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Prairie Days 2011… a
treasure trove of history
Darke County Parks
By Bob Robinson
Darke County is full of history, festive events, natural and historic
wonders, and the pioneers – old and new – who made this small, rural
group of communities a treasure trove of literary and historic richness.
Darke County Parks’ Prairie Days ranks near – if not at – the top of
the wonders our communities have to offer… and the word is getting out.
Visitors had to be shuttled by Greenville Transit from the Triangle
parking lot a few hundred yards down the road, and the lot was nearly
full by 1:30 p.m. A lot that was used last year, across from the
entrance to Shawnee Prairie, was full. And the handicap parking area at
the Nature Center was full.
It seemed every effort possible was made to entertain – and educate –
visitors about life on the prairie in the late 1700’s. One of the first
activities a visitor saw was another visitor keeping a boiling pot
stirred as part of the process of making apple butter.
Oh, and you can buy some of that apple butter. It’s delicious… and it’s
on sale throughout the year in the park Gift Shop.
A little further down was the village stockade, but no one was in it.
Caleb Miller volunteered… had to get several shots because it was too
big for him and his head slipped out; once I caught him when he’d
removed his hand.
We finally got it right. It looked like he enjoyed the role he played
for CNO readers.
Some of the other activities – but not all – included planing and
splitting wood, grinding corn, candle making, helping to make your own
pioneer cap, making and playing with spinning toys and more. The Log
House was full of visitors watching crafts and simply enjoying the
ambiance of a home built on the Prairie by Darke County early settlers.
Among the multitude of volunteers helping to make Prairie Days
successful was the Greenville High School Key Club. President Claire
Sherman was folding napkins in the Log House. Vice President Scott
Wirrig was helping with the corn grinding. Officers and volunteers on
hand at that time included Natasha Swank, Div. 3 KCI Lt. Gov., Tara
Guillozet and sisters Jenilee (Newsletter Editor) and Rebecca Braun.
Other scheduled Key Club volunteers included Cole Ward, Jenna Gnade,
Darpan Kaur, Jeff Wirrig, Jeanne Gande, Pankti Bhavsar, Secretary, and
Glen Hoff.
There is more to come… Teen Scribe Naiesha Thobe said she will be
submitting her article soon, and GHS IMTV junior and Teen Scribe
photographer Dylan Hoover was getting photos from his unique
perspective.
If you missed Pioneer Days, you missed a great trip into the past… but
there’s always next year. In the meantime, put the Bears Mill Fall Open
House on your calendar for next weekend, Oct. 1 and 2.
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