History doesn't have to be boring and stodgy.
Nor does it have to be all fake scholarly ("I know big words! Therefore I'm smart, see?")
History needs to be shown, more than anything else. Even the most ardent history hater will find interest in the subject if done the right way.
And the folks at Waterloo Farm Museum do show it the right way.
No agenda or any current flavor.
Just history~
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This was a festive day, even with the 94 degree temps and the 90% humidity.
It just simply felt very 19th century rural America in the summertime.
And how could it not with Civil War soldiers from both sides of the conflict, blacksmiths, a mid-19th century farm house, and a log cabin.
Pure Michigan is right!
Or, perhaps, pure Michigan history!
Log Cabins are the reason for this weekend, which is celebrated throughout our state as a commemoration of 19th century Michigan, the period in which this area grew. More on that - but first, let's take a look at the Ruehle family (Americanized to Realy later on in the century), who immigrated to America by ship to New York City from Germany in 1844. From there they went up the Hudson River to Albany, and then traveled through the Erie Canal to Buffalo, then by steamship across Lake Erie to Detroit. From Detroit it was by train to Ann Arbor and then to Chelsea. At that point they bought a team of oxen and a wagon, which pulled them through the marshes and forests, following Indian trails (now M-52 and Waterloo Road), until, in July of 1844, they finally arrived in East Portage, later renamed the Village of Waterloo, where they bought 40 acres of land with an existing cabin, of which they moved into. Within ten years they began to add extra rooms until, eventually, the original cabin was "swallowed up" and torn out of the frame as they continued to build the farmhouse standing there today.
The log cabin on site was brought to the farm back in 1976 (America's Bicentennial!) to show an example of the type of structure the Ruehle family lived in when they arrived 132 year previous. The cabin is from the 1840s and was originally built less than 20 miles from where it is now. It is a good representation of cabins from that period (of course, a few of us use it as a 1770s frontier cabin...but, during this time, cabins from the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries didn't differ much).
Anyhow, here's how our time went on this June day spent in the 1860s:
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| A few rough-n-tumble-looking guys from the 1860s. I'm not nearly as excited to wear my 1860s clothing as I am when I wear my 18th century clothing. But these guys? Yeah...they're cool guys. It feels like 1863. Yeah...I can fit in and hang out with them.... |
I think what I love most about the Ruehle family story is that they came via the fabled Erie Canal:
"The completion in 1825 of the Erie Canal, connecting Lake Erie with the Hudson River, was an event of major importance in Michigan history because it greatly facilitated the transportation of passengers and freight between the eastern seaboard and Michigan ports. Although originally intended to mainly haul goods and freight, immigrants soon discovered that traveling west was faster and cheaper on the canal than by carriage. For the first time, New England families, anxious to leave rocky and infertile fields for richer lands in the West, had a route for reaching the "promised land."
(From HERE)
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| The Waterloo Log Cabin - not the original...but an original~ |
I have to wonder, how many Passion for the Past readers associate log cabins with Michigan?
Normally, folk tend to think of Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, or a similar eastern or southern state...or even out west in Wyoming, the Dakotas, or Montana...when they think of these log homes. Well, contrary to popular belief, Michigan was a top state/territory for log cabins back in the pioneer days. In fact, the oldest surviving cabin still standing in the state was built in 1780 on Mackinac Island. And as of this writing, there are 105 other cabins still standing in this state!
And yet, Michigan isn’t a state that outsiders - or even most locals! - usually associate with log cabins. But the 18th and 19th century settlers who marveled at the pine and cedar forest they found here, however, started a long, proud cabin-home building tradition. In fact, Michigan is the only state that holds a yearly festival to honor its pioneer log cabin dwellings, which takes place each year on the last Sunday in June.
And that's why we're here.
But Waterloo took the entire log cabin day idea and expanded on it, making it a day out in the 19th century to, as I mentioned above, include celebrating the Ruehle family and their lives.
