Fourth-grade students from Tualatin Elementary and Bridgeport Elementary schools had an opportunity to become part of a “living history” experience as the Tualatin Heritage Center re-enacted what life was like during the pioneer days of the 1800s. This was the 15th year the Tualatin Historical Society (THS) invited children to encounter how settlers survived before the internet and electricity. This end-of-the-year event, coordinated by Ross Baker-THS President, THS member Mary Rennebohm, and THS Historian Sandra Lafky Carlson, involves more than a dozen volunteers from the Tualatin community.
Teachers prepare for this popular field trip by organizing students into “family groups” so they can study the hardships that pioneers encountered in the mid-1800s as they headed west on the Oregon Trail. The students get a small taste of the journey by “churning butter” (shaking cream in mason jars) as they travel from their school to the Heritage Center.
Learning Stations staffed by seasoned Historical Society members and community volunteers rotate the students through the following experiences:
- One Room Schoolhouse (Pam Rossio, Deb Cowely)
- Native Plants & People (Mike Hannegan, Denise Cline, Larry McClure)
- