We had a really enjoyable day today (May 15) visiting two very interesting historic sites.
The first was Fort Boonesborough which has been reconstructed as a furnished 18th century working fort. The tour was self-guided but there were folks in period dress throughout the fort answering questions and performing living history demonstrations such as soap making and weaving. There was also a film re-enacting life at the fort and the siege of 1778 when Daniel Boone and the settlers were under attack by the Shawnee.
They have a calendar of special events throughout the year at www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org.
The second site we happened upon was White Hall State Historic site. White Hall was the home of Cassius Marcellus Clay, 19th century Ambassador to Russia, friend of Abraham Lincoln, and newspaper publisher who spoke out against slavery and fought for the emancipation of slaves (although he was raised in a family of wealthy landowners and slaveholders). His three daughters were all very involved in women’s suffrage. Our wonderful tour guide, Jeffrey, was very articulate, well-versed in the history of the mansion and it’s master, and kept us highly entertained with colorful stories. He clearly enjoyed his job, gave us a very thorough tour, and took his time answering all of our questions. Many of the family’s original furnishings are still there. The mansion has some beautiful plaster work and state of the art indoor plumbing for that time:)
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