Colonial Kensington 2022: Reenacting & Living History - Both at Once

Just when it was thought Colonial Kensington might be done and over with,  

it came back with a vengeance,  stronger than ever.

I am so happy!

.............................

Time keeps on slipping into the future...
but
I am a traveler of  both time and space,
to be where I have been...

Something I have learned over the years is that as soon as you start to think of the past as happening  (as opposed to it having happened),  a new way of conceiving history becomes possible.  And this is how I try to look at the past when I don my period clothing and attend an event,  whether it is simply visiting a local open-air museum,  utilizing a historic structure,  or attending a larger bona-fide tent-filled reenactment.  It's at any one of these that I like to think I am a part of history rather than just someone wearing funny clothes. 

Please note that I use both terms of "reenactor"  and  "living historian"  to describe myself in this hobby.  Each,  however,  actually do have different definitions but are equally important.

On one hand,  Reenactors generally replicate notable moments in history:  famous battles  (such as Lexington & Concord) or a depiction of a battle,  great speeches,  a historic happening  (like the Boston Massacre),  or even camp life for the soldier  (which can also border on living history).  In other words,  great and notable moments in history come to life.  To do this,  reenactors may be in 1st,  2nd,  or 3rd person.  Or sometimes a combination of all three.

On the other hand,  Living Historians bring the past to life in a natural,  unassuming way,  oftentimes through 1st person,  sometimes 2nd person,  and even 3rd person here and there,  and pretty much in a conversational manner.  Often,  however,  living history is done through immersion.  They move about as if they are truly there,  in the past,  and try not to speak of or acknowledge anything beyond the time they are representing.  The spectator will learn simply by watching.

And just wait until you meet a historic character interpreter!

But all of this is rather difficult for 18th century.  If you plan to talk the talk  (literally and figuratively),  you better know what you are talking about,  else you will look foolish...and  "Hollywood."   

You see,  this is not acting,  for there are no scripts to follow;  only historical knowledge and continued research.  In fact,  there are times when the living historian may actually feel as if they'd passed through the portal of time and could almost be there...in that moment,  which is what is strived for.

Yeah...in doing both styles - sometimes separate and sometimes combining - that's what I gallantly attempt...

A genealogist searches for their ancestor

A historian wants to know how their ancestor lived

A reenactor / living historian wants to be  their ancestor

(and I get to---even if  just for a day or two at a time...)

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The original spot at Colonial Kensington  (2018)~
It was a pretty good location,  as this photo shows.

For years,  the Colonial Kensington reenactment had been held near a beach in the Michigan Metro-park called Kensington,  and it's been fine there:  open space/grasslands,  slight hills,  tree covered,  and it had worked well for the purpose reenactors intended.  However,  in 2021,  for some reason,  "our"  spot during  "our"  weekend was given to another group - - a group which had nothing to do with reenacting or even history.  So we reenactors were placed in a different area altogether.  Unfortunately,  it was in a very out-of-the-way location,  and the land was not very conducive for tenting.  Also,  because it was so remote we hardly had any modern visitors.  Oh,  we had a good time and made the best of  the situation,  but because of how it was,  rumors abounded that this event was on its way out.  Then other rumors began floating around about another part of Kensington that seemed to be very willing to host us.  In fact,  in its online description it states:

Meet farm animals and get a glimpse of rural life at the Kensington Metro-park Farm Center.  Take in the sights,  smells,  and sounds of life on the farm and see live farm animals like chickens,  goats,  sheep,  cattle,  and draft horses.  Visit a 150-year old restored barn,  winner of the Michigan Barn Preservation Network  (2012 Barn of the Year Award),  the poultry house,  or the barn exhibit room and kids’  area.  Take a short walk to the riverside,  where you’ll find a one-of-a-kind  “green”  building  (made exclusively of natural materials),  a stone labyrinth,  a grass maze,  and an early skills area – including a blacksmith shop and brick oven.  An herb garden,  field crops,  and old-fashioned farm equipment are also on display.  Special programs on the animals,  historic techniques,  and other farm-related topics are held throughout the year. 

