Heritage Day
Every year in October, there’s a special event near me that celebrates the heritage of 18th Century colonial America. I found out about it last year, but wasn’t able to attend. This year, I was excited to see what it was all about. Very last minute I had the idea of contacting the organizers to see if they’d let me set up a table and sell some books. To my surprise, they gave their permission the very week of the event.
Since authenticity is encouraged from everyone displaying or selling, I scrambled to get ahold of some period clothing that would pass as colonial. Thankfully, I have a friend who has done events like this, and he was able to supply me with some handmade clothes that fit the bill, and me. My wife even stayed up past midnight to alter an old dress she had made when she was twelve. I was rightly impressed by her handiwork!
On the crisp autumn morning of the event, I arrived in my non-period Dodge Dakota and loaded up my books and supplies into an authentic colonial golf cart. Ok, just the driver was in period garb. He drove me to a tent where I could set up my bookshop next to the printer.
The Printing Office of Wolff & Sauer had set up shop with a half scale working printing press. Later in the day they let me try my hand at printing. I held the two daubers, turned pieces of wood wrapped in leather and stuffed with wool. I dipped them into the ink on a slab of marble and pressed them onto the typeset. I slid in a sheet of paper and pressed it into the typeset. When I released the press, I had a freshly printed picture and quote from founding father Thomas Paine.
Despite the bitter wind that spread its misery in our faces, it was a pleasant day. I arrayed my table with a handmade blanket, a wooden crate, and a 1776 decorative plate to create a fitting backdrop to my books. I was thoughtful to bring books set in colonial times or at least that didn’t clash too much. I featured my book Snowstorm, and it sure felt like it could have snowed at any time that day! Once I was all set up, I took the time to walk around the property. It felt like I went back in time.
The organizers of this event have really captured the 18th century in an amazing display of living history. Demonstrators included basket making, a blacksmith, a leather worker, a metal worker, paper making, rope making, hide tanning, and so much more. They had open fire cooking, brick-oven bread, and handmade apple butter. I pitied the girl handwashing clothing outside in the wind with cold water, It brought to mind what people in those days had to face every day, and it made me thankful for my warm home and modern amenities.
It was fun to see a Native American fully dressed in tanned hides, beads, and even a wolf head. I got to walk through the longhouse built on the property. They even had coals burning in the middle of the longhouse and a hole in the roof to let out the smoke.
My wife watched some boys making a canoe out of a giant tree. They had a fire burning in the center of the log which helps them hollow it out. One of the boys told her a Native American could make a canoe in two weeks. Because of how little they are able to spend on the project, he said it will take them two years.
One of the highlights of the event for me was getting to ride in a covered wagon. I’m not sure if this particular wagon had extra suspension, but it was a much smoother ride than I imagined. I still had to brace myself from falling onto the lady sitting across from me, however! It was fun to imagine that this was the best way to travel back in those days. The whole world moved at a slower pace.
I leave you with one final image. Even an author can spend time in the stocks!
Till the future is history,
🪶Shane Eash