Even in the 21st century, kids can still learn valuable skills from two centuries ago.
Hundreds of Indiana students had the opportunity to experience 200 years of state history over two days last week at Spring on the Farm in Edinburgh.
The annual event, sponsored by the Bartholomew County Historical Society, brings community mentors and eighth grade students from Hauser Junior High School together for 5 to 6 weeks in an activity characteristic of the past, such as candle making, cast iron cooking, and spinning and weaving.
The students then have the opportunity to teach those skills to touring younger elementary students under the guidance of a volunteer adult.
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They do this, Hauser eighth grader Anniston Riley explained, “to understand the history of what people went through.”
The event was held at Henry Breeding Farm, which was donated to the Bartholomew County Historical Society in 1982 in memory of early area families. Activities involving antique machinery, livestock and cooking utensils used to give students an idea of how everyday life on the farm operated before modern technology.
Eighth graders arrived early to meet with their mentors and get into historic costumes. For boys, this consisted mainly of wide-brimmed hats, plaid shirts and cowboy boots. For girls, the attire included long skirts and aprons.
Once in costume, students began preparing their stations for the arrival of the elementary students. For eighth grader Abby Branum, this meant breaking ice to make homemade ice cream.
Even dessert, Branum learned, required far more work in the past than it does today, but she said it was worth the effort to watch the enthusiastic reactions of her audience.
“Kids like ice cream, and I like making kids happy,” she said.
Apart from enjoying ice cream, attendees had the chance to interact directly by petting animals, beating rugs and playing games such as ball and stick.
The elementary students also learned from volunteer Ben Westernan how to operate a 1918 Reeves steam engine originally manufactured in Columbus. Westernan is involved with steam engines as a hobby and said he enjoys passing along his knowledge to the children who attend Spring on the Farm.
“This event helps encourage younger people to get involved and understand what things were like in the past,” he said.
At each station, attendees viewed posters and received a short explanation of the task being completed along with a demonstration by the eighth grade students. They then had the chance to try their hand at the skill in some manner, such as cranking an ice cream churner by hand, twisting strands of twine into ropes or carefully dipping a candle in wax.
To ensure that they knew how to properly complete each task, small groups of two to three eight grade students were mentored by a volunteer with extensive knowledge of particular subjects.
One such volunteer was Tim Metz, who has been a blacksmith for 25 years and oversaw three students in the workshop. Metz said he hoped the students would leave with a better understanding of how life would have been for them if they had lived in an earlier time.
“More than anything, (I hope) they realize how it would have been back when they would have been an apprentice blacksmith,” Metz said.
How it works
Bartholomew Consolidated and Flat Rock-Hawcreek school corporations both sent elementary students to the event, but classes from surrounding counties also paid a visit to the farm and took part in the activities. Lighthouse Academy in Bloomington, South Decatur Elementary School in Westport and St. Mary’s Catholic School in Greensburg have all sent students to the event in the past.
Community support for Spring on the Farm is evident from the willingness of about 30 local volunteers who oversee the activities, said Diane Robbins, executive director of the historical society.
Some return each spring to teach skills to a new group of eight grade students, she said.
One returning volunteer is Marge Schmeckebier, a former BCSC teacher who has helped her husband Jack share their knowledge at Spring on the Farm for 12 years. The Schmeckebiers guided students as they peeled apples, popped popcorn and washed clothing using traditional tools and methods.
Also returning to Spring on the Farm was Jim Huntington, who has volunteered for about a decade.
“We enjoy seeing the kids and the people and helping perpetuate the history of the county,” Huntington said.
The long-standing tradition of the event is apparent even with first-time volunteers.
As an eighth grade student, Ben Harpring assisted with creating posters and marketing for Spring on Farm. This year, he returned as a volunteer overseeing students as they kneaded clay and operated a potter’s wheel.
“It’s definitely a full-circle thing,” Harpring said. “It was a good experience for me because I grew up in the city, and (now) seeing the kids enjoy these things.”
The enduring purpose of Spring on the Farm is to foster an appreciation of local history and share knowledge through generations, Robbins said.
“Teaching history through hands-on education for learners of all ages is an important part of our mission,” Robbins said. “Spring on the farm is a perfect example of bringing all forms of education together with mentors teaching middle school students and middle school students teaching elementary students.”
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The Bartholomew County Humane Society administrative office, library and museum is located at 524 Third St., Columbus.
The historical society also operates the Henry Breeding Farm, 13730 N. County Road 100W, Edinburgh.
Staff:
- Diane Robbins, executive director: [email protected]
- Adam Rediker, education manager: [email protected]
Information: Call 812-372-3541 or visit bartholomewhistory.org/
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