The Museum’s Pioneer Days visitors enjoyed hands-on learning about the ‘olden days’.
Union County Heritage Museum presented its 2025 Pioneer Days living history event October 23-25 on the Museum Grounds. The event has been free and free and open to the public for over 20 years and is attended by many out of county and even out of state fans. The three day presentation had a day for special needs and out of county schools, a day for 2nd-4th grade students (over 600 of them) from New Albany and Union County school, and Family Day on Saturday.
Woodworking, with a little help from your friends
A large group of museum volunteers, including the Museum Guild and Blue Mountain Christian University students helped museum staff with the event. They were joined by dozens of crafters, artists, musicians and educators who demonstrated broom making, basket weaving, yarn spinning, quilting, butter churning, leather working and more. Visitors could work at a crosscut saw, wash on a scrub board and use a hand cranked wringer. Kids could milk a cow, shuck corn and try their hand at churning butter. Things that are “fun” now, but were part of our hard-working heritage.
Alaina Wilder turning cotton bowls into yarn
Volunteers manned the country store, the one room school house and Dr. Pennebaker’s office, all part of the Museum’s historic village. Blue Springs Professor Michael Megelsh manned the village black smith shop. An old time Frisco railroad caboose and an old jail, also permanent museum exhibits were popular.
Children and adults enjoyed the egg & spoon races, sling shot competition, pumpkin carving and old-fashioned toys.
There was story telling and a variety of live music throughout the day: volins, dulcimers, banjos and more. The Chickasaw Nation had items that have been in the area in the 1500’s, for daily use and for early trading; another exhibit feature artifacts found in the area when plowing, digging potatoes, etc.
Leatherworker Donald Watts with his hand cranked sewing machine
Washing and Wringing-the hard way
This museum event is a history lesson with activities for the young and old. It centers around how the pioneer hill folks dressed, built, produced, prepared and cooked foods, as well as how they were schooled and the music and games they enjoyed in their scant free time.
The Heritage Pioneer Days event is only one of many opportunities for hands-on learning and family fun activities that the Union County Heritge Museum and their Community Partners and supporters provide for the community.
