Living History Park once again opened the gates on Saturday morning, Nov. 26, for the public to begin celebrating the holiday season by learning about colonial times.
Run and supported by government grants, donations and the dedication of many volunteers, the park serves as an open reenactment space relating back to the start of America’s history.
On Nov. 26 and 27, Christmas in the Backcountry of Colonial Times is represented with a Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, different tradesmen and subjects such as cooking and crafting.
As families gathered around the mill, the tavern and the school house, children were wide-eyed with wonder as they witnessed door handles, pies and cider being made from scratch over smokey fires.
Tavern keeper Zac Goodwin explained to attendees the history of taverns and how they became known as “ordinaries,” as well as the differences between northern and southern drinks such as mead, brandy and cider. Goodwin explained that taverns were not just a place to drink but were also famous for meetings, conversations, games and reading local news or announcements.
Goodwin said he enjoyed volunteering at the park because it encouraged families to spend time outdoors while learning about forgotten aspects of history.
“A lot of people are visual learners, and when you create an immersive environment it’s easier to learn than reading letters in a book,” he said. “You’re not having to paint the picture yourself, and so now the learning parts of your brain are more receptive. I think that has a lot to do with it.”
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Attendee Kerry Cosneau, from Buford, S.C., said her family first experienced the park last year when they were in town for a local race. As a family who enjoys learning about history, Cosneau said they made it a point to come back and visit the colonial era once again.
In fact, Cosneau’s son was so enthusiastic about the event he took it upon himself to demonstrate to others how corn was made into flour by the mill after hearing the presentation from an official volunteer. Like a few other excited children, Cosneau’s son also expressed a desire to own colonial clothing to be further immersed into the period.
Volunteer Stanley Rikard taught about birds and the many uses they offered, such as meat for food and feathers for comfort or fashion. He emphasized how people used everything they could back then – nothing went to waste.
Rikard said he thought the park was important because it gave people the opportunity to share knowledge with others regarding a particular point in history. He believes people can only learn from past mistakes in history if they are openly talked about.
“It’s always nice to know where you came from. Who came before you and made sacrifices, and did things that got us where we are today … It’s important to know the past, good and bad, so we can learn from it,” he said. “It gives them knowledge about how things were done, and then they can think of how things are different today.”
While he acknowledges the limited time schools have with children, Rikard said he thinks much of the day-to-day history of people and how they lived is swept under the rug and overshadowed by the bigger dates and battles. For him, teaching children how nature was an important aspect in the 17th and 18th centuries might help encourage the preservation of park reservations and undeveloped land.
“This is just a little speck of it, but I think it’s good exposure that they probably would not get in school,” he said.
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Heavily involved volunteer and mother of 11, Julie Kursch, said the park has influenced her children for the better through education of a trade or simple in-depth history lessons. She believes it has taught her children to have a deeper appreciation for modern commodities, while also instilling a respect for those who lived in the past.
“It’s kind of an invaluable way, not just for kids, but for people in general to have an interactive experience with history,” she said as she cracked pecans for future pies. “The American way of life is very interesting and tangible here, and I think that’s a very unique and long lasting way to make an impression – it’s just a better way to learn.”
As the park encourages participants to use their senses to learn and process history, Kursch said the area is an amazing learning tool – one that is unusual and fun.
Through experience with her own children learning skills such as cooking, blacksmithing and woodworking, Kursch said the volunteers all invest an incredible amount of care into teaching younger generations about important skills.
“During the last few years, the children have given homemade Christmas gifts,” she said. “One made a tea table for his sister’s dolls with the woodworker here … They’ll save their gifts for months to be able to give it as a gift during the holiday. It’s such a wonderful thing to see.”
With a shortage of tradesmen in today’s economy, Kursch said she believes witnessing these underappreciated skills might also inspire children to learn important trades that society relies on such as welding, woodworking and carpentry.
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According to her, some years ago, there was a major push from society to heavily emphasize college as the only respectable option for continued education, which severely undervalued trade school.
“Now we see the effects of that with them making so much money today, because nobody knows how to do it anymore,” she said.
Kursch said it is unfair and unrealistic to expect everyone to thrive in the same learning environment – some comprehend and work better with their hands. She believes both sides of education are important and should be equally respected within society; the park highlights the importance of both.
Weather permitting, the park will be open on Sunday morning, Nov. 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for another day of learning. The park is located at 299 W Spring Grove Ave., North Augusta, S.C. Entrance is free to all but donations are appreciated.
Planned future events include: Under the Crown and Colonial Trades Fair which will focus on Colonials under British rule and occurs in the third week of April as well as a 4th of July Celebration which will include a reading of the Constitution and a changing of flags to symbolize the country’s freedom from British tyranny.
For more information, visit: www.colonialtimes.us
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
