HEAR THE MUSIC OF THE CAROUSEL MINGLED WITH THE RHYTHM OF THE BLACKSMITH HAMMER.
NEARBY THE DELIGHTED CRIES OF
CHILDREN ECHO PAST DISPLAYS THAT
RECOUNT A TIME WHEN LIFE MOVED A
LITTLE SLOWER.
HI.
I AM JIM WILHELM.
IN THIS PARK-LIKE SETTING,
SURROUNDED BY URBAN SPRAWL, IS A
BIT OF THE RURAL PAST.
WE ARE AT THE BLACK BARRY FARM
IN A AURORA WHICH NOT ONLY
OFFERS TRAIN RIDES AND WAGON
RIDES, BUT A GLIMPSE OF THE
PAST.
SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT THE GROUNDS
ARE SEVERAL BUILDINGS WITH
INTERPRETERS INTRODUCE GUESTS TO
VARIOUS JOBS ANCHORS FROM THE
1800'S.
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS THIS CABIN IS
A DEMONSTRATION OF SPINNING,
MAKING YARN FROM WOOL.
BEFORE IT IS SPUN, THE WOOL IS
WORKED WITH A CARDING BOARD.
CARDING BOARD IS A KIND OF METAL
COMB USED TO REMOVE SOME OF THE
IMPURITIES.
BUT MORE IMPORTANT, IT ALIGNED
THE FIBER TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR
SPINNING.
IT TAKES UP TO TWO DAYS OF CARDING TO PREPARE ENOUGH WOOL FOR ONE DAY OF SPINNING.
AFTERWARDS, THE FIBERS ARE HAND
TWISTED INTO A STRAND AND FED
INTO A SPOOL, A PROCESS THAT
TAKES A LOT OF PRACTICE IN ORDER
TO MAINTAIN A CONSISTENT THICK
NES.
SOMETIMES THE YARN WAS SPUN
TWICE TO MAKE THE THREAD
THINNER.
IN ADDITION TO WOOL, THE FIBER
FROM THE FLAX PLANT WAS ALSO
SPUN INTO YARN.
CLOTH FROM THIS MATERIAL WAS
CALLED LINEN.
AT FIRST, SPINNING WHEELS WERE
LARGE CONTRAPTIONS WHERE LADIES
STOOD UP WHILE WORKING.
LATER CAME THE SMALLER FLAX
WHEELS.
SPINNING WAS A CHORE USUALLY
ASSIGNED TO THE UNMARRIED WOMEN
OF THE HOUSEHOLD, THUS GIVING
RISE TO THE TERM "SPINSTER."
IN ADDITION TO THE LIVING HISTORY VIGNETTES, PIECES OF THIS AREA'S PAST ARE ALSO ON
DISPLAY.
BEHIND ME HERE IS ONE OF THE
FIRST HOMES BUILT IN AURORA.
IT WAS FINISHED IN THE EARLY
1840'S, AND IT WAS BUILT BY A
WEALTHY LAND SPECULATOR NAMED
JOHN WAGNER.
INSIDE HANGS A COPY OF HIS
FAMILY'S PORTRAIT.
ORIGINAL IS AT THE AURORA
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
ONE OF HIS DAUGHTERS WROTE IN
HER DIARY THE ARTIST WAS OFFERED
PAYMENT OF 50 DOLLARS OR A
SADDLED PONY.
HE TOOK THE PONY AND HEADED OUT
TO CALIFORNIA.
TODAY, THE STUDS AND THE BEAMS
ARE EXPOSED TO DEMONSTRATE THE
MORTISE AND TENON CONSTRUCTION
TECHNIQUE.
THAT WAS A VERY LABOR INTENSE
TECHNIQUE ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE
TOOLS OF THE DAY.
BUT IT PRODUCED A VERY SIMPLE,
YET STRONG JOINT WITHOUT THE
NEED FOR NAILS.
MORTISE IS THE TERM FOR THE SLOT
CUT INTO THE WOOD INTO WHICH THE
TENON OR TAB FITS.
THE JOINT WAS THEN SECURED WITH
A DOWEL.
ALSO ON DISPLAY ARE PIECES OF
THE ORIGINAL PLASTER THAT WAS
HAD MIXED WITH HORSEHAIR FOR
ADDED STRENGTH.
THIS IS THE FARM MUSEUM WHERE VISITORS CAN SEE SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
USED ON A TURN OF THE CENTURY
FARM.
IN A TIME BEFORE RURAL
ELECTRIFICATION THESE WERE THE
FARM'S POWER PLANT.
