Pioneer Day at Waterloo Farm and Cabin - Autumn 2022

Living history is a great hobby.  And though each season of the year has its special moments,  rarely is this  "time-travel opportunity"  more consistently wonderful than in the autumn of the year.  And if you enjoy fall,  I think you'll enjoy this post.  In fact,  if you enjoy traditional living and American history I think you'll like this post, too! 

What Waterloo put on it's web site describes the event very well:
Listen to live period music from various artists.  Purchase or make your own dried flower arrangements for fall.  Observe authentic re-enactors bringing history to life.  Witness craftsmen demonstrating and selling their wares.  Delight in farm goods,  jams preserves,  apple butter,  and treats.  Experience exhibits of farm tools like corn husking,  corn shelling,  and cider press.  Enjoy our down home comfort food concession,  including the famous Waterloo Bean Soup.

So...let's go!

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2022 marks the 60th  - yes,  sixtieth! - Pioneer Day celebration held at Waterloo Farm.   Wow---Pioneer Day almost seems to have been around since...well...the pioneer days!  What an honor it was to be asked to participate this year.

I believe initially this event centered on the later 19th century,  but has since become a sort of time-line celebration,  for there were period-dressed folks from the 17th century up to the late 19th century showing historical farm life,  colonial frontier life,  a representative of  the American Revolution and a few from the American Civil War;  plus there was live music,  demonstrations of crafts,  trades and traditional cooking methods,  and also included tours of the Farm Museum,  the Cabin,  and the Dewey School.

Many of the crafts,  trades,  and chores seen here had not drastically changed over the 250 years depicted.  Oh sure,  the Industrial Revolution did come along,  but so many continued to handmake their tools and even furniture well into the 20th century.  I myself recall my own grandfather making tools by hand,  for example - and this was in the 1960s.  So just because something is or was available doesn't mean it was purchased,  but still could have been made at home.  

Of course,  a few of us Citizens of the American Colonies were there in the cabin:  Jackie and Charlotte cooked a fine meal on the hearth,  explaining to the public the process of  this chore and how it was done in the 1770s.   And my wife,  Patty,  joined us this day and spent most of her time demonstrating carding and spinning wool with carding paddles and her spinning wheel.  And I worked on the process of  preparing to turn flax into linen.  Our flax  (spinning)  wheel is in need of some repair,  which is why Patty brought her Saxony wheel.  The difference between the two wheels is a flax wheel will have a distaff and the oriface  (the hole on one end of the flyer you feed the fiber through as you spin)  is much smaller. All types of fiber  (flax,  silk,  cotton,  wool)  can be spun on any wheel,  and on this day she was in a wool-spinning mood!

My wife,  Patty,  at her spinning wheel.
She does not come out reenacting as often as she used to, 
but when she heard about Pioneer Days at historic
Waterloo Farm,  with all the vendors and crafters, 
she simply could not say no. 

When I stepped out of the cabin to make sure she was 

all set and ready to go,  she said to me,  "Look at my view."

Isn't Autumn in Michigan simply beautiful?

And I improved the view by including her in the shot!

She was very excited to spend the day 

spinning wool on her wheel and speaking to visitors.
I was very happy,  too!

Both adults and children were fascinated by the spinning process and were eager to
give the craft a try.  That's one of my wife's specialties at presentations - - 
hands on history.

Right after the event,  I posted a few of the photos herein on my Facebook page.  After seeing them,  my friend Linda wrote:  "Ken,  if you or Patty had been my history teacher when I was in school I'd have liked history a whole lot more."

Makes me smile...

Cindy gave the spinning wheel a try.

I love our hands-on presentations,  where we,  at times,  will have a visitor try one of our old-time crafts so they can experience the past in a unique and almost immersive way.

In this photo to the left,  my wife has Cindy,  my co-worker  (and former classmate)  try out her spinning wheel.  Cindy found that it's based on a rhythm to keep the wheel spinning at a constant  (at times)  and consistent speed,  all the while keeping the wool consistent as well.

