|
WOMEN ON THE FRONTIER April 20-21, 2013
Boone’s Fort, Fincastle Co., Virginia
Ft. Boonesborough State Park, Madison County, Kentucky
MORE FOOD, FIBER & FORAGE
Day One
9:00 a.m. Welcome/Overview
9:15 a.m. - Washing and Drying Fleece / Carding and Preparing Wool for Spinning
10:00 - Starting A Sewing Project – Making a Housewife – We’ll get started on this, and come back to it later in the day.
10:45 - Dyeing Wool/Yarn with Natural Substances Ellen May demonstrates dyeing with natural pigments from plants and other substances such as Osage Orange bark, walnut hulls, etc.
11:45 - Spinning (possibly Weaving too) Jo Ann Orborski, fort interpreter, will lead a session on spinning. Take a turn at the walking wheel and try your hand with a drop spindle. Learn how tedious the
process was to spin thread and then weave into cloth.
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch on Your Own
The Boonesborough Foundation members will be cooking and have food and soft drinks available for purchase.
1:30 p.m. - It’s Laundry Day at the fort.
Paul Reasoner will show us how the ladies of Boonesborough did their washing, even though it may not have occurred often. You’ll get to wash a garment of your own or one we provide. You’ll be surprised at some of the cleaning agents and also learn where the concept of the washboard came from. Wear your apron.
2:30 p.m. - Making Acorn Flour and Bread – Acorns were a substitute for corn and wheat when it came to making flour and bread. Learn the process from acorn to biscuit, including how to remove the tannic acid and bitter taste from the acorns. This is a great survival technique for historical or modern times.
3:45 p.m.- Native Cooking Methods
Journey out back to our native camp to meet Tina Hagee as she shows you some of the different foods and cooking methods used by the natives. White settlers often adopted Indian ways to survive when living on the frontier and in the backwoods settlements.
Available Weaving and more Spinning
All Day ‘til 5:pm Our fort interpreters will show you how cloth was woven on the frontier. Take this. opportunity to watch and learn from truly skilled craftspeople. You may get to take a turn at the loom as well. You may also visit Jo Ann in the spinning cabin for some additional knowledge and practice at spinning. Keep in mind that this was the only way to make cloth on the frontier. One could also use animal skins for clothing.
Break before dinner – Use this time to rest, freshen up, and socialize.
6:00 p.m. - DINNER Provided by Fort Boonesborough Foundation Funding
7:15 p.m. Please bring a dish or dessert to share if you so desire. Our provided meal will be simple just as it would have been on the frontier. Your contributions will be added fare.
After tidying up camp, spend the evening socializing and sharing information and ideas.
7:45 p.m. - For those who wish to share, we will have a discussion of women’s clothing on the frontier. We will provide primary documentation and do our best to answer questions. If you have resources or examples of your own, please bring to share. You may also work on your sewing project during this time.
8:00 p.m. - ? Enjoy Period Music & Games in the blockhouse tavern. Sing along with Jon Hagee and play some 18th Century tavern games with friends old and new.
Throughout the day there will be other activities you may want to participate in. Possibilities include fire starting with flint and steel & shooting a flintlock firearm. There are also interpreters in the fort cabins doing things like woodworking, candle making, and more. This is YOUR event, so feel free to participate at the level at which you are comfortable.
FOOD, FIBER & FORAGE
Day Two
8:45 a.m. Devotion and Hymn – Meet on the hillside in back of the fort Lead by “Doc Muzzy”
A Short Break to refill your coffee – grab a bit of breakfast, etc.
9:45 a.m.- Campfire Cooking –
(To Be Determined)
11:00 - Making Cordage –
11:45 - Firestarting with Flint and Steel – This is a basic skill, but a life or death skill. Practice
getting a spark to start a fire with flint and steel.
12:30 p.m. - Lunch on Your Own (Food and soft drinks on sale from Ft. Booneborough Foundation)
1:30 p.m. - Plant Lore -- (Meet behind the fort)
2:15 p.m. - Wrap up, Evaluation and Door Prizes (Hillside behind fort near half face)
3:15 p.m. Let us hear from you. How was your weekend? Did you like the programming?
Do you have ideas for the next Women on the Frontier?
How do you feel about keeping this date in future years?
We’ll hand out evaluation sheets that you can fill out and return telling us what you liked and what you would like to see in the future.
We’ll provide some resources and handouts to take with you if you missed anything during the weekend.
Pack up and Return Home – Travel Safe!
The event officially begins on Saturday morning, but feel free to arrive on Friday to set up camp. The blockhouse will be available for bedroll campers. Store your things upstairs during the day. For more information contact:
Bill Farmer – Fort Boonesborough
ftboone@bellsouth.net
(859) 527-3131
Kristi Heasley
(859) 797-6572 – cell
kheasley@bloodhorse.com or on Facebook (Kristi Mattingly Heasley)
Website:http://www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org/
|
