De-stressing Yourself With Historical Therapy

The following is my own personal therapy session. No charge for my visitors - - - -

Me on a horse at Historic Fort Wayne - Downtown Detroit

I have been to Greenfield Village at least a dozen times so far this year. I also visited the Dearborn Historical Society, which has a few historic buildings from the 19th century.

The 1840's Gardner House at Dearborn Historical Museum

I also went to the Crocker House in Mt. Clemens with their 1869 beautifully furnished Victorian home, and traveled out to Crossroads Village in Flint as well.

My wife and some very good friends at Crossroads Village
(note the wood-plank sidewalks)

This does not include my re-enacting events, which has taken me to a number of other historic villages such as Waterloo, which has a wonderful collection of historic 19th century structures, the Witches Hat Train Depot Museum, and they have a fine collection of turn-of-the-20th century buildings, Charlton Park in Hastings, another super collection of 19th century buildings, and Historic Fort Wayne - an actual fort built before the Civil War. Included in this fort are the officer's houses, a blacksmith shop, and a jail - all over a hundred years old.
And let's not forget my vacation this past April to Gettysburg.

And, to look toward the future (so to speak), within the next six weeks is a reenactment at the 19th century gristmill known as Wolcott Mill, and another living history event in Waterloo (fairly close to Jackson).

A home in the open-air historic village of Waterloo

Plus, I get to hang out at the East Detroit Historical Society 1872 Halfway Schoolhouse virtually any time I want, and, yes, I plan on visiting Greenfield Village at least a half dozen times more before the year is out (it's great to be a member!).
All of this in 2008.
And, to top it all off, my house - my 1944 bungalow - has a Victorian feel once you step through our doors. A Victorian that also includes a computer, digital TV, cell phones, etc.

Another photo shot at Crossroads Village - again, wood-plank sidewalks.
Wouldn't you love to live here?

One would think that, after all of the above that I would tire of historic places. On the contrary, I cannot seem to get enough and the continued visits just make me want to go back again and again. It's a comfort thing, I suppose. Almost therapeutic.
Well, no, it is therapeutic. It gets me away from all of the crap of today.
As I have said before, yes, I live in today's world. I am up on news and politics. I am aware of 21st century lifestyles. I accept and use modern technology.
But we all need that place we can go - real or imagined (or, in my case, a combination of the two) - to de-stress ourselves. Some folks go to bars, others to the casinos, others to a sporting event, and still others love to travel. For me, though, it has to be something historical. And, I have been lucky - nay, BLESSED - to have a family who shares my passion for history. Oh, maybe not quite to the extent that I do, but they enjoy re-enacting as well as visiting and studying historic places, and even dressing up in period clothing on the off-season here and there.
One of the questions I receive is, "Don't you get bored looking at the same thing (buildings) over and over?"
My answer to them is a resounding "NO!"
Every time I visit Greenfield Village, for example, I learn something new. ~Every time.~
Or I catch a glimpse of something I've never seen before.

But, mostly, I just enjoy the atmosphere. Even if I go for an hour just to walk among the old houses and farms, I can feel my stress leave and my muscles loosen, as if I were getting a rub-down from a massage therapist, only quicker and much cheaper.

My daughter and I at the Loranger Gristmill in Greenfield Village

I also have learned to lower my stress level through my writing, whether it's my time travel story, this particular blog, or my Greenfield Village blog (see links below). And, I started another blog for Crossroads Village as well, and hope to begin still another for other historical places in the general area.
It's like it's my own personal therapy session, only my psychiatrist is myself and my medicine is history.
Works for me!
By the way, here are a list of websites of the above-mentioned museums. Just in case you want to check them out.

Greenfield Village http://gfv1929.blogspot.com/
Dearborn Historical Society www.cityofdearborn.org/departments/historicalmuseum/faq.shtml
Crocker House Museum http://www.crockerhousemuseum.com/index.html
Crossroads Village http://crossroadsvillageofflintmichigan.blogspot.com/
Waterloo http://www.waterloofarmmuseum.org/index.html
Witches Hat Train Depot Museum http://www.southlyonmi.org/Attractions/witch.htm
Charlton Park in Hastings http://www.barrycounty.org/parks-and-services/charlton-park/
Historic Fort Wayne http://www.historicfortwaynecoalition.com/
Gettysburg http://passionforthepast.blogspot.com/2008/04/gettysburg.html
Wolcott Mill http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM1YBY
East Detroit Historical Society 1872 Halfway Schoolhouse http://www.macomb.k12.mi.us/EASTDET/FEATURE/SchMo.htm




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Crossroads Village

As I stated in a blog last month, we here in southeastern lower Michigan are blessed with having not one but two open-air museums. Most people know of Greenfield Village in Dearborn, of which I did a blog on late last year. Because auto-magnet, Henry Ford, had the wealth he was able to create a village beyond compare anywhere else in the United States, and probably Canada, too. I love Greenfield Village immensely, but, unfortunately, they have changed it quite a bit from Mr. Ford's original vision, adding cemented curbs and sidewalks and removing buildings that should not have been removed (the cooper and cobbler shops are but two that have been scrapped). There is a Disney feel to it now, and that has taken away the Victorian ambience one got as they strolled through the village streets. Fortunately, the majority of the houses remain intact and are more accurate in their presentations inside and out than ever before. They did their homework for this portion and it shows.
However, the younger, poorer, not nearly as famous open-air museum known as Crossroads Village located in Flint will give that Victorian feeling immediately, as soon as you enter the gates. The whole look and feel of the place just takes you right back in time, as you can see from the picture above. Yes, this is what you see as you step through the wooden ticket booth.






As you move past the original cars of the 19th century railroad (of which you can actually ride upon), the wood-plank sidewalks take you through the "town" part of the village, the main street, which looks exactly like you would expect a main street to look like. It has stores, an opera house, a barber shop, a hotel...




And then there's the tavern on the outskirts of town.
Of course, every town (even one without horses, unfortunately) needs a blacksmith shop. Here is where one can watch the smithy work his trade, just as in the old days. And, as with a blacksmith, most period towns had a gristmill. It's here that one can watch as the giant stone wheels grind the grain into flower. It's here where one can hear (and feel) the deafening roar of the water turning the magnificent equipment to turn the wheels. And, it's here where one can purchase flour made right here at the Atlas Mill.
Without refridgeration, ice houses were a necessity in keeping ice available (covered in sawdust) throughout the warm weather months.


As you move out of town you'll enter the neighborhood and see the houses - mostly farm houses - of Crossroads. I swear you fill feel as if you had literally stepped through a time travel portal.




The milk cow was as important as any livestock a farmer could own. It's great that they show how a cow is milked for those of us living in the city.




















And, of course, the picturesque church. For some reason, they feel that this church should not have a cross lest they offend any non-Christians. Let's face it, by far and away the greater majority - without question - of the population in the 19th century in every state had a minimum of one Christian church. Of course, folks today like to change the past for the people of the present due to politically correct mumbo jumbo. But, we all know...

There is plenty more to see than what's pictured here - much more. And about the only couple of things I would change would be the addition of horses and carriages and probably a few more shops and houses - cooper, cobbler, etc. And, the addition of a cemetery (only the tombstones, of course) would be that touch of realism that no one else has (Mike Gillett's idea, and it's a great one!!!). They also need more period accurate presenters - you get what you pay for. Not that they are terrible but there is room for improvement.

They do have a carriage shop, barns, more houses, a lawyer's home, a doctor's office - all of the period.

Now, if only they would bring back the Civil War weekend!!!