And so the idea to utilize all of this to help somewhat recreate the era of the 1770s sounded like it just might work.

You know what?
It did!

I think you'll agree after seeing this post~~---~---~---~---~---~~~--~-

I could not go on Saturday,  but I did attend on Sunday,  and found even the area of the information building to my liking.  The good people there pointed me in the right direction to the reenactment location.  As I moved toward the road leading to the event,  the first thing I came across was a team of horses hitched up to a covered Conestoga-type wagon while another was making its way up.

At this point I knew this was going to be something special.
Even if it is  "only a ride"  - - horses always add so much to any historical event.

So I walked along the road...and then,  as it veered to the left...the world of the past opened up before my eyes.

A whole new old world...

Yeah...I know that sounds silly and idealistic,  but,  well,  see for yourself.

I think I am on the road I need to be on,  for I am on a journey through time and space~
Create the right historical environment and let the situations and camaraderie unfold.

Living History Village - what a great name!
I am ready for the 1700s...I will see you in time~

This little makeshift village,  actually called Living History Village,  was opened here in 2014.  It was built by the Chief Pontiac Programs group,  a group of volunteers who operate a hiking trail and other programs with outdoor experiences for all age groups.  They also offer classes,  presentations,  and have informative conversations for guests.  As they state on their web page:  Learn the skills that all settlers on a farm needed to know to be self sufficient.  A farmer in an early settlement needed to be able to make or repair almost anything themselves.

On top of all that,  the Chief Pontiac Programs group has life skills experiences,  including hands-on blacksmithing,  woodworking,  fire starting by flint and steel,  rope making & splicing,  bead work,   weaving and spinning and other fiber arts,  and outdoor cooking classes.

I also know they do maple sugaring in the early spring.  I hope to attend that myself.

But what an amazing group,  eh?

And what wonderful opportunities for modern folk,  especially kids.

I love their name and the fact that they pay homage to Chief Pontiac in that manner.  And,  yes,  they have Native American personnel that support the activities at the Kensington Living History Village throughout the summer programs.  Support is also present during the Kensington Maple Sugaring programs at the Kensington Farm Center.

So as I moved along the dirt road,  I came upon the blacksmith shop:

The buildings in this area are not historic,  but they are  used historically!

The blacksmith was pounding away,  making nails, 
among other items.  He gave me a nail he had
made - I very much appreciate it.
I will use it,  too!

Across from the blacksmith shop was the outdoors cooking-class kitchen.

Here is the oven building where they have a double adobe brick oven.
And this is right next to...

...Lorna's Kitchen~
And it is within these two structures where all the early-American cooking
is done.  Yes,  on certain weekends they also teach this skill.

In the midst of all of this was Susan's Carrot Patch Farm sutlery where she sells 
(and makes)  all things woolen.
Did I mention she spins,  too?

Calico Jack had a small sutlery going as well.

Though this looked like a sutlery,  nothing was for sale here.  It was,  instead,  a 
"teaching tent" - that is,  displaying items from the past and explaining their uses.
This tent had a strong hint of  Voyageurs - the French explorers who came to
Michigan and mixed  &  mingled with the local Indian tribes.

Speaking of mixing and mingling,  that's just what I did,  and came across Ben Despard.

Ben and myself.

As well as Christine Carr Reese:

Christine Carr Reese and Ben.

There was another special building there...more on that in a bit,  however.

As I journeyed around the site,  I came across my doctor friend,  Tom Bertrand.

He had his collection of  18th century medical tools with
him to explain the doctoring procedures  of the 1700s.
And he certainly drew a crowd during his demonstration:

"Foot traffic was unbelievable at times.  I didn't take a break for
almost 6-7 hours." 

But Tom wasn't the only doctor on the scene:

Henry Tripp was there as well,  speaking about what it was like to be a field surgeon during the time of the French  &  Indian War as well as the Revolutionary War.

Two young ladies playing the game of  Hoops

The 42 Highlanders Grant’s and Graham’s Companies.

