Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Market at Washingtonburg

This was the first year we attended The Market at Washingtonburg, located in Carlisle, PA.

The setting was 18th-century and living history sutlers selling their crafts lined the grassy fields of the U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center.

Military units marched in formation and shot their reproduction muskets for event-goers.

This was the setting for one of the supply stations that was built along a military road around 1759, during the French and Indian War, where troops could restock their food and munitions.

Reproduction Civil War cabins are permanent structures on the grounds and represent quarters for enlisted men, cooks, and officers. Some reenactors were actually staying in the buildings during the event—their period-correct belongings and bedding (albeit, 18th-century, not 19th) outfitting the rooms—which made it all the more realistic.

Even without the encampment and reenactors, the facility is worth visiting. Replica World War I trenches and a World War II concrete bunker are open to explore, military aircraft are on display, and the Education Center houses collections of military officers.





12 comments:

  1. Great pictures. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.

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  2. How large was the wooden screw on that vise? 3 inches?

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  3. Thanks, Paul. :o)

    Steven, I think it may have been closer to 2.5". It was impressive, nonetheless.

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  4. I like the break-down table and benches. Clever! (Will have to try building something like that -- someday.) :)


    --GG

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  5. Oh! And the horn-bending press. Love the sturdy timber: I was looking at that, trying to work out if it could be used as a WW bench, if only for a few planks across the top...


    --GG

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  6. A couple of questions about the bow maker. 1) What kind of wood was he working on? Hickory? Ash? 2) How many feathers did he use to fletch the arrows in that picture, 3 or 4? 3) Did he have any finished bows on display?

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  7. I'm curious about those "collections of military officers." Are those officers preserved in formaldehyde, pressed between pieces of waxed paper, mummified, or what? I'd think it would be tough to get that bunch to hang around voluntarily.

    RD

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  8. Everyone is so clean .. bet it wasn't like that back then. :)

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  9. Gye, that vise was pretty cool and both inside faces of it were lines with thick metal. The clamping pressure was quite impressive.

    Doug, I wish I could answer your questions, but I didn't get to talk with that guy. He did have some finished bows on display, however, and if you send me your email address, I'll be happy to email a photo to you. My email address is goodwoodworkshop@comcast.net.

    Bob, haha!

    MG, you're right—pretty much everyone looked as shiny as new pennies.

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  10. Love that axe!! I'd like to know more about making those powder horns. I know I'm naive. But, I always thought they just used full sized horns. If I'm reading correctly, they used horn, placed it in molds and somehow glued up a horn?

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  11. Vic, no, you're right about the powder horns—they are merely horns with a turned lid. They used pieces of horn that they heated, flattened, heated again, and pressed to shape in a mold to make shoe horns and spoons and other things.

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  12. I didn't know horn could be hot-molded. Bet it smells funny when they work it!

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