History in limelight on Log Cabin Day

By CAROL SOUTH
Special to the Record-Eagle

June 29, 2009 06:50 am

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TRAVERSE CITY -- Perfect weather heralded a low-key, perfect summer day.

Visitors to the 11th annual Log Cabin Day at the Lighthouse Park at the tip of the Old Mission Peninsula immersed themselves in history. Attendees could tour the 1850s Hessler Log Cabin, which was preserved by the hosting Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society and filled with authentic furniture, farming implements and cooking utensils.

The society's Log Cabin Days are held in conjunction with a statewide celebration of the classic structures, the 23rd annual event including 100 sites.

The Old Mission event also featured old-time music by two different ensembles, tours of the Mission Point Lighthouse and a range of crafters. Showcasing classic skills, contributors included a furniture maker, a broom maker, weavers, spinners and rug hookers.

Susan Odom, a historic foodways specialist, whipped up delectables over an open campfire. Leading off with a batch of strawberry jam, she also made Passenger Pigeon (well, a Cornish hen sitting in for the historical dish) and Indian hoecakes.

The food was for demonstration only but the cleanup was for real. Even with this chore, Odom tapped advice of yore.

"The lazy man's way to clean the pot is to fill it with water and put it back on the fire," she said of a boil-it-clean method.

"It's harder to keep a good even temperature, especially if you're outside -- the wind steals the heat," said Odom of campfire cooking.

In keeping with the mid-19th century era being celebrated, a Civil War soldier and his kit were on hand, a member of the Robert Finch Camp #14. In addition, a replica of a Civil War field hospital was staffed by two nurses while Jim Ribby, in full Union soldier regalia, shared poetry from the era.

"It's been very pleasant, relaxed this year," said Heather Reamer, chairperson of the Log Cabin Day committee, of the steady stream of visitors during the four-hour event. "The core of it is our log cabin -- (it's) the only day of the year the cabin is open."

Pauline Stafford, of Kingsley, was thrilled to attend this year's event with her granddaughter Annamarie Baker, 9, of Beulah. Usually Stafford is busy with her family farm, haying at this time of year. But with retirement looming she suddenly has more free time and relishes finding ways to fill it.

"This is wonderful, I haven't been able to get away from the old-timey music here," she said after her granddaughter tried out a hand-cranked apple peeler.

One benefit of demonstrating the skills and knowledge from the past is keeping it alive, bridging a past that is easily replaced by the technology of modern conveniences.

"It's passing it on so it's still viable, still has a life -- it's so hard to resurrect something that's not written down but learned by hand," said Jim Rantala, of Traverse City, a tin smith and furniture maker who now also makes brooms. "The point is to have active, working knowledge that is continually used and evolving."

For more information on the Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society, see www.omphistoricalsociety.org.

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