MUSIC!  MUSIC!  MUSIC! 

When we think of the music of the WWII era,  most of us automatically hear in our heads such jukebox hits as  "In The Mood,"  "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,"  "I'll Be Seeing You,"  "American Patrol,"  or maybe even  "You're a Sap Mister Jap."

WWI  (the Great War)  had  "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm,"  "Over There,"  "Oh!  How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning,"  "It's A Long Way to Tipperary,"  and  "Sister Suzie's Sewing Shirts for Soldiers."

Popular tunes from the Civil War included  "When Johnny Comes Marching Home,"  "Dixie's Land,"  "Battle Cry of Freedom,"  "Faded Coat of Blue,"  and  "Lorena."

Well,  the Revolutionary War had some fine songs as well,  and included such popular tunes that may have been sung in homes or even in taverns such as  "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier,"  "Over the Hills and Far Away,"  "Barbara Allan,"   "Fisher's Hornpipe,"  and  "The Water is Wide."

To hear fife & drum music is wonderful,  and I enjoyed the addition of the pipes.

And the husband and wife team of  David and Karen Keeley played some wonderful tunes
as well.  Besides my request of  "Road to Boston,"  they played an amazing array of popular
tunes of the 18th century,  including the ever-popular  "Yankee Doodle," 
"British Grenadiers,"  and  "The Girl I Left Behind Me."

The fashion show included mostly military,  but Susan did describe her outfit as well.

Here we have the members of the Massachusetts Provincial Battalion.

The artillery of the Massachusetts Provincial Battalion.

Queen's Rangers~
"The British,  having several fieldpieces stationed by a brickhouse,  were pouring the
 canister and grape upon the Americans like a shower of hail..."

"I should be for exerting the utmost force...to finish the rebellion in
one campaign."  Lord George Germain
I don't think that's going to happen George.

"The eighteenth-century battlefield was,  compared with the twentieth,  an intimate theater,"  writes historian George Middlekauff.  "The killing range of the musket,  eighty to one hundred yards,  enforced intimacy as did the reliance on the bayonet and the general ineffectiveness of artillery.  Soldiers had to come to close quarters to kill;  this fact reduced the mystery of battle though perhaps not its terrors."

Flash in the pans

“Valiant!  The word mocked me,  for I knew myself to be anything but valiant.  What
I had done,  I had done in a fit of insane bitterness,  not with cool courage, 
not with brave quick thinking,  not with presence of mind - but
with absence of it.”

Muskets taken from a dead Brit's grip - a prized possession!

The battles at Revolutionary War reenactments,  like Civil War reenactments, 
tend to include a bayonet charge toward the watching spectators.

The spectators tend to enjoy this bit of fun.

Let's move on back to the Living History Village area,  to a structure where I spent the better part of my day - and by better,  I don't mean only by the amount of time,  but by it actually being the most favorable.

Look at the photo below to see what caught my eye:

The Fiber Arts and Life Skills shelter has been recently completed,   and this is where one can learn skills that were necessary to every day life on the Michigan Frontier,  such as making clothing or accessories,  weaving and spinning,  fire building,  candle making,  and other necessities from  the  "pioneer days."
I spy with my little eye...a Saxony wheel,  a great/walking wheel,  cotton on the white square...a flax break,  a scutching board,  and a hackle!  Plus,  I see flax in bundles,  and flax on the ground.

Okay - - as one who has gained a big interest in the flax area of the textile production,  I zipped on over to check it all out.  I mean,  it's not very often one can see such tools at a reenactment  (though,  I can proudly say,  I have brought mine to various events over the past few years!).

So,  as I hung about,  checking out their equipment,  a small crowd of interested modern visitors moved up and had questions.  I began to give them answers,  oftentimes letting them know that flax could be used for wicking for candles,  for thread,  or to be turned over to the weaver to be made into material for making garments such as the linen knee breeches I was wearing,  towels,  cloth,  or whatever else linen can be used for.  One of the Kensington workers came by and stepped into the roped-off  area.  I asked him if I could give a demonstration of the flax processing process and tools,  and he said,  "Sure."

