President Lincoln was coming to catch the performance of the play "Our American Cousin" he brought in a rocking chair that was originally part his bedroom furnishings; he felt it was suitable for such an important man.
I don't believe I need to go into the details of what occurred next - hopefully, those of you reading this know what happened on that fateful April 14 in 1865...the evening the President Lincoln was shot...but I did explain it in some detail to my future daughter-in-law who, though she was aware of Lincoln's assassination, was not aware of many of the details pertaining to it. Including this chair directly in front of us - the very same chair! - that President Lincoln was sitting in when John Wilkes Booth snuck up behind him...gun in hand...
 |
| I must admit that being there, 147 years to the evening, staring at what is perhaps the most famous chair in American history, still sends chills down my spine. Here is a photo I took of it. You can almost reach out and touch it~ |
Other visitors near us, by the way, heard me speaking about the Lincoln events of this night and gathered around the display to eye the chair with a bit more reverence.
We then got in line to “board” the Titanic; the outside exhibit wall where we waited was painted to look like the great ship. Inside, the exhibit was laid out very well, and we walked through replicated ship hallways and view the artifacts brought up from the wreckage site of the original Titanic at the bottom of the ocean including cups, bowls, and plates, some articles of clothing including a work shirt and a bowler hat, eyeglasses, a tape measure, toothpaste bowl, shaving kit, bottles of perfume with some of the 'smellum' still inside, cooking oil with some oil still inside as well, cooking pots, sheet music that somehow remained protected inside leather binders, a boat whistle, jewelry, and just so much more.
 |
| Yes, here is my family (including my son's soon to be wife bottom right) standing on an exact replica of the Grand Staircase. This picture was taken on April 14, 2012 - 100 years to the date of when the great ship struck the iceburg. |
That is enough history for anyone on a single day, wouldn't you say?
Not for me!
You see, earlier in the day we visited Greenfield Village, adjacent to the Henry Ford Museum. It was "Opening Day" (for the Village shuts down during the months of January, February, March, and early April), so we enjoyed spending the first part of April 14 watching history come alive at various locations inside the Village, including Firestone Farm - -
 |
| Spring plowing of the Firestone Farm kitchen garden took place on our April 14th visit, among many other historic activities. |
When we left the Village and museum we went back to my house, as did a couple other friends who joined us on this day, to watch the 1997 movie version of Titanic.
A day truly steeped in history!
Greenfield Village is like going back home...going back to the old neighborhood. I certainly visit there often enough. And when our kids were tiny tots, we would all go together, and we always had such a good time - never fail. It has played a major role in my adult love for history, it has fed my children's thirst for history early on, and even my wife has embraced much of the old ways because of this gem of a place, so, much of what you'll see in today's posting is from there. It's kinda funny in a way because we visited Greenfield Village and even Crossroads Village so often our offspring almost (in a sense) lived history by witnessing all of the activities from the distant-past, and because of that they even have a sort of nostalgia for times long ago - sort of their own 18th and 19th century memory past, in a way, for they witnessed ancient-style spring planting, summer haying, and the fall harvest every year while growing up.
It's part of the memories of their youth.
 |
| Here is Gigi. Say hello to Gigi - - - - who is a historic presenter extraordinaire. And she just happens to work at my favorite house in Greenfield Village, the Daggett House. |
 |
| Now my friend Larissa is not only a wonderful historic presenter, but is also a historic reenactor as well! Here she is at Firestone Farm from the 1880s. By the way, she has been working at Greenfield Village for nearly 25 years! Yeah...she knows her stuff. |
 |
| Presenter Cindy at the 1870s birthplace of Henry Ford. Cindy's presenting talents are also top-notch in every way. I enjoy how she will go off-script and delve into "deeper" stories for the repeating visitors. |
 |
| There I am with Roy. Roy, like the others, not only has the knowledge of the past, but puts it all into action. You may see him making beer, carving, chopping wood, or any number of period chores. The bucket you see hanging there, by the way, is a part of the well-sweep, a common 1700s and early 1800s means of getting water from the well. |
The presenters I have shown here - and there are others who are wonderful in their knowledge and presentations as well - do a magnificent job in bringing history to life...in telling stories of home life of those who once lived in the houses in which they work. Oh yeah, there are definitely some fine presenters at Greenfield Village that I have not mentioned here: Tom, Jan, Jane, Kelly, Morgan, Taylor...you all know who you are - - - -
 |
| My two nieces are learning how to card wool by using carding paddles inside the Daggett House. That's Cindy watching closely, making sure they're doing it correctly. This is the sort of thing that makes Greenfield Village presenters so special - they take an active role in teaching the kids hands on. |
And this is exactly the way Village presenters, more often than not, would engage our kids, supplementing the outdoor activities with the stories of life in the home. Looking directly at them and interact with them.
