The Great Hoax

Richfield Springs, NY
KOA Cooperstown

I've sat here trying to think of an appropriate title for today's blog.  If I had titled it the Farmers' Museum you would have skipped right past it without reading.  How about if it was titled the Giant Cardiff or maybe Civil War Reenactment would entice you.  Living history historical village could be another.  Or maybe, it was on Mysteries at the Museum TV show.

When I told Bill, I'd much rather go to the Farmers' Museum than  the Baseball of Fame, he was surprised.  His idea of a Farmers' Museum was of the hundreds of little farming towns out in the Midwest that collect all their old implements and call it a museum.  

Our day began arriving at the museum before it was open.  The entry door was open and when we walked in they took our admission fee early.  Just to give you a clue about how much fun this was, Bill said he's never paid $10.50  admission for something  that was worth it that much before. We've spent a fair amount of money on admission over the years.  

I wish I had learned something about the building, but I guess, you'll just have to visit it and tell us about it.  

Now you can say you've seen the Cardiff Giant.  

In October of 1869 this giant figure was discovered by someone digging a well in a nearby small village.  

You can click on these to enlarge it so you can read it.

It just goes to show they manipulated the media and the people into believing the story.  Does it sound like the same thing happening in today's time period?  

Now, we learned why it was called the Farmers' Museum.  Hops is a very profitable crop that is grown in the area, as well as apples.  

The upstairs of the building held all the typical museum items.  

There was a big collection of carriages.  

 I believe this was a postal carriage and I always think of Vicki Allen and Ron Lichtenberg when I see these.

I enjoyed the building trades display.  They showed you the different ways of building.

Of course you have to have a tractor.

Such much for the main barn.

This was the Empire State Carousel house with hand-made animals.  I decided after our last ride on a carousel, that they went too fast for me.  

We walked a little further and saw the entrance to the historic village.

I guess I should mention that the weather was perfect and the only thing in the sky was a bald eagle that kept circling. Sorry we didn't get a photo of it, but watching it was better than trying to focus and find it in the camera.  

All of the interpreters were in period clothing.  All of the items for sale were made in the village.

You were invited to try the historic toys and games at the Filer's house.

The interpreters were so knowledgeable and fun to talk with.  You really felt like you stepped back in time.

Of course Bill enjoyed this part the best.

What a way for children to learn history.

They marched through the village.

There camp looked great and I didn't see any coolers or cell phones lying around.

They were all so friendly and would explain things that you wouldn't even think to ask.  

They did a drill and firing demonstration.  While we were learning how the soldiers performed, the eagle kept circling.  

If they weren't in uniform, they were in other period clothing.

We also learned how the boys and girls were separated in the school, even down to the coat room.  The children were not given slate   boards until they could write in the sand box at the bottom of the photo.

The blacksmith shop had 4 people working.  

This women told us what the women's role was during the war. Many stories about the war period developing "the rest of the story".

All of the signs in the village were made in the print shop.  

The lawyer's office was as you would expect it to be.

Bill was enjoying this immensely.  

The Templeton Players were doing "Box and Cox" which was fun to watch.  They were also good actors.

We had some pork sandwiches for lunch that were so large, I couldn't finish mine.  Notice the antique bicycles again.  I know this year has been a tour of old bicycles.  We've seen a lot displayed this year.

We listened to the 77th Regimental Balladeers Concert in the church.  They were very good and played some very good pieces.  One of the violin players was exceptional.  Everyone was singing along and enjoying the music.  The photo didn't show the entire group.

The graveyard had some very old tombstones.

What is it I love about these old taverns?  

Once the Erie Canal reduced the traffic on the road, the Bump Tavern was used as summer places for people from New York City.  

People would stay for several months.

The children would have stayed in this room.

There was a display of soldier's quilts.

One exhibit I found interesting was the pharmacy.  Misty would have enjoyed seeing this.  They were mixing the herbs for medicine.  The girl was making a mixture for a sore throat.  The medicinal herb garden supplied all the ingredients.

I didn't stop long enough in the Lippitt house for a photo.  There was a cook making a lunch of lamb and a person was eating the lunch.  He took a cake out of the fireplace.  It was immediately covered with flies.  I'm sure it would have been interesting to someone who loves cooking but I didn't linger.  I didn't want to watch someone eating that food that was covered in flies and it was very hot in there.

They had turkeys among all the other farm animals.  We didn't walk down to the petting zoo, grainery, or poultry house.  Somehow we also missed the hop house.  

The doctor's office was also interesting, but it was crowded in that home.  

The interpreters dressed in period clothing also made brooms, did spinning and weaving, and a tailor was making a man's shirt.    

We missed some buildings but it was almost 4 pm and we've been there since it opened, reluctantly we returned to the truck.  It was a great day and we both thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.  

We are scheduled to leave tomorrow but there is so many things we didn't have time to see in the past week.  Of course, we are probably the only people who stayed here and didn't make it to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I guess we'll just have to put the Mohawk Valley on our come back list.  

Maybe we should decide which direction we are going.  I do fly by the seat of my pants sometimes.  

Turtle Safely........