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  • Jefferson County Historical Society volunteers John Howard and Tom Newton sit near the entrance of the Historical Village Saturday, welcoming visitors and talking about the bygone days. RORYE O’CONNOR/REGISTER-NEWS

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June 7, 2010

Historical society plans summer events

By RORYE O’CONNOR rorye.oconnor@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — The Jefferson County Historical Society is planning for a variety of events this summer, including an expansion of the Day in the Life of a Prairie Child event.

With the help of a $2,000 grant from the Schweinfurth Foundation, and an $800 donation from PRM Enterprises, the historical society hopes to expand its Prairie Child educational event from one day to a series of four to five dates from June through August, said Jefferson County Historical Society Director of Community Relations Ron Copenhaver.

The historical society is consulting with administrators from the Jefferson County 4-H, the Girl Scouts of Shagbark Council, the Veterans Park Day Camp and St. Mary’s Good Samaritan day care to create a set of dates for children to come and learn what it would have been like to live on the Illinois prairie long ago, Copenhaver said.

This year’s theme for the event will be dance and music, he said.

“The children are going to learn square dance lessons and lessons on the dulcimer,” Copenhaver explained. “For gardening and cooking, they will transplant herbal plants from the gardens around the cabins.”

With the help of Sharon Yearwood, children’s librarian at C.E. Brehm Memorial Library, children who attend the Day in the Life of a Prairie Child event will also get to see the clothing Civil War-era citizens wore.

“She has a cousin with a collection of gowns and clothes from the Civil War period,” Copenhaver said. “They will be on display and modeled.”

The Historical Society is also putting on a music festival for the first time.

The JCHS Bluegrass Festival is slated for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 19 at the Historical Village. The Historical Society is still looking for bluegrass bands or solo musicians to play at the event. Those interested may call Cassie Andrews at 242-8280 to sign up.

In addition to the Prairie Child event and the Bluegrass Festival, the JCHS is also planning to hold its traditional Ice Cream Social August 7, said JCHS member Sharon Nichols.

“That’s always fun,” she said. “We’re going to have entertainment and homemade cake along with ice cream.”

The JCHS is planning a Civil War reenactment in September or October, Nichols said, before the eighth annual Heritage Festival the first weekend in October.

JCHS member George Kuhn said there are also plans for a treasure hunt later in the fall.

The Historical Village and museum are open May through October, Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 246-0033.

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