THIS SINGLE GAS ENGINE COULD BE
WHEELED UP TO VARIOUS MACHINES
TO SUPPLY POWER BY A BELT OR A
FARMER COULD USE AN ANIMAL
TREADMILL LIKE THIS ONE HOOKED
UP TO ABUTTER CHURN.
BEHIND ME IS THE DAISEY REAPER
BUILT BRING MC CORMICK BETWEEN
1890 AND 1905.
IT EARNED IT THE NICKNAME QUEEN
OF THE REAPERS.
LIGHTER THAN PREVIOUS MODELS,
THE DAISEY'S RAKE ARMS COULD BE
FOLDED BACK ALLOWING MACHINE TO
PASS THROUGH GATE OPENINGS AS
NARROW AS FIVE FEET.
PLUS THE OPERATOR COULD NOW
CONTROL THE SIZE OF THE GRAIN
BUNDLES.
IN ADDITION TO THE FARM EQUIPMENT, PIONEER VILLAGE ALSO HAS ON DISPLAY A COLLECTION OF
CARRIAGES.
THEY RANGE FROM WORKING WAGONS
SUCH AS THIS ONE WHICH CARRIED A
SALESMAN'S WARES TO ONE THAT WAS
A BIT MORE REFINED.
HERE IS THE STANDARD MINIATURE
BROUGHAM CARRIAGE, POPULAR AMONG
THE UPPER-CLASSES.
IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE PULLED BY
A SINGLE HORSE AND COULD SEAT
TWO PASSENGERS.
THIS ONE WAS BOUGHT IN 1904 FOR
$1,500, ALONG WITH $250 CREDIT
FOR A TRADE IN.
SMALLER ENCLOSED CARRIAGES WERE
OFTEN REFERRED TO AS A BROUGHAM
OR A COUPE.
COUPE IS DERIVED FROM THE FRENCH
WORD WHICH MEANS TO CUT.
LIKE THE BROUGHAM, COUPE ELUDE
TO THE PRACTICE OF CUTTING DOWN
A LARGER CARRIAGE DESIGN.
ALSO ON DISPLAY IS A VICTORIA
COACH, A STYLE VERY POPULAR
AMONG THE MOVE AFFLUENT.
THESE CARRIAGES WITH THEIR
LOATIAN DOORS MADE IT EASY FOR
THE LADIES IN THEIR LARGE
FASHIONABLE DRESSES TO ENTER AND
EXIT.
AT THE OTHER END OF THE SCALE
WAS THE AMERICAN BUGGY.
THESE VEHICLES WERE DESIGNED
WITH INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS, THUS
ENABLING SMALL BUSINESSES TO
MANUFACTURE THEIR OWN BRAND.
BUT THEY WEREN'T A SUCCESS EVERY
WHERE.
THE CARRIAGE CLASS OF ENGLAND
CONSIDERED THEM UNDIGNIFIED.
ONE MAN WROTE "THEY HAVE A SMALL
BOX AND FOUR LARGE, THIN, FRAIL
WHEELS MAKE THE CARRIAGE LOOK
LIKE A BIG DADDY LONG LEGS."
BUT IN AMERICA THE COST AND
NEEDS OF REPAIR MADE THEM VERY
POPULAR.
ON DISPLAY ARE P SEVERAL TYPES OF COACHES AND BUGGIES, INCLUDED ONE WHICH CREATED A MORAL
OUTRAGE.
SULKIES WERE NOT AN UNCOMMON
SIGHT EVEN BEFORE AMERICAN ROVE
LUTIONS.
LIGHT AND FAST, THEY WERE
PREFERRED METHOD OH OF TRAVEL BY
DOCTORS WHO CARRIAGE LITTLE
BAGGAGE THOSE QUALITIES ALSO
MADE THEM EXCELLENT RACERS.
HARNESS RACING GREW AS A SPORT,
AND IT WAS BANNED IN SEVERAL NEW
ENGLAND STATES BECAUSE THEY
FOUGHT HORSES SHOULD BE EMPLOYED
IN USEFUL WORK, AND RACING WAS
CONSIDERED A SINFUL HOBBY OF THE
RICH.
HORSES REARED FOR THIS NEW STYLE
OF RACING WERE CALLED STANDARD
BREAD BECAUSE THEY WERE REQUIRED
TO COVER A MILE IN A STANDARD
TIME IN ORDER TO BE REGISTERED
AS PART OF THAT BREED.
