A remarkable vacation experience is waiting for you right here in western Maine. A Living History Tour at the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center will take you back in time to experience life in the 1870’s.
What are living history tours? At the Norlands it means local people who wear period clothing explain history by portraying a person who lived in 1870. It is a fun way to learn about history and what rural Maine life was like soon after the Civil War.
What happens when you go there? Following a map of the historic site, the fun begins in the kitchen. Several things could be happening. If it isn’t too hot, there will be a fire in the cook stove to maybe do some baking and to heat the iron to do some ironing. Sometimes there are games to play or perhaps story telling. There is even an artifact game to play, a fun way to learn.
In the Washburn mansion you will “meet” the youngest Washburn sibling, Caroline Washburn Holmes, who will take you through her father’s home and tell you about her famous family. Did you know that the third son is living in Paris, France in 1870 as the ambassador from the United States? Did you know that the middle daughter, Mary, waited for eight years for her fiancee to come home from the gold rush in California to marry her?
Then you go to the schoolhouse to meet the school marm and learn about going to school in 1853. What time of year did you go, how long did you go and what do scholars study. You will try writing with a quill
pen and learn how to answer a mental arithmetic problem properly. What did you eat at the “nooning?”
What do you need to remember to do? Bring your imagination and ask all the questions you want. You can bring a picnic lunch and we will provide the lawn, the picnic table and the beautiful setting.
When are the living history tours? Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. June 30 through September 3, 2009. $10 for adults, $6 for children and $25 for families. Location: 290 Norlands Road,
Livermore, ME 04253.
One day recently we had local folks visiting from Wayne and Rumford but also folks from New Jersey, Delaware and even a lady from Kansas City. She insisted she wasn’t lost but we did sort of wonder. People of all ages; children, parents and grandparents are coming for a unique vacation experience.
These tours are done by very dedicated volunteers who believe strongly in the Norlands and work hard to give an authentic look into the past and make history come alive.
For more information contact the Norlands at 207-897-4366 or visit our website www.norlands.org.