That's what made the difference.
As you already know, oftentimes when I visit Greenfield Village I will wear period clothing. 18th century houses are a rarity in these parts - Michigan only has a handful in the entire state (with the only one that I know of in the lower peninsula not too far away), but Greenfield Village has imported a few of these ancient homes from the east coast, which have been furnished with period-correct furniture...as well as period-dress presenters. So when I visit while in my 1700s fashions, I do fit right in.
 |
| There I am coming out of the Thomas Plympton House on Patriot's Day - April 19th (the date when the Revolutionary War began) - stepping out of one 18th century house while eyeing another. This picture of me at the Plympton House was taken in 2021. |
This structure played a role in the wee early morning hours of April 19, 1775, when the brother of Samuel Prescott, who rode with Paul Revere the night before, came here to notify Thomas Plympton that the Regular Army ("the British") were on the march to Concord, and he was to let the local militia know.
Revolutionary War history right here!!
 |
| My friend, Ian, painted a picture of me coming out of the Plympton House. I suppose this just may be the most accurate picture of 18th century me here! I've known Ian for a couple of decades now and only recently found out he is quite the artist! By the way, this image depicts me on the 4th of July 2021. |
 |
| This picture taken of a presenter walking near the Giddings House is one of those "right place-right time" photos. I don't know...it just seems to exude the mid-18th century. Perhaps that is one of the Giddings' servants returning from a trip into town. |
The next set of pictures show the many members of the Civil War reenacting group I belong to, the 21st Michigan. Since 2010, we've tried to take member group shots annually during Greenfield Village's Civil War Remembrance event. This year, for some reason, CWR is on "pause" (whatever that means). This has upset many people who enjoy and look forward to this reenactment every year, including myself.
 |
| This was the 21st Michigan's first member's group shot, taken in 2010 in front of the Eagle Tavern, built in the early 1830s and presented as the mid-19th century in Greenfield Village. Unfortunately, not even half of our membership at that time showed up for the image taking. |
We didn't take a group shot in 2011.
However, in 2012:
 |
| The majority here are 21st Michigan members, though a couple are "friends of" - but this 2012 photo found us in front of the Eagle Tavern again. Taverns have always played an important role in our great American history, though most people today, including many who call themselves historians, are unaware of this fact. |
 |
| 2013 and another Eagle Tavern picture of 21st Michigan members. Well, as many as I could gather - mostly civilians. This would be our last picture at the Eagle Tavern for a while, for beginning the following year, we would travel about the Village to find other scenic and period-correct locations for our annual group images. |
 |
| In 2014, I was able to get a greater majority of 21st Michigan members to gather together, this time in front of the Susquehanna Plantation House, originally from Maryland. This house was built in the 1830s and now represents the 1860s. |
 |
| 2015 found us in front of the Logan County Courthouse, originally from Illinois. Abraham Lincoln, while still a lawyer in the 1840s, used to practice law inside this building. |
 |
| In 2016 we posed on the side porch of the birth place/home of Henry Ford, where the automobile magnet was born in 1863. |
 |
| In 2017 we posed for a picture in front of the Firestone Farm, originally from Columbiana, Ohio. This house was built in the 1820s and the inside was "modernized" in the 1880s by tire magnet Harvey Firestone's mother. |
 |
| 2018 found us back at the Eagle Tavern after a few year hiatus. I found it strange that the red, white, and blue bunting was missing from it this year. |
 |
| ~2019~ As you can easily see, we in the 21st Michigan are a fairly large group. Here we are by the 1850s Smiths Creek Depot - a train depot where Thomas Edison used to frequent during the time he worked on the railroad. This is the last group photo taken of us at Greenfield Village, for Covid struck and the event was cancelled for 2020 and 2021. Then, in 2022 it was put on that "pause" I mentioned earlier. So we'll see next year just what will happen. Hopefully, we'll be back. According to the members of the Friends of Greenfield Village Facebook page, most want Civil War Remembrance back. |
For Hallowe'en 2014 I was an 1860s widow. Yes, you heard me correctly.
