Mansker's Station
A southern view of the Bowen House at Historic Manskers Station.
October Camp 2001
This past October camp was a blessing in many ways... the weather was perfect... fellowship was heartwarming... and the staff was quietly making sure that all ran smoothly. The annual pumpkin carving contest for the kids and the annual "shoot" for the grown-up boys was really fun. The different dye pots were going, the canoe got worked on a little more, and the music Saturday night was great! The Church service on Sunday morning was well done and always a blessing. And last but not least, the visitors were treated to some good living history.
Please find the different categories of photos below in the interactive contents page... just click on the picture from each category to go to a number of photos for your enjoyment.
The Bowen House |
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The Fort |
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The Shoot |
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The Pumpkin
Carving Contest |
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Mansker's
Station
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The People |
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The Bowen House
This Historic House is the only "original" attraction at the park, and well worth the visit. It is faithfully preserved and furnished, and the staff offers an informative tour in period attire.
Here are a few exterior views of the house, mainly from the North view.
An eastern view shows the porch and the bread oven.
The kitchen area is one of the latest rooms being setup in a realistic and functional manner.
The downstairs bedroom has a beautiful canopy bed in it.
The dining area is especially attractive and can be easily imagined as the center of activity for the house.
Sweeping the floor, this staff member makes the house come alive in her period attire.
On Sunday, there was a church service in period attire. David Folds led the service. Of note was the period church flyer, put together by David.
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The Fort
This recreated Fort is the centerpiece of activity at the Spring and Fall events. It is a fun and exciting place for the reenactors to live in and around for the weekend. Attention to detail and authenticity are faithfully recreated here in all aspects of life in the 1780's. The furnished cabins are all extremely accurate in there construction; the blacksmith shop, tool cabin, and tavern are specialized areas of interest for visitors and reenactors alike.
Here is an exterior view of the fort.
The blacksmith shop is a real "hands on" area for some of the reenactors.
The small blockhouse is one of the living quarters; doubling for a defensive position.
Here are 3 inside shots of the tavern |1| |2| |3|
Here is a shot of inside the "company" cabin at night, with the occupants snuggled in for warm night in front of the fire.
Some activities around the fort are: canoe making, traveling merchants, dyeing clothe, and sewing.
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The Shoot
One of the highlights of the Fall camp is the men's shooting contest. The contest starts by each contestant putting out a prize on a blanket. The contest consists of shooting at various types of targets including playing cards turned sideways (cut the card in half), driving nails into a board, and hitting a small cross branded on a board. The points are tallied up at the end, and the best shots get the first choice of prizes in order. Everyone gets a prize... not to mention a memorable time complete with great fellowship.
Here is a series of shots with "Hoppy" as the main focus. |1| |2| |3| |4|
Here is a series of shots with George as the main focus. |1| |2| |3| |4| |5|
Here are a couple of shots with David Folds as the main focus. |1| |2 |
Here is a series of shots of various folks. |1| |2| |3| |John| |Johnny|
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The Pumpkin Carving Contest
The pumpkin carving contest is the main Fall event for the kids. Each one gets their own pumpkin to carve, and one hour later the judging begins. Of course each one gets a prize for through creative categories, such as "the most strange", "most flirtatious", "most scary", etc. The staff did a great job in making this an entertaining event.
The kids all line their pumpkins up for the judging.
Rof theatrically judges each pumpkin, keeping the children spellbound.
Here are the winners of the most creative pumpkin (a group effort).
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The People
When all is said and done, it is the people who make the event and the memories. Once again, the staff does a great job in a lot of behind the scenes stuff that everyone takes for granted. The volunteers who come from near and far are good people, and a joy to fellowship with. There is no better hobby because of the people.
Hoppy's tent is always the first one to encounter as you enter the area from the parking lot.
The musicians Saturday night were delightful.
Bill and his store.
A lady enjoying the sun in the tavern doorway as it warmed up on Saturday.
Bob at Church on Sunday.
Here are a couple of shots of a regular couple of distinct character.
The volunteer militia "fell in" and drilled some on Saturday, led by the able hand of "Ebenezer".
The Folds have a little "R&R" on Saturday night around their little cooking fire.
Hoppy and a new face "John" chew the fat... and another of John loading firewood.
Some other shots are: Johnny | Another local volunteer | Steve Gove |
A good time is always had at the Hollingsworth tent.
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I hope you have enjoyed these pictures half as much as I enjoyed taking them. Please send me any names, corrections to anything stated here, and additional facts that I may post to make this more accurate and informative.
God Bless you all.
Rod Bond
rodbond@tsixroads.com -or- rodbond@christianemail.com