Montauk State Park hosted a two-day Montauk Mill Celebration
Friday and Saturday. The event featured many old-time crafts being
demonstrated and there were several activities where the public
could interact with the demonstrations.
Friday especially catered to students, and there were many area
schools represented, including Licking, Salem, West Plains,
Summersville, Hartsville, Phelps County R-III, a group of home
school students and more. There were at least 672 students in
attendance.
The kids enjoyed touring the old mill and learning how it operated
in the past. They even took a turn at grinding corn by hand.
Some of the craft demonstrators included Jerry and Susan Wilson of
Salem. The couple offered demonstrations in Susan spinning and
Jerry using natural dyes to dye wool.
Susan was spinning on her spinning wheel but she also gives lessons
on spinning with a drop spindle, one of the oldest and earliest
forms of spinning. She had a large basket of wool on hand and let
the kids try their hand at carding the wool. Some of them
discovered it was not as easy as it looked, however, after Susan
pointed out they were using too much wool, they found it went a
little easier.
Besides spinning, Susan also does finger weaving, using the
naturally dyed wools that her husband colors for her. She mimics
the style that Native Americans used for thousands of years weaving
fabric without a loom. She also gives lessons in this.
Jerry Wilson carves gourds, turning them into objects of art, and
dyes natural fiber - wool, llama, alpaca, as well as bone beads,
with his natural made dyes. Jerry also gives lessons in these
arts.
Missouri State Park worker Matt Kantolla was demonstrating how
moonshine was made, and Dee LeRoy from Excelsior Springs was
demonstrating Dutch oven cooking. Marilyn Smith of Kingsville was
also spinning on her wheel. Marilyn and her husband Danny raise
their own sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas so she will always have
a source for her fiber to spin. Cathy and Terry Wyatt of Eminence
were demonstrating making Lye soap. They also had handmade
brooms.
Treaty Creek was the site run by Jeff and Betty Goris of Licking.
They have been taking part in these types of re-enactments since
the mid 70's, in fact, that's how they met, but switched to
demonstrating crafts from demonstrating the long canoes.
Jeff does tin-smithing and even let the kids try their hand at it.
Betty weaves cotton rugs on a loom that Jeff made for her. She has
been doing rugs for about 6 years; before she wove baskets.
K & E Wood Products of Salem, Ellen and Ken Brasier, had their
treadle lathe there with Ken demonstrating his skill. He makes some
very unique antique toys and gift items. These include
kaleidoscopes, tops, ink pens, letter openers, salt & pepper
grinders, coffee grinders, perfume holders, cane woven chairs and
more. Ellen does the herringbone cane weaving. Kids of all ages are
especially fascinated with the kaleidoscopes.
Besides the displays, kids took a turn at trying the crosscut saw,
learning to shoot a bow and arrow, throw an atlatl and watch the
strong man perform amazing feats of strength. They also enjoyed
feeding the fish, where Montauk generously supplied all of the kids
with fish food.
