I recently had an opportunity to go back in time.
Specifically, to the early 1800s and the Nebraska frontier.
Every year, the Washington County Historical Association hosts a 2-day event called Heritage Days at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park.
The event celebrates the history of the early settlement days of Nebraska through hands-on learning demonstrations, traditional foods, and historical re-enactment, aka “living history.”
Wade: I think it's real important that people get a sense of history that's something as alive
When they come up here they can get the sights, the sounds, the smells
they can smell the fire, you know, smell the food cooking
They can see and feel the textures of the trade goods and the furs
and they can look and hear what it was like going on, camp noises in the background
What we try to interpret was the day-to-day life of the average citizen who was here
When you're in a classroom, so often, what you find because they have to teach so much in a limited time period
you're reading about the important decision makers
and the people who made things happen
and what this is is a slice of life
about someone who was living every day, just like we are
trying to make a go of it in the 1820s.
Fort Atkinson was the first United States military post west of the Missouri River.
The U.S. chose the location for the fort based on the recommendation of explorer William Clark.
Yes, he was the Clark of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Clark had wrote down in his journal that the area would be perfect for a military post.
The U.S. established Fort Atkinson in 1820.
It was extremely important to the early fur trade, for river transportation west, and for Native American relations.
Deb: The reason why I think it is so fascinating out here is because the fort is rebuilt on the original foundation
and it's built per the specs that were here.
Every railroad tie that was donated
was turned into an actual timber
Every single one, it is the same as it would have looked in 1820
so that's what's really cool besides the people
the history is really back
Wade: This place is special because, for this part of the West
most of Nebraska's history takes place after Nebraska opens up as a territory in 1854
and there were just a lot of firsts here
They were the first settlers in Nebraska,
they had the first cattle herd in Nebraska,
they had the first farms in Nebraska
Bart: When we come out here
on a weekend, that first weekend of every month
we actually try to live like they did at that time
You know, like our camp that I have here,
there is nothing showing in our camp, that they wouldn't have during that time
and we actually do it. We are actually living it.
Just like they did 200 years ago.
Terry: When I came out here the first time I was nervous
I didn't know anybody except Wade, and I came out here and everybody knew my name, which kind of threw me off
but everybody knows everybody. We actually stay on site.
We'll stay in either a tent like I stayed in
or we'll stay in the cabin
or the soldiers will stay in the barracks
They come here, with just a love
Nobody gets paid.
We do it because we enjoy doing it.
Other people pay money to go on fancy vacations, we love here because
it's like a hobby and a passion for us
Bart: I think I bring in a little bit for being in this for like 30 years
from the stuff that I experienced
bring to this group my expertise
and they bring to me their expertise
so we kind of just fit and mesh
It's a great group to be involved with
And, it's more of the camaraderie and stuff
You appreciate what you have today but coming in and re-living how they did during that time
At the fort’s peak, almost a quarter of the country’s standing army resided there.
However, the U.S. government abandoned the fort in 1827, just seven years after it opened.
The Army had opened up a new fort further south called Fort Leavenworth, and it shifted its resources there, so it didn’t need Fort Atkinson anymore.
Fort Leavenworth, by the way, still exists today and continues to be an important military installation.
Meanwhile, farmers had taken over the area that used to be Fort Atkinson.
Flash forward to 1961, and the locals began a huge push to preserve and restore the area.
Soon after, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission bought the land and, during a period of around 20 years, completed reconstructed the fort.
Today, the place is one of the best kept historical parks in the country.
If you really want to get a feel for what life was truly like in the early 1800s in America, I strongly recommend you check out Fort Atkinson State Historical Park.
Thank you to the Friends of Fort Atkinson for helping me as I produced that video. That was a lot of fun.
filming live on location, interviewing people
acting like I was a journalist again
like I used to be
Speaking of that, what do you think of this format?
Do you like this format?
I rarely have videos like this,
but I would like to do more of them.
Hey do you participate in historical reenactments, or "living history?"
Let me know in the comments below. I'm curious to see how that's been going for you.
Supreme Court Briefs returns next week.