Harn Homestead
It is hard to believe an entire week has passed since we visited the Harn Homestead. I did promise to tell you about it, though, so here it is!
Our school's second graders went to the Harn Homestead for the day last Thursday. The homestead is very near the capitol tucked away in a neighborhood. Mr. Harn was designated the land commissioner in charge of settling disputes created during the landrun. He moved to the property in 1891. Much of the property has been preserved and serves as an educational museum. The women who were working there Thursday told me they take people around on tours and teach them how things were done near the turn of the century. When they aren't leading tours, they are actively engaged in the upkeep of the property, including working the vegetable garden!
The setting, which is right in the middle of the city, was quite peaceful. The grounds were simply kept and tidy. The garden was recently tilled with long, straight mounds of rich brown dirt. Wood was stacked neatly next to the barn, and the houses were clean, neat and sparse. In the school house we learned which punishments went with which transgressions and the children were shocked to learn that boys would get a lashing if they were found playing in the girl's area of the playground.
We ate picnic lunches on blankets in a large barn. After the children finished eating, they started square dancing!!! Can you imagine? I don't think any adult told them to do it, they just started doing it. They had no toys and no playground, and they made their own fun. We had truly stepped back in time.
If you haven't been to the Harn Homestead, I recommend you go. It is fascinating and it is peaceful. It is also a testament to how many luxuries we really have.
It is hard to believe an entire week has passed since we visited the Harn Homestead. I did promise to tell you about it, though, so here it is!
Our school's second graders went to the Harn Homestead for the day last Thursday. The homestead is very near the capitol tucked away in a neighborhood. Mr. Harn was designated the land commissioner in charge of settling disputes created during the landrun. He moved to the property in 1891. Much of the property has been preserved and serves as an educational museum. The women who were working there Thursday told me they take people around on tours and teach them how things were done near the turn of the century. When they aren't leading tours, they are actively engaged in the upkeep of the property, including working the vegetable garden!
The setting, which is right in the middle of the city, was quite peaceful. The grounds were simply kept and tidy. The garden was recently tilled with long, straight mounds of rich brown dirt. Wood was stacked neatly next to the barn, and the houses were clean, neat and sparse. In the school house we learned which punishments went with which transgressions and the children were shocked to learn that boys would get a lashing if they were found playing in the girl's area of the playground.
We ate picnic lunches on blankets in a large barn. After the children finished eating, they started square dancing!!! Can you imagine? I don't think any adult told them to do it, they just started doing it. They had no toys and no playground, and they made their own fun. We had truly stepped back in time.
If you haven't been to the Harn Homestead, I recommend you go. It is fascinating and it is peaceful. It is also a testament to how many luxuries we really have.
posted by Jan at 12:42 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks! I've been waiting on this post.
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