The interesting thing about spinning and flax is that this part of the textile production received a sudden boost in popularity from the non-importation and non-consumption movements used to force the repeal of Parliamentary taxation in the 1760s,  for it was the series of acts passed by Parliament during the 1760s and 1770s that initially sparked the unrest that led to the American Revolution.  

It also sparked a spinning and general textile revolution.

But,  home-produced fabrics in the colonies nevertheless failed to truly displace British imports before declaring independence because the latter were more competitive in both quality and price.  However,  the Revolution induced a temporary surge in American-made clothing,  and many women showed their Patriotism,  either on their own at home or with other women in sort of spinning clubs and organizations.  But output did slow dramatically after 1783 when trade with Britain resumed after Americans won their independence.

Does this mean that spinning and the flax process ended once we became our own nation?
Not at all,  but it did slow greatly,  though not as much in the rural areas and out on the frontier where the early spinning jennys and carding machines known and popular in the towns and cities were out of reach.  It was on distant farms where home textile production carried on the most.

It was also near the end of  the 18th century period and into the 19th century that fabric production shifted gradually from linen and woolen,  which had predominated the 1700s,  to cotton.

Meanwhile,  inside the cabin,  I spent my day processing flax and explaining this craft to the many,  many visitors who came through.

What was really cool was I was using flax we had planted,  weeded,  and harvested right there on the Waterloo Farm property!  Then I brought it to my house where I retted it,  dried it,  and,  well,  there you see it on the table to the left in the picture below.

Read all about my flax adventure  HERE.

I was happy that I was able to work on processing flax.  I did it last at the Colonial Kensington reenactment in August.  And it had been quite a while before that. 
In this photo I am demonstrating the flax break.

I had good crowds to demonstrate to all the day long.

The scutching board was next.
I explained that my wife surprised me with this for Christmas a couple years ago and how happy I was when I received it.  The crowds got a kick out of that!

And finally it was to the hackle,  a spike-tooth torture-looking device that I sort of  "comb"  the softened flax with.  

Unfortunately,  I have no photos of me using the hackle on this day, 
but if you click HERE,  you can see the entire process in greater detail.

Though this picture was taken at another time - yes,  in the
same cabin - you can see some processed flax being spun into
linen thread on a flax wheel by my friend Rebecca. 
The distaff wrapped in flax is near the upper right corner.

And as I did my flax,  just a few feet away from me we had these two lovely ladies,  Jackie  &  Charlotte,  preparing the day's dinner meal:  a hearty traditional stew.

The basic preparations for a stew has not changed much in 250 years.  However,  seeing it done by women in 18th century clothing while inside a frontier log cabin makes a world of difference for the visitor.  It's the same at living history museums such as Greenfield Village or at reenactments.  It adds that bit of authenticity.  And these ladies have taken to hearth cooking very well.

With no ovens or electricity,  women prepared meals on the hearths of  brick or stone fireplaces,  as you see here.  They used different types of fires and flames to prepare different types of food.  For example,  a controllable fire was used to roast and toast,  while boiling and stewing required a smaller flame.

The stew is in one Dutch oven,  the apple pie is cooking in the
other,  and the apple cider is warming in the pipkin.

From days of old through our more recent times,  the kitchen has always been the one room in the home where all the activity would take place;  more than the parlor  (or  "living room"  in our modern tongue),  the bathroom  (indoor bathrooms are a fairly recent commodity),  or the bedroom  (called a  "bedchamber"  in colonial times),  life has always tended to center in the kitchen,  or,  if one was inside a small one-room cabin,  it centered around the hearth,  for that's where most women of the house  (and even some men)  seemed to spend a good part of their day.

And,  oh!  the familiar smells! 

Cooking on the hearth - the center of the colonial home - has 

been thoroughly romanticized,  and yet it remains an art that few 

today have experienced.  