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| Representing Civil War era homelife. |
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| There are usually a few more Union soldiers that come out, but this year it was mainly the artillery. That's okay - - the loud BOOM! certainly was a draw! |
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| The men did artillery demonstrations Check out the flame - you don't want to be in front of that, with or without a cannonball! |
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| I absolutely love the sight and sound of cannon and musket fire. Smack! Right in my chest! |
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| The 5th Kentucky - CSA |
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| Sadly, our Civil War events have dwindled greatly, so it's good to see these guys come out to this event. |
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| The blacksmith in the blacksmith shop. There were other smiths positioned throughout the grounds. |
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| There was also a presentation for Michigan's Civil War battle flags. |
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| In a rare modern moment, my wife, sitting, volunteered as a tour guide inside the Ruehle farm house. In fact, the room she was in here was where the original log cabin once stood! |
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| Here is the Ruehle Farm House sitting room - the second oldest room in the house, built in the mid-1850s. |
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| I didn't have the time I had hoped to watch Alex Konieczny, the wood worker, using period tools and ways. 'Tis the history that I enjoy the most. Greenfield Village used to be more like this. |
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| This is how I looked when we first met all those years ago, you & I (with a bit more hair lol) - back in 2007 when I first began this Passion For The Past blog. And, I am very happy to say, it's still going strong. The blog...not my hair... But I'm nearly 20 years older...and have gone further back into the past. |
During the springtime, the ladies (and myself) did some planting on a patch of land a short ways outside the cabin door: peas, a variety of green beans, lettuce (inside the wattle), beets, pumpkins, and spinach.
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| Pumpkins! And the lower right are green beans |
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| More green beans |
Waterloo may not be a recreated historic village, but it does an amazing job recreating mid-19th century farm life with period buildings. And we don't see enough historic agriculture and teach of its importance. Plus there are those times when our colonial group will recreate 18th century farm life as well (in the cabin many times throughout the year - see links below).
And I'm glad we can show such a part of the past.
This is the history that I enjoy the most; sadly, this is the kind of history that too many museums currently seem to be turning away from and heading full-force down different roads, all the while forgetting (or even dissing) all of the other history. Now, I am all for teaching about all history - and I've personally taught history in a classroom - but not at the expense of everything else.
That's why I am so glad for Waterloo (and the other museums) that have stayed the course and have truly more inclusivity rather than turning exclusive (if you get my drift).
The next big Waterloo date that I will be involved with will be for their Pioneer Day, Sunday October 6. Hope to see you there.
Until next time, see you in time.
To visit the Waterloo Farm website, click HERE
To learn about Michigan's Log Cabin history - click HERE
If you are interested in our colonial cabin excursions, filled with photos), please click the links below, all of which are filled with photographs:
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 HERETo read about our 2021 summertime excursion at the cabin, click HERE
To read about our 2021 summer harvesting of the flax at the cabin, 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 read about our 2022 autumn excursion at the cabin (Pioneer Day), please click HERE
To read about our 2023 winter excursion at the cabin - Candlemas, please click HERE
To read about our 2023 spring excursion at the cabin - Rogation Sunday, please click HERE
To read about our 2023 late spring - more planting at the cabin (& early farming history), click HERE
To read about the 2023 early summer weeding at the cabin (and a timeline event), please click HERE
To read about the 2023 mid-summer Lammas Day Celebration, please click HERE
To read about the 2023 autumn Pioneer Day event we participated in, please click HERE
To read about our 2023 Thanksgiving celebration in early November, please click HERE
To read about our 2024 Winter experience at the cabin, please click HERE
To read about our 2024 spring excursion at the cabin, please click HERE
To read about our 2024 summer weeding with just Patty & I in colonial period clothing, click HERE
~And that brings us up to today's cabin post.
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The pictures are awesome!
ReplyDeleteAlways fun~ enjoy seeing the various occupations. We don't see pride in occupation very much these days. There is so much knowledge we've let slip away. Those who hold some of that knowledge are treasures indeed.
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