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| Time passages... |
Timeline events - I love seeing so much history in one area. The only thing really missing generally, in my opinion, is pre-18th century; I think it would be awesome to see 17th century (think: pilgrims, Jamestown, Salem Witch Trials, etc.), the Great Explorers of the 16th century, and, of course, a larger contingent of American Indians/Native Americans. We can hope for this to happen in the future, but that's up to the reenactors of those periods to show. In the meantime, I so very much enjoy the River of Time timeline event. And love being around all the history...
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| Originally a Bay City (Michigan) event, this is the second year in its new location at the Johnson Pumpkin Farm in Saginaw, not too far south of Bay City. To be honest, I like the new location better. |
The first thing I notice at River of Time, besides its size - it's BIG - are all the smiling faces from both reenactors and visitors. Everyone there is glad to be there! I mean, it's cider season - apple season - pumpkin season - and these folks are so happy to be enjoying a Michigan fall...then, upon pulling up to Johnson's Pumpkin Farm, they find there is more to do than usual---they see the past before their eyes! And I love that a good many of the customers at the Pumpkin Farm are generally not "history people," like in the old location. That means, to me, it is a grand opportunity for us living historians to teach and to show folks that history is very exciting, interesting, and, most important, still a viable subject to many who otherwise may not be into history or who think it's boring. And we get to teach them stories beyond school history books - - and, sadly, Facebook agenda-filled memes. We have studied beyond all of that and found deeper historical truths and facts. Plus I love seeing all the youngsters - I can just imagine them going back to school on Monday, telling how they saw muskets, cannons, and other weapons of various wars through time. They also got to meet Ben Franklin and Paul Revere! And they were able to meet Civil War soldiers, pioneers, and even a few Natives. Perhaps they learned a bit about their parent's or grandparent's or even their great-grandparent's WWII experiences.
This is specially important since we are at the cusp of the semi-quincentennial - the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War for our Independence.
Yeah...give me those with an adventurous and inquiring mind any day!
So---I was asked, for the third year, to present as Paul Revere.
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| Paul Revere This was a tough gig - I think it was because it was so warm - 87 on this day - much too warm to wear my Paul Revere clothing (based on the Copley painting). Next year it will be cooler (hopefully) and I will be able to dress the part much better! |
But I did my best despite the heat and shortened time to speak, and it still went well.
Bob Stark portrays Benjamin Franklin and has amassed a large contingent of information.
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| Ben Franklin He spoke of his many inventions, and also debunked a few myths. |
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| Richard is representing the "Free French of the Interior," also known as the "French Resistance," referring to the various groups of French citizens who fought against the German occupation forces and the collaborationist Vichy regime within France during World War II. |
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| WWII |
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| Butch was making homemade period (1860s) ice cream, turning the crank to churn the cream. |
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| Civil War 21st Michigan member, Jim Cary, showed up. |
It was on the schedule for there to be a battle skirmish between the Civil War north & south. Unfortunately, there were not very many Confederates who showed, so the Yankees did a demonstration of firearms instead.
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| Civil War |
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| A Native woman was selling various items, including pure maple syrup she made from tapping her own trees. SO good! |
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| Yes, we bought a bottle from her~ |
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| Do you remember Jennifer and her son, EJ? They used to come out with us in Citizens of the American Colonies. Of late they are mostly a part of the Lac Ste. Claire Voyageurs. It was good to see both mother and son. |
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The Tittabawassee Valley Fife & Drum Corps played the familiar period music as well as field music of the Revolutionary War era.  |
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Tin-typist, Mr. Badgley, captured the image of Scot Spiekerman and family.
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| Civil War Artillery |
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| 18th century/Revolutionary War period. |
River of Time usually centers on America, but we have a rebel amongst us (lol) No...not really. Tom here decided to try something different this year. You see, he normally portrays a Continental Revolutionary War medical doctor, but for this event he thought he'd go back even further...and cross the ocean back to England - - in the Middle Ages. In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages - or medieval period - lasted from approximately 500 to 1500 AD.
If going to a doctor here in 2024 makes you nervous, you most certainly would not want to visit one in the Middle Ages! Unless you are going to visit Tom. At a reenactment.
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| Revolutionary War doctor, Dt. Bloodsworth (Tom Bertrand) tried something a little different this year - he portrayed a Medieval doctor. |
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With a long cloak and grotesque bird-like mask, the European 'plague doctor' could have been a scary sight for certain! The eccentric headpiece you see Tom holding served as a kind of primitive 'gas mask' for medical practitioners in 17th-century Europe, designed to protect its wearer from the foul odors associated with the plague. Physicians completed the look with a wide-brimmed hat, long coat, and wooden cane (which enabled them to examine patients without getting too close). |
Tom is also a vexillologist - a collector of flags. In his case, a collector of historic flags.