Unless you are Jackie or Charlotte  (or Larissa!).

It was warm enough this fall day to keep the cabin doors open,  allowing for the visitors
to easily walk through and see both the hearth cooking and the flax preparation as if
we were truly living there.

Both Charlotte and I were filmed for the local news station.
Charlotte showed cooking on the hearth and I showed the flax preparation.

Just outside our cabin door we had Dr.  Bloodsworth  (aka Tom Bertrand),  who had set
up a table filled with 18th century style wooden toys. 
Oh!  He was a popular person to visit for the kids!

Brian and Jim were portraying 17th century French beaver hunters, 
and guides for the French explorer René Robert Cavelier de la Salle in 1680.

Although I do not see myself reenacting this period,  I do enjoy seeing it reenacted and presented.

Brian and Jim portray de la Salle's guides when he crossed the lower portions of Michigan to reach back to Montreal to help him from being stranded after his ship,  the Griffin,  sank in the fall of 1679.

The vessel was loaded with furs so that they could be used to pay the French explorer and Griffon's master,  Rene Robert Cavelier,  Sieur de la Salle's creditors.

La Salle and some of his men traveled the lake shore to the mouth of the St.  Joseph River to await the arrival of the Griffon.  By the end of November 1679 the Griffon had not arrived and was considered lost.  The Griffon disappeared en route to Lake Erie and was likely overcome in a September storm in  northern Lake Michigan and became one of the Great Lakes earliest shipwrecks that attracts considerable attention yet today.

It seems there was a constant swarm of interested visitors at every stop at Waterloo,  including at the Indian encampment right outside our cabin door.
The Native there is Brian's wife,  Susan.

Brian,  his wife Susan,  and Jim.

The tent behind them is called a Bajiishka’ogaan in the 

Ojibway/Chippewa language,  meaning a lodging with a 

pointed top.  As Brian said,  "It’s just a different type of wigwam."

Susan Dewey,  who is an actual tribal member of the Sault Ste. Marie band of Chippewas,  portrayed her ancestors.  Because I was so busy I didn't have much of a chance to visit her encampment.  Perhaps next year,  for I am very interested in hearing her story.

Tony,  who formed the Michigan version of  the 1st Pennsylvania Revolutionary War reenacting unit,  portrayed a Lieutenant of the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment from the late 1778-1779 period at Pioneer Day,  wearing a blue and red regimental coat.  On his person he carried a cartridge box,  canteen,  bayonet,  bayonet scabbard and sling,  a knapsack and blanket roll,  and an officer’s sword.

The original regimental coats issued in November 1778
were made in France under contracts arranged by delegates
of the Continental Congress. 

As Tony wrote:  surprisingly,  announcements from London newspapers indicate that the French companies let out subcontracts for some of the work to English companies,  who directly assisted in clothing the Continental Army during this period.  The contracts called for the production of 15,000 blue and red coats and 10,000 brown and red coats,  plus a shirt,  white wool waistcoat,  white wool breeches,  and a pair of gray stockings.  These were shipped to America in the summer of 1778 and issued to the army in November 1778.  Gen.  Washington knew the uniforms were being sent,  but he did not know how many had been made of each color,  and so a lottery was held to determine which soldiers from each state would get the blue and brown coats.  Once the uniforms arrived and it was determined that there were enough blue and red coats for the entire army,  they were issued out in November 1778 for winter warmth,  and the brown and red coats were stored away for later use.

Tony speaking to an interested visitor.

Orders were given that officers were to see to it that soldiers preserved these coats and their other clothes as much as possible by wearing older clothing when doing fatigue duties. In the spring of 1779,  linen military overalls,  linen hunting shirts,  and sleeved wool waistcoats were provided to the army for the summer campaign season,  with these regimental coats being reserved for guard duty and official inspections.  However,  by October of 1779,  the majority of these coats were already used up and gone,  and the ones that remained were mostly tattered and in poor condition.  According to an inspection of the entire Pennsylvania Division of the Continental Army on October 1,  1779,  there were 4,400 total privates,  corporals,  sergeants,  and musicians in the ranks and only 1,925  (44%)  had coats remaining  (whether good or needing repairs).

