the bistro off broadway
text


Garst Gathering 2012
It takes a community to support its “mint”
By Elaine Bailey

To See Photo Set 2, click here

It was a fairly quiet year in 1852.  The first public baths opened in New York City, the first edition of Roget’s Thesaurus was published, and Congress authorized the building of the second US mint in San Francisco.  However, unbeknownst to the community, Darke County’s own mint was being constructed a few blocks north of the county seat’s court house, which at that time rested on the circle where the landmark Broadway fountain now sits.

One hundred and sixty years from the year Emma Snodgrass was arrested in Boston for wearing pants, there were thousands of pants drifting across the lawn at the Garst Museum.  A gathering of pants and shorts and swaying skirts… at the Gathering at Garst.  The anniversary of the house itself passed by unnoticed for the observance of a more historical event, Remembering the War of 1812. 

People from as far as California and North Carolina traveled to the Garst Museum this past weekend for the Gathering at Garst.  There were 85 vendors supporting the event with artistically designed and handcrafted pottery, jewelry, floral arrangements, fabric and stained glass art.  Paintings, photographs, primitive furniture, and stone sculptures lined the perimeter of the property. 

A Living History Encampment, sponsored by the local Maid Rite, drew spectators with thunderous cannonade.  Children and adults alike were introduced to priming, loading and firing a six-pound British field cannon by the First Mad River Light Artillery. The Fourth Indiana Light Artillery provided supporting demonstrations with a Civil War cannon.  Wide-eyed children with hands over their ears, watched periodic skirmishes between the Indiana Light Artillery and the First Tennessee Infantry Company B.

When the children were not in the field they were engaged in activities provided by Michelle Drees and The Workshop Learning Center; Steve Birt; and Kurstin Wysong and family.  Hundreds of children made pinecone bird feeders, matched animal prints, looked for treasures, tossed bean bags, traded at a trading post built by Duane Wysong, or had their faces painted with rainbows, peace signs, friendship arrows,  or other designs the children would challenge the artists with.  

Between activities, visitors supported food vendors.  A gentle breeze both days of the event wafted the aroma of hickory-smoked barbeque entrees.  A unique assortment of steamed bagels, Indian fry bread, and Indian tacos drew long lines.  Garst volunteers served up scoops of ice cream with all the proceeds from the ice cream supporting the Garst Museum. Silas the Rat Catcher was available on Saturday offering rat stew recipes... for those who couldn’t find something to eat, or weren’t quite full enough off the other offerings.
 
And the fun continued throughout the weekend with entertainment provided by the Children’s Theatre Club, Sarah Bostic, Cinder Home, The Midwest Revival, Eric Loy, The Workshop Learning Center, Prima Luce, Tommy Renfro, Darke County Dulcimer Society, and Neeake who told stories of the Shawnee. 
  
With the generous contribution and support of Pam Carpenter Summers in memory of her husband Dan Summers, a huge audience was entertained by a Beatles Tribute Band, The Cavern Beat.  By the end of the evening, the Fab Four had the audience rocking on their feet to numerous nostalgic numbers played on vintage instruments.  There was one moment during the evening when only a ripple moved the audience and that was when the band dedicated the song “In My Life” to Pam from her husband.

It was a quiet year in 1852.  The house that was originally built to serve as an inn probably had a number of visitors roaming its lawn at that time.  But oh, if only the folks back then knew what was happening on its lawn in 2012. 

Mrs. Nellie Garst Menke, offered her family home to the Fort GreeneVille Chapter for a meeting place and historical museum in 1946, but it was eventually donated to the Ohio Historical Society.  In 1964 the stewardship of the museum and its property was transferred to the Darke County Historical Society.  Events such as the Gala, held the first weekend in June, and the Gathering at Garst help provide a portion of the funding necessary to operate Darke County’s mint. 

No one word from Roget’s Thesaurus can describe this year’s Gathering at the Garst.

Jenny Clark, chairperson for the Gathering at Garst expressed, “It really is a Gathering....a gathering of people who are passionate about working for a good cause.”

It takes a community to support its mint.  The community did that this year.

To See Photo Set 2, click here

text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text
text

 
senior scribes
senior scribes
County News Online

is a Fundraiser for the Senior Scribes Scholarship Committee. All net profits go into a fund for Darke County Senior Scholarships
contact
Copyright © 2011 and design by cigs.kometweb.com