So...are you familiar with the flag he flies in the picture above?
In heraldry, Saint George's Cross (or the Cross of Saint George) is a red cross on a white background, which from the Late Middle Ages became associated with Saint George, the military saint, often depicted as a crusader.
His emblem was brought to England by Richard the Lionheart in the 12th century. It was worn by the king's soldiers in battles. The red and white of the flag serve as a powerful symbol of English identity, pride, and unity.
I, too, am a historic flag collector, but not to the extent that Tom is. My main area of collection are the flags of early America and United States, which I usually will bring to our 4th of July celebrations.
As filled as River of Time was with reenactors - there were folks representing the 18th century (including Voyageurs & Native), Civil War (soldier & civilian), and WWII (pretty much all soldiers), there were many empty spots for more out on the field. I have friends who do 17th century and would love to see them participate. I also have friends who portray WWII Women's Baseball (think of the original "A League of Their Own" movie with Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and a host of other actors), and they would also be great to have. And still it would be awesome to see Native Americans - well, more than what was there. And how about French & Indian War, military men from the American Revolution (both sides of the conflict), War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Spanish-American War, WWI (The Great War), as well as the civilians/citizens who lived during those times representing the homefront? Even representations of the Titanic period and the 1920s would be welcome, I'm sure.
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| The old salt from "The Salty Lantern" - Bob Stark (you may also know him as Benjamin Franklin) and his wonderful daughter, Abby (who also gives speeches on the Boston Tea Party as well as on 18th century tea in general, and she did a phenomenal job portraying Abigail Adams at our 4th of July event last July), were both on hand. |
Bob is a wood-worker extraordinaire, and he very kindly reproduced for me the shaving horse that sits inside the Daggett House in Greenfield Village. Well, it's not exact, for the one he made for me is not an "apprentice" shaving horse as is the one at Daggett, for I'm not interested in an apprentice shaving horse.
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| The Daggett House shaving horse. Yes, I use items I see at the Daggett House, built in the early 1750s, as my colonial accessory guide. This includes my flax break and scutching board, among other things. A call it Daggett-izing my house! |
This shaving horse wasn't always inside the Daggett House. At one time, Greenfield Village had a cooper shop - Kingston Cooper Shop - situated inside its walls, where this shaving horse tool was "employed." I honestly don't remember the cooper shop being inside the Village - however, I do remember when the cooper shop was set up inside the Henry Ford Museum, right next door to the Village.
While it sat at both places, they had a cooper/woodworker inside, doing the activities with period tools, including this shaving horse.
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Here is a picture I took of the interior of the Kingston Cooper Shop, which was built in Kingston, New Hampshire in 1785! The photo here was taken during the time the building was erected inside The Henry Ford Museum. Oh! How I would LOVE to see this back out in the public's eye, being utilized with craftsmen/women as the Village used to do! And there's the shaving horse - - |
Here is the shaving horse outside the Daggett House where it has been used by the male presenters. Similar to my interest and usage of the flax break and other flax processing tools, it was when I saw this tool in use that I gained an interest
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This shaving horse was made to have an apprentice learn the trade by mimicking their master tradesman as they sat opposite of each other. There is no need for me to have this extra added on for I don't plan to have an apprentice. But I did take photographs over, under, sideways, down so Bob could see all of the details. Since the Kingston Cooper Shop building has been taken apart and put in storage, it's good to see a portion of it lives on. Yes, the actual Cooper Shop building from 1785 is in storage - - |
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| And here's my replication - - pretty awesome, eh? Yes, it's newer, as it was when first built. It'll age with time (lol)~ The longer legs? Well, perhaps I'll cut them down a few inches... |
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| Of course, I had to try it out when I got it home. I just found a simple branch outside to use for the test. |
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| Fresh-picked apples on our table, period tools, hand-dipped beeswax candles, a corner cabinet - - yep, this could be a room from 250 years ago. |
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| Ben Franklin/Bob Stark has his own Salty Lantern sutlery, where he sells mostly hand-crafted (by him) wood items, including rope beds, 'hawk toss sets, various 18th century teas, history books. lanterns...and a caboodle of other items. |
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| A few of the pumpkins can be seen here at Johnson's Pumpkin Farm. Many thanks for hosting this tried and true event. |
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| Land that I love - no matter who becomes President. |
How cool would that be?
But it's not fully up to the hosts---it's up to those living historians who would like to come out. I plan to really push this event over the coming year.
Until next time, see you in time.
Would you like to learn more about Paul Revere? Click HERE
Would you like to learn a bit more about the Medieval period? Click HERE
Would you like to learn more about the Revolutionary War? Click HERE
Would you like to learn more about WWII homefront (centering around the music of the time)? Click HERE
Would you like to see a timeline fashion show? Click HERE
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