(Tony's own research)

There's a story behind this next photo.

Of course there is!

We had a beet-tasting contest.

We have not grown our own beets yet so what we have we purchase.  So far our favorites have been from Blakes Cider Mill / farm.

Well,  one of our members found some cheaper and a lot closer to her home - Westborn Market Beets.  So we decided to find out which tasted better through a blind taste-test.

My friend and co-worker Cindy was the judge and handed the three of  us two beets - one from Westborn and one from Blakes.  But we did not know which beet was which.  Then Cindy herself  joined in the fun and gave each a taste.

Well,  much to our surprise,  we all,  including judge Cindy,  liked Pickled Baby Beets 

from Westborn Market over Blakes!

Mid-afternoon became our dinnertime,  and the stew was served.
Eating our meal while the crowds were milling about gave both us and the visitors
a learning observation:  we learned what the presenters at Greenfield Village experience when visitors walk into the historic houses while they are eating their midday meals, 
and we got to share a bit of food history with the public. 
No,  we were not upset or anything. 
On the contrary,  we enjoyed it quite a bit. 
Including the beets!  

And then there was dessert - - - 

My wife learned to make her apple pie
from my mother.

The following is attributed to Mrs.  Glasse from her book  The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy,  which was originally printed in 1747  and remained popular for decades following,  into the 19th century.

To Make An Apple Pie:

Make a good puff paste crust,  lay some round the sides of the dish,  pare and quarter apples,  and take out the cores,  lay a row of apples back,  throw in half the sugar you design for your pie,  mince a little lemon peel fine,  throw over,  and squeeze a little lemon over 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.  

Now,  maybe my wife doesn't make it quite like this 18th century recipe,  but she does use an apple variety that has been around since the 1790s - McIntosh,  which has a wonderful taste,  in my opinion,  a taste I grew up with.

Being that we are representing the year 1772,  apples had,  at that time,  only been in this country for roughly about 150 years,  for they are not native to North America.

A fresh-made apple pie!
Patty prepared it and Jackie & Charlotte cooked it on the hearth.
It was so  good!

All of us who portrayed folks from the 17th and 18th centuries posed for this contraption called a camera which captures our likenesses like nothing I've seen
since Rembrandt!

Now,  we were not the only thing going on at Waterloo Farm's Pioneer Day event.  There were other reenactors as well as plenty of vendors  &  artisans applying their trade throughout the grounds as well.

Here we have a few Union soldiers - representatives of the American Civil War. 

There's a story behind this photo:

To make a long story short,  Mr. Bagley was in love with Jacqueline  (in our 1860s lives)  and,  after decades,  returned for her hand.

However,  Mr. Heath claimed he claimed her hand before Mr.  Bagley.   So the two men had a duel and,  sadly,  Mr.  Bagley was on the losing end.  Well,  supposedly,  Mr.  Heath danced on Mr.  Bagley's grave.  So now,  it seems,  Mr.  Bagley...or perhaps it's his spirit...came back to haunt Mr.  Heath.

Well,  look who else showed up to Pioneer Day:  

the Carlsons,  dressed finely as citizens of the early 1950s, 
and the Nosbisch's,  also finely dressed, 
but as citizens of the 1860s.

Now,  if you know the Carlson's at all,  you know they love taking what I call the  "hat picture."  It's what they're known for,  and it makes for fun photos.  So I thought I'd have some fun on my own - - 

I took a  "double hat picture"!

I really liked how it turned out.

Frameable!

By the way,  both couples are simply wonderful and I am honored to call them my friends.

