Students get glimpse of 19th century life

After a Tuesday morning classroom visit by three local historians, students know one thing for certain about daily life in early 19th century America: Things were much tougher.

Injecting a measured dose of reality into Kit Stafford's Americana class at Sisters Middle School, volunteer guests Peter Feldman, Larry Nelson and Lance Trowbridge offered engaging details of pioneer life to students to assist with their project, taking on the personas of a businessman, artist or farmer in the fictional southern city of Timtown, Georgia.

"Each of my 16 students has chosen a particular occupation or trade from the 1830s to form an imaginary community," said Stafford. "Some are trappers, blacksmiths and coopers, and others are becoming bankers or farmers or milliners. I've invited these three U.S. history buffs into our group today to help give kids a better perspective on how it really was back then and how it reflects on their lives today."

After an introduction to the students, the class was broken down into three individual groups to discuss their various needs and abilities within each pre-chosen field or occupation. Each student will offer up subtleties of their identities, including what things were precious to them - a book or a doll - and who they relied upon.

"Throughout the trimester, Americana students are going to be looking at their lives through these characters," she explained. "They give themselves a name and a family and talk about their hopes, dreams and hardships using a variety of visual-arts projects in writing, painting and more. I'm hoping our three guests will kind of brighten the picture for the kids with colorful details and depth to add dimension to their characters."

Larry Nelson reminded his group that back then there was no electricity, and the fact that families were large due to the high infant-mortality rate.

Children were often included in the workday and labored from sunup until sundown from an early age. Clothes were hand-mended and often passed down from child to child. Luxuries and conveniences were few.

"Homes were one-roomed and meals were cooked all in the main fireplace," he said. "In the South there were less than 2,000 plantation owners. What you need to ask yourselves, whatever your trade or occupation, is how can you contribute to your town to make it more successful. You were extremely reliant upon your family and neighbors."

Nelson went on to explain how, through passion and hard work, society forged an identity despite the troubles of illness and conflict and death. People used and saved everything they could to make the most of their food and resources. Nothing was wasted.

"Without the Internet or television or radio, newspapers became very important to spread the word," said Nelson. "Dancing and singing was a major part of the entertainment scene, and usually one or more members of the family played a musical instrument. The arts were extremely important too, and at dances, concerts and fairs people would make vital contacts for business and barter, jobs and mates."

Lance Trowbridge's group of five students consisted of a butcher, a trapper, a saloon owner, a teacher and a farmer.

Trowbridge asked the kids specific questions, like what did the trapper do with his meat once caught, and what type of liquor did the saloon owner serve. Each one thoughtfully wrote down answers to add to their profiles and flesh out the facets of their lives by figuring out the bare necessities of existence, such as where they got their water from, what animals they kept and how they heated their homes and businesses in wintertime.

"These gentlemen live and love history, especially American history," said Stafford. "I learn something new from them every time and the kids really enjoy it."