Liberty Days 2020
Saturday, October 3, 2020
Dexter Statesman/Josh Ayers
The 2020 Liberty Days was held on the grounds of The Stars and Stripes Museum in Bloomfield on Friday and Saturday. Historical reenactments and hands on displays were available to view. The displays and reenactments ranged from the 1840s through WWII.
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Josh Taylor demonstrates a technique called brain tanning. This technique uses the animals brain to tan the hide.
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An replica 1841 Mountain Howitzer is demonstrated at the event.
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Reenactment personnel demonstrate a flame thrower for those in attendance.
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The Liberty Days event featured live music.
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Bryce Fulhart, of Jackson, tries on the type of gear used by servicemen in WWII
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Actual Bibles, testaments, hymn and song books that were distributed by the United States Christian Commission to union troops during the Civil War were on display. The United States Christian Commission distributed more than 1,400,000 Bibles and testiments and more than 1,300,000 hymn and psalm books during the Civil War.
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A replica coffee wagon was brought from Virginia by Alan and Faith Farley. This wagon was 7/8 scale size to an actual coffee wagon. The wagon had three boilers and could produce 108 gallons of coffee an hour. The wagons were mostly parked near hospitals during the Civil War to provide for injured soldiers who were unable to make their own coffee. Along with coffee and sugar the wagon also carried 100 pounds of corn starch. The corn starch was used to make a mush for injured soldiers who could not take solid food. Visitors to Liberty Days could have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate made in the wagon's boilers.
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The Daughters of the American Republic were on hand making candles and lye soap.
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Mary Masterson uses a beading loom to create a bead work design. Although dressed in 1840s attire she said this loom was not introduced unit the early 1900s. Masterson said in the 1840s bead work would have been done one bead at a time or with a lazy stitch which would use 4 or 5 beads at a time.. She said this design, which is 107 beads across and 127 beads long will take her about 100 hours to complete.
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Tom Masterson demonstrates the proper technique for throwing a tomahawk. Masterson said contrary to belief the tomahawk was not thrown in battle it was purely a recreational sport.