Posted in Aaron Bosnick, Dairy Day, Judy Wilson, goats on August 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Dairy Day at the fort dawned particularly hot and muggy, and it never improved. Notwithstanding the heat, however, the proceedings were well-attended, with about a hundred visitors passing through during the day to observe the milking of the goat by its owner, Judy Wilson, and the making of cottage cheese and butter.
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Posted in Dwight Gallian, Judy Wilson, Mark Baker, School of the Longhunter on March 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Two luminaries of frontier re-enacting will be featured speakers at this year’s School of the Longhunter at Pricketts Fort: John Curry and Mark Baker.
John Curry has been an avid student of the eighteenth century frontier for 35 years and has organized and lead many historic forays into wilderness areas. He has written for [...]
Posted in Aaron Bosnick, Christmas Market, Greg Bray, Judy Wilson, Mary Rose Mustachio, Michael Ray, Tom Carson, Wild Willy Frankfort, cat, flintlock rifles, powderhorn, wool on December 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Faithful friend of the Fort, Tom Carson, maintained a keen-eyed vigil through much of the Market, conversing with visitors and directing them from one building to another.
He was assisted at times by his compadre Queen Aliquippa, the ever-present cat-of-the-fort.
Inside the fort, the two main buildings, the Trading Post and the Meeting House, were given over [...]
Posted in Cordelia Spencer, Fall Rendezvous, Judy Wilson, domestic life on November 12, 2008 | 2 Comments »
It was indeed a meal to remember, one of the most delicious and satisfying I have had ever, yet typical male that I am, I can’t actually remember the individual dishes very clearly, so I trust some of the ladies who were there will help me out. I got a list [...]
Posted in Aaron Bosnick, Cordelia Spencer, Fall Festival, Greg Bray, Judy Wilson, Lee Miller, Okey Simmons, Shawnee, Tom Carson, Virginia frontier, applebutter, autumn, bear fat, blacksmithing, civilian militia, domestic life, frontier forts, frontier women, harvest, living history, powderhorn, re-enacting, wigwam on October 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Posted in Judy Wilson, sheep, wool, tagged Judy Wilson, wool on August 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
On a recent warm afternoon, Judy Wilson takes a bundle of wool (from a Shetland-cross, not one of the fort’s sheep) and sits outside in hopes of catching the odd breeze. Picking involves pulling the wool apart, “opening” it in preparation for carding, loosening any tangles and allowing bits of chaff, hay and debris to [...]
Posted in Aaron Bosnick, Greg Bray, Judy Wilson, Mary Rose Mustachio, corn, frontier farming, harvest, pumpkins on August 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
It is now mid-August, but these so-called dog-days have been the pleasantest I can remember: more like seasonable late September than sultry mid-August. I’m sure the heat will hit us yet, but for now it has been exceptionally nice.
In the garden everything is coming rapidly into its own. Many ears of corn are ripe and [...]
Posted in Aaron Bosnick, Judy Wilson, Michael Ray, domestic life, sheep on May 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Rainy and muggy, it’s beginng to feel like summer. The rain came down so heavily on my way to the fort that I had to pull over off the road for about 15 minutes. There were tornado warnings. The sun didn’t make a sustained appearance until the afternoon, so the fort was completely quiet all morning. [...]
Posted in Aaron Bosnick, Judy Wilson, Lee Miller, Michael Ray, Monongahela River, Shawnee, Tom Carson, domestic life, flintlock muskets, frontier farming, frontier forts, frontier kitchen, frontier women, kitten, living history, sheep on May 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
A cold wet miserable Saturday morning — just the sort of morning I especially enjoy at the fort, particularly after a long hectic week of school tours and crowds of children. Saturday means no field trips and a cold miserable rain means few visitors to speak of, and a chance to catch up on essential tasks. The passage [...]
Posted in Aaron Bosnick, Greg Bray, Judy Wilson, Okey Simmons, Virginia frontier, blacksmithing, civilian militia, flintlock muskets, frontier farming, frontier forts, frontier women, kitten, sheep, tagged 18th-century frontier, blackpowder firearms, blacksmithing, carding, cats, flax, flint & steel, flintlock rifle, ironware, knives, loom, militia, shearing, sheep, sheepdog, tomahawks, weaving, wool on April 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
We just opened here at the fort a couple of days ago. The weather has been about perfect, sunny but not too warm, and with great cumulus clouds sailing slowly overhead to temper the sun. Already busloads of children are arriving, and will keep arriving nearly every day until the end of the school year. In addition to the [...]