Shearing sheep occurred as well,  and though I originally thought the animals would be too cold over the winter without their  "coat,"  I learned that their fleece is double-coated  (and may be white or a variety of other colors),  but....the sheep are highly resistant to cold.   However,  from what I've read,  even though their wool may grow back quickly,  they are generally left unshorn for the winter. 

Icelandic Sheep - soon to be shorn of their wool coat.

The Icelandic is the Icelandic breed of domestic sheep.  It belongs to the Northern European Short-tailed group of sheep,  and is larger than most breeds in that group.  It is thought that it was introduced to Iceland by Vikings in the late ninth or early tenth century.

Giving the sheep a haircut.
It certainly drew a lot of interested folk.

I'm sure Patty would love to spin this!

There was also a - - 

...blacksmith on duty.

A blacksmith was also selling his wares.

A woodworker was on  hand as well.

Pressing apples into cider.

There was an antique corn sheller that the
kids had a ball with.

Pumpkins and gourds for sale...

Fall plants were also for sale.

Handmade brooms were available for purchase as well.

The beautiful ethereal sound of the hammered dulcimer
wafted through the area.

The hammered dulcimer,  which is an ancient ancestor of the piano,  at one time enjoyed widespread popularity throughout this country.  The hammered dulcimer as we know it to be probably originated in the Middle East about 900 A.D.  and is related to the much older psaltery.

The instrument is mentioned in the Holy Bible,  though likely in a different form than what we are familiar with today and was also known as a zither.

In the Book of  Daniel,  Chapter 3,  verse 5:  That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  dulcimer,  and all kinds of music,  ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up.

In another area there was a banjo player  (and later on,  a fiddle player) 
who entertained passersby with old-time tunes.

The banjo was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America.  Historically,  the banjo occupied a central place in Black American traditional music and the folk culture of rural whites before entering the mainstream.  The earliest known picture  ("The Old Plantation"  circa 1785–1795),  of an enslaved person playing a banjo-like instrument shows a four-string instrument with its fourth  (thumb)  string shorter than the others.

The Old Plantation  is an American folk art watercolor likely painted in the late
18th century on a South Carolina plantation.  It is notable for its early date, 
and of its early depiction of a banjo in North America.  The artist has
been identified as South Carolina slaveholder John Rose,  and the painting may
depict his plantation in what is now Beaufort County.

And still more vendors:

The pottery vendor~
Jackie purchased a few items here that fit in perfectly with her
18th century impression.

Wool for sale.

I did not even photograph half of the vendors there,  there were so many.

I love the idea of celebrating the pioneers of this great country,  as well as their pioneering spirit.  I know it's not  "in"  to say such a thing in today's modern society,  but I do say it - I love celebrating the pioneers of this great country - and will continue to say it. 

This was a fine fall celebration that entailed everything we love about this season,  from the rural setting to the fall colors to the celebratory nature of all who came...and,  yes,  there was even cider as well!

You can bet,  God Willing,  that I'll be back next year! 

Until next time,  see you in time.

Thank you to the many wonderful photographers for allowing me to use their images and mix them amongst my own for this blog post:

Beth Beley

Kevin Amos

Charlotte Bauer

My wife Patty

Cindy Dembeck

Brian Dewey

Stephen Hopkins

To read about our 2020 autumn excursion at the cabin,  click HERE

To read about our 2021 wintertime excursion at the cabin,  click HERE

To read about our 2021 springtime excursion at the cabin,  click HERE

To read about our 2021 summertime excursion at the cabin,  click HERE

To read about our 2021 harvesting of the flax at the cabin,  please click HERE

To read about our 2021 autumn excursion making candles at the cabin,  click HERE

To read about our 2022 winter excursion at the cabin,  please click HERE

To read about our 2022 spring excursion at the cabin,  please click HERE

To read about our 2022 summer excursion at the cabin,  please click HERE

To learn about Colonial Autumn,  please click HERE

To learn about Victorian Autumn,  please click HERE

To learn about Hallowe'en past,  please click  HERE

To learn more about the textile arts,  please click HERE

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