Finding fun in the chores of yesteryear

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July 9, 2009

By ANDY GOODELL The Oskaloosa Herald Thu Jul 09, 2009, 09:18 AM CDT

OSKALOOSA — Being a kid wasn’t always about video games and prepackaged snacks.

In the mid 1800s, children learned the value of hard work early on in life.

At Nelson Pioneer Farm northeast of Oskaloosa, local children got an idea of what that was like Wednesday. The Mahaska County Conservation Board held its Young Pioneers Camp on the farm, with plenty of activities providing a hands-on history lesson for the children. Children there were able to milk a goat, make candles and soap, do some blacksmithing, as well as other American pioneer daily activities.

“There’s a need for kids to see how their great-great-great-grandma and grandpa did it,” said Mahaska County Naturalist Pete Eyherlde, dressed in his mid-1800s garb, which included a wide-brimmed hat and long-sleeved shirt with wooden buttons. “For a lot of kids, this is stuff they’ve never seen. They’re genuinely fascinated by all the stuff they can do.”

Not only are the children learning about the role of children during the American pioneer era, they’re also learning about the strict gender roles of the time.

“In the blacksmith’s shop, girls or women where not allowed,” said Eyherlde, citing one example. “There’d be men in there talking about politics and they’d have their sleeves rolled up.”

Eyherlde was one of several adults and children dressed in historical garb. At the time, the clothing for men, women and children had them covered from head to toe to protect themselves against the sun in the summer. He added, this way of dressing was also part of appearing decent or “polite” to those around you.

“If you came to town like that, people would laugh at you,” said Eyherlde to the children at Nelson Pioneer Farm dressed in modern clothes.

Since its inception six or seven years ago, Young Pioneers Camp has remained one of MCCB’s most popular programs, Eyherlde said. He began the program out of his own experience with Living History Farm and thought the Nelson Pioneer Farm would be a perfect place to share that pioneer knowledge with young people, Eyherlde noted.

The two-day-long camp concludes today.

“We could do this another two or three days,” Eyherlde said. “The kids love it and some keep coming back year after year.”

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Herald City Editor Andy Goodell can be reached at news2@oskyherald.com

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Finding fun in the chores of yesteryear

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