So I did,  beginning with my speech of the pre-process procedure of  planting,  harvesting,  drying,  rippling,  and retting the plant  (click HERE for how I actually did that in greater detail).  I then went into showing the rest,  beginning with the flax break:

Here I am using the flax break.
I am so thankful to Roy from the 18th century Daggett House at Greenfield Village
and how he taught me all about preparing flax for spinning.  It was he who first
garnered my interest in it. 

Next up is the scutching board.  I was pleased they had one here - it's not seen often.

A scutching board was something I absolutely could not find anywhere,  whether at an antique store,  a textile fair,  or even on line.  So my wife surprised me with one for Christmas 2021,  made by a friend from photos of the one used at the Daggett house.  I mentioned during one of my demonstrations that I was probably the only person that received such a gift for Christmas,  and how excited I was to get one.  Someone from the audience noted that I would have probably been the only  person to be so excited to get one for Christmas!

I agreed~!  I treasure mine.

Showing the scutching part of the flax process.

And,  finally,  here I am using the hackle  (also known as a heckle or hatchel).

These are not too uncommon and can often be found at antique stores pretty cheap.

I like to tell people they are a torture device.

In this photo I am explaining what the hackle does in the flax process.

I then went on to talk about the portion of flax that could not be used for spinning:  tow.  Tow could become stuffing for a pillow case or for a mattress,  or used as tinder to start fires,  or even twisted up to clean the barrel of a musket.

As the saying goes,  nothing went to waste.

Well,  more and more spectators showed up so I continued my presenting and demonstrating,  even starting over for those who missed the previous demonstration,  all the while hoping I wasn't stepping on anyone's toes.  I found out that the person who was supposed to be there to demonstrate her spinning wheels  (and,  I believe,  the flax process)  could not make it,  so they were short a person.  The one who told me this confirmed with me that they were happy to have me fill in.

I loved it!

In all honesty,  I was absolutely ecstatic!
So,  I did continue to move about the reenactment,  but I came back often throughout the rest of the day to continue to demonstrate.

I truly was one happy camper!  And I sure do appreciate the powers that be allowing me to do so,  for it made my day!  I hope I can do it again next year.

I even got a hug for helping out from the poor woman who would have been running back and forth between the cooking shed and the textile shed!

Yeah...this was awesome...

Being that this was Sunday,  the time to head back to my 2022 home was nigh.  But what a truly fine time I had.  Between the activities,  battle,  friends,  the large amount of spectators,  and the large amount of reenactors,  this was one amazing event.

Preparing to go back to the future...

Our  'now'  is only what our stories fix

in memories which long or short will last

until the moment when they sore transfix

believers bringing future back from past.

(Robert Stone)

Until next time,  see you in time...
Goodbye~a contraction of  God be with you

“Goodbye”  comes from the term  “Godbwye”  a contraction of the phrase  “God be with ye”.  Depending on the source,  the contraction seems to have first popped up somewhere between 1565 and 1575.  The first documented use of the  “Godbwye”  appeared in a letter English writer and scholar Gabriel Harvey wrote in 1573.

Now you know everytime you say  "Goodbye" - or even its shortened version of  "bye,"  you are giving a blessing.

Many thanks to Jerry Jordan for a few of his pictures.

And to Christine Carr Reese for a couple of her shots as well.

............................................

Before we go - - - - a little fun - - - - 

So I told the Kensington workers I knew how to drive a team of horses. 
They said,  "You look like you do."  So they let me hop on to take a drive.

Oh,  I had these horse riding like the wind,  kicking up the dirt!  Unfortunately, 
the workers were not impressed,  as I soon found out,  and they hunted me down, 
and made me walk back.
sigh

Okay - - if you believe that story,  I gotta million of  'em!
(just having a bit o'  fun---no,  this did not actually happen lol)

I am so glad Colonial Kensington continues on!
And continues on with a vengeance!
Thank you to all involved for making it as great as it was - can't wait til next year!

~   ~   ~