SPRINGFIELD — The Living History DAY Camp at the Hertzler House in George Roger Clark Park, located in Springfield, gave 29 fourth and fifth graders from various locations within the Miami Valley a taste of the 1800s.
The students took a trip back in time to 1854. The day began at registration as each girl received a prairie bonnet and each boy got a straw hat and red neckerchief, as they learned how to make an early colonial toy – the whizzer, which is described as a button and a string.
After registration took place, the students were focused on preparing lunch. The attendees create a beef stew with pared potatoes, carrots and onions and floured beef chunks which went rapidly into the stew pot. Next, they pared and chopped apples, churned butter and made two batches of corn bread before taking a break for a baseball game.
They set the table with ironstone dishes, real silverware and linen napkins before chowing down on their lunch. They washed their own dishes, crafted a simple sampler and took a tour of the 1854 house, before finishing the day by churning homemade ice cream. The students spent six hours together participating in the various activities, and the only complaint came from the fifth graders who cannot return next year.