And just like in everything I do when it comes to history, I was going to do this widow thing right because chances are, once the Hallowe'en celebrations ended, I would not be experiencing this again.
As my wife said to me upon dressing me for my first night out, "If you're going to do this, then you're going to experience it the right way," and proceeded to put me in layer after layer of her underpinnings: split drawers, chemise, cage, the various over and under petticoats, corset, stockings, shoes that actually fit me, and then finally the black mourning dress.
 |
| Perhaps the strangest clothing I've ever worn - - Hallowe'en 2014. Yes, it really is me inside all that clothing. No, I am not trans-anything, except for maybe "trans-time." |
Once I was dressed, the first thing that hit me was that I really couldn't do much while I was dressed in the way I was. As I walked through my house the hoop skirt kept knocking things over.
A few of us went to Greenfield Village for their Hallowe'en event - driving wasn't nearly as bad as I had heard while dressed this way. Moving throughout the Village, there were numerous patrons who asked to pose with me dressed as I was. They had no idea I was a guy, so rather than ruin the effect, I didn't speak but only nodded my head.
I also learned a hard lesson about corsets: you don't get to eat as much while wearing one.
After another Hallowe'en excursion a few of us went out to eat at a local Big Boy's restaurant, so naturally I ordered up a Big Boy hamburger combo meal with fries and a drink. I can easily put one away and still be hungry enough to eat the extra fries off of my wife's plate.
Not this night.
I could barely finish a little more than half of my burger and only a few of my fries and drink. I mean I forced myself to eat as much as I did because I knew how much I could actually eat, plus I love Big Boy burgers. My friend, Beckie, giggled at me and warned me that if I was full then I had better stop, that corsets restrict food intake.
Yep, I felt so "bloated" that if I ate another bite it would not have been a pretty sight. I was also warned that eating too much could have a, um, reverse effect, and to "upchuck" while wearing a corset was extremely painful. I asked if she could maybe loosen the strings that laced up the back to keep it tight enough to fit me. She gave me such a look and said, "No! You can't do that! The dress won't fit you then! Suck it up, Buttercup!"
So being forced to eat less while in a corset is not a myth...believe me, I was frustrated!
My female friends who knew about this had questions to ask me after spending two full evenings dressed this way, such as "I was wondering if you were going to have issues with the corset" and "did the skirts drive you crazy?" and "It's nice to hear a male appreciate all of the hard work that goes into the female impression."
Yeah...I did it. It's great to be a guy!
Now, as far as presenting history, Greenfield Village has it down pat. The clothing, the events, the presenter presentations and research are second to none. And the houses in their collection and the way they are utilized and furnished is a time-travel experience. However, when it comes to a period lay out with its over-all look I have to give that award to Crossroads Village. With the tree-lined dirt roads and wood-plank sidewalks, Crossroads, by looks and feel, is like stepping into the past.
 |
| I believe we fit the period presented perfectly. |
No, I don't believe I'm being harsh here. I just believe people - especially museums - should research history and pass along that information to the presenters before allowing them to speak to the public. As a reenactor, that's what I try to do.
So when we visit Crossroads, we go to enjoy the atmosphere more than anything else.
Then there's Mill Race Village, a tiny open-air museum not too far from my home. Mill Race was initially created back in 1972 by the Northville Historical Society and was built upon land donated to the City of Northville by the Ford Motor Company. Originally the site of the city's first gristmill (hence the name Mill Race), it is now home to 11 historic structures, all from the general surrounding area of Northville.
So, it was in 2019 that I planned to commemorate the Battle of Lexington & Concord, and it was historic Mill Race Village that agreed to allow me the chance to show what we can do in presenting early American history. Mill Race Village's collection of mostly 19th century structures that are restored into a beautiful Victorian park setting can somewhat work well as a colonial village.