MANY FOLKS WILL RECOGNIZE THIS
WAGON AS THE STYLE USED IN MANY
AMISH COMMUNITIES.
THESE ARE CALLED STORM WAGONS
SINCE THEY ARE COMPLETELY
ENCLOSED AND COULD BE DRIVEN IN
BAD WEATHER.
DISPLAYS LIKE THIS REMIND
VISITORS OF A TIME WHEN CARS HAD
YET TO CLAIM THE ROADS, AND
ELECTRICITY WAS JUST COMING INTO
HOMES.
IN ANOTHER BUILDING IS A
RECREATION OF A SMALL TOWN MAIN
STREET LINED WITH SHOPS, SOME
WITH NAMES THAT SEEM UNUSUAL
TODAY.
THE THE TERM TONSORIAL WHICH
APPLIES TO BARBERSHOPS DATES
BACK TO ROMAN TIMES.
IN LATIN MEANS "HAVING TO DO
WITH HAIR."
IN THE LATE 1800'S, IT COST $20
TO COMPLETELY EQUIP A BARBERSHOP
AND A HAIRCUT COST FIVE CENTS.
IN ANOTHER DISPLAY IS THE
FURNITURE AND SOME OF THE
EQUIPMENT FROM THE DENTIST
OFFICE OF DR. BERNARD CIGRAND.
HE BEGAN HIS PRACTICE IN 1890 IN
CHICAGO.
LATER, HE AND HIS SON HAD A
JOINT PRACTICE IN AURORA.
NOTICE THE FOOT POWERED DRILL
COMMONLY USED IN AREAS NOT
ELECTRIFIED OR IN THE FIELD BY
ARMY DOCTORS.
AT BEST, THEIR BITS COULD SPIN
AT A RATE OF 1500 REVOLUTIONS
PER MINUTE.
THE DR. CIGRAND IS FAMOUS NOT
FOR HIS DENTAL PRACTICE, BUT HIS
PATRIOTIC FERVOR.
FOR SEVERAL YEARS, HE CAMPAIGNED
FOR A NATIONAL FLAG DAY TO BE
CELEBRATED ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF
THE FLAG'S ADOPTION.
FINALLY IN 1916, PRESIDENT
WILSON PROCLAIMED JUNE 14 AS
NATIONAL FLAG DAY.
>> WELCOME BACK TO BLACKBERRY FARMS PIONEER VILLAGE IN AURORA WHICH HAS SEVERAL AREAS WHERE
INTERPRETERS PRESENT LIVING
HISTORY VIGNETTES.
ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ONES IS
THE ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE
CLASSES WERE DIVIDE BY GENDER AND AGE. LUNCHES WERE BROUGHT IN PAILS
AND USUALLY CONSISTED OF
LEFTOVERS FROM DINNER.
DURING THE COLDER DAYS, SOME
STUDENTS WOULD BRING POTATOES
AND SET THEM ON THE STOVE TO
BAKE DURING MORNING LESSONS.
ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY USED BOOK
WAS THE MCGAFFY READERS.
THERE WAS ONE FOR EACH GRADE.
INSIDE WERE STORIES, ESSAYS, AND
POEMS, AND EXCERPTS FROM GREAT
WRITERS LIKE SHAKESPEARE AND
JOHN MILTON.
>>FROM 1836 TO 1960, ONE HUNDRED
MILLION COPIES OF THE READERS
WERE SOLD, AND THEY ARE STILL IN
USED TO.
UNLIKE YESTER YEAR, FAMILIES CAN
COOL OFF AFTER THEIR VISIT TO
PIONEER VILLAGE AT SPLASH
COUNTRY WATER PARK.
THE PARK IS LOCATED ACROSS THE
STREET THERE PIONEER VILLAGE AND
OFFERS A SPECIAL PRICE TO ENJOY
BOTH PARKS.
SPLASH COUNTRY INCLUDES IN
ADDITION TO LARGE SLIDE AND
GIANT POOL, AT THE TIME OF OUR
TAPING, THE SECOND LARGEST LAZY
RIVER IN THE STATE.
AS WE HAVE SEEN THE WATER PARK
WHEN COMBINED WITH THE PIONEER
VILLAGE, PRESENTS FAMILIES WITH
BOTH A FUN AND LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT.
HERE, VISITORS CAN CATCH A
GLIMPSE OF LIFE IN THE
PRE-MODERN ERA.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
VILLAGE OR WATER PARK CALL
(630)892-1550 OR LOG ON TO THEIR
WEB SITE AT WWW.FOXVALLEYPARK
DISTRICT.ORG.