NORTH AUGUSTA – Revelers from all over the CSRA came to North Augusta’s Living History Park to celebrate the nation’s 246th birthday.
North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams, in period attire, gave a ceremonial reading of the Declaration of Independence as it would have been read to villagers all over the 13 colonies two centuries ago.
One man in the crowd pulling a tinker’s wagon hoisted his hand hewn pitchfork in the air in defiance of the Crown as many did when 13 colonies decided unanimously to form their own country based on freedom and liberty.
The Living History Park featured several exhibits in the many period-correct buildings on the property. One reenactor explained that the Declaration of Independence was actually written on deerskin as opposed to parchment or paper. They used the animal skin because mistakes could be wiped off before the ink dried; getting a perfect copy of the 1,337 word document on paper would have taken forever and multiple copies had to be produced, including one for the King of England.
Despite the summer heat, a reenactor showed how blacksmiths forged metal by hand to make tools and visitors got to see the inside of a Colonial-era kitchen as well as the stream fed water-powered grist mill.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