I took it upon myself to contact the powers-that-be at Mill Race and sent a proposal for a Patriot's Day event. The reply didn't take long, and after a few e-mails back and forth, a couple of meetings ensued - some in person and a few phone calls - and happily they gave me the go ahead to put such an event together!
 |
| And so it was in April of 2019 that we held our first Patriot's Day Commemoration. However, little did we know that it would be on hold for the following two years due to covid. But guess what? We're bringing it back this year of 2022! Yep---on April 30th. In this great picture taken by B&K Photography we see the Patriots pushing the Redcoats over the North Bridge in Concord. Okay, so we're in Michigan and not Massachusetts, but not everyone can make it to the big reenactment there, so we pay homage to our founding past here at Northville's Mill Race Village. In fact, the bridge here at Mill Race was modeled after the Old North Bridge over in Concord, Mass, the site of the first battle of the Revolutionary War in 1775. |
If you are a regular or even casual reader of this Passion for the Past blog, then you probably know of my passion - near obsession - with the Daggett House inside Greenfield Village. You know how I enjoy dressing in my period clothing and spending my time in and around this mid-18th century home, oftentimes enjoying talks with some of the presenters who work there. You also know how I admire the cooking, crafts, and other chores they do as well.
And you can probably guess how I've truly longed to be a part of it - a part of that Daggett world of the past.
Well, that dream had come true to a very large degree...and more, actually;
 |
| Dipping candles in preparation for the winter. |
over the past two years me and a few of my living history friends have had the opportunity to "live" in a frontier log cabin for a full day each time, and I've had some of the most gratifying living history experiences ever because of that. Four (sometimes five) times a year a few of us spend a full morning-to-evening day in the early 1770s, bringing 18th century activities to life in an immersion sort of way...experiencing the past rather than just speaking about it.
 |
| The ladies prepared our dinner meal, mostly from scratch and taken from the same meal selection served at Daggett - yes!! - and cooked over the open hearth. My dream come true! |
And in the evening there is a dance. Some years it could be a USO dance...
 |
| Here we see the Village dancers - those who work for The Henry Ford and are taught the swinging moves from the era of WWII. It's great because an actual live swing big band will be on the stage, playing the hits of the early 1940s. |
Other years there may be a 1963 or 1964 sock hop...
These dances are loads of fun and they always invite those of us sitting on the bleachers the opportunity to dance as well.
 |
| And that's what we have in this picture: Village dancers being early 1960s teenagers. Instead of having a live band on the stage there is, instead, a DJ spinning the hot records of the day. For this photo I asked them to jump, scream, just get all excited for me to get a fun photo that no one else would have. They came through for me beautifully. |
Yeah...Motor Muster is a great event that usually takes place over Father's Day Weekend.
And not only do the car owners get into the living history spirit, but so do the workers and employees of The Henry Ford:
 |
There was that time I was at Motor Muster and I asked this period-dress couple if I could take their picture, and I dragged them away from their spot to the porch of the Wright Brothers Home, positioning them where I thought they would look best...and had no idea she was Patricia Mooradian, the President and CEO of the Henry Ford! But I did get a good picture out of it (lol) |
It's great to see one in such a position as she is enjoying the events of her work.
The future of the past looks bright, as long as we remain focused on research...true research. Let's tell the stories, whether through photos or the written word or both, to keep days long gone alive. We must keep it entertaining enough to teach our children, and our children's children. And not only names and dates or war or crime or politics, but of the lives they would have lived in days of old.
 |
| My three oldest grandchildren learning how to break flax with an 18th century-style flax break. I also taught them about how linen fabric and thread was/is made from flax. |
 |
| My oldest grandchild dipped candles as well. Now the others want to do it, too. Yep, they certainly will this fall! |
Yeah...some think I'm a little overboard on history. Others think I'm overboard on my love of The Beatles. I suppose there are worse things to be overboard on: politics, gambling, sports...but I follow what makes me happy. And it's important to me to keep the past present - to keep it alive, for the lives and work of our ancestors and forefathers/mothers should not be forgotten or undeservedly blemished by future generations.
Until next time, see you in time.
Other postings you may enjoy:
Other postings you may enjoy:
1 comment:
Well, it sounds like you got a good dose of April 14. I had friends who had a 1929 Model A & when they drove it (to/for events,) they dressed in 1929 attire. I think it was the Model A Club thing to do. Good to hear most events are back up and rolling. Folks are just coming around out here. Spring will help.
Post a Comment