Last Friday, my daughter and I went on a field trip with our homeschool group to Champoeg State Park.
We had so much fun experiencing pioneer living. We visited Butteville Academy, a mid 1860's one-room country school where the teacher would teach students of different ages/grade levels (sounds familiar? :)). The teacher (in costume) played a pioneer learning game with the kids. Students were to choose an alphabet and supply an adjective for the first blank space and a proper noun for the second blank space beginning with the same alphabet. For example, I pick "s", then I say, "The preacher's cat is a silly cat and his name is Sammy."
My daughter got the opportunity to write with a quill pen on her hand-made journal and make a pioneer toy called, "Buzzsaw." We also checked out Butteville Jail. We then visited Robert Newell House Museum Complex. The home was built by Robert and Rebecca Newell in 1852 and was the only home to survive the flood of 1861. Later it was restored by the Daughters of the American Revolution in the 1950's and made into a museum filled with historical artifacts (i.e. pioneer furnishings, quilts, gowns, Indian artifacts, etc.) The kids were assigned a scavenger hunt of items used during the mid 19th century. They also had a chance to make a hand-dipped candle to take home.
 (Hair wreath)
 (Feather wreath)
We then went to Pioneer Mother's Memorial Cabin. This log cabin was built in 1931as a museum to display the artifacts collected from the belongings of the 1850's Oregon pioneers. The kids got to work with sourdough, card lamb's wool to make a bracelet, and wash clothes on an antique washboard.
After the tour, my daughter and I visited the Visitor Center and Museum Store. I bought a rabbit fur for my daughter's hope chest :). We both really enjoyed learning about "Champoeg, the Birthplace of Oregon" (it's the place where some 100 men met on May 2, 1843 to organize the first laws of the Oregon territorial government).
Then on Saturday, our family attended the annual Medieval Faire in our town. Lots of people were in costumes from that time period. It was neat to be able to step back in time and just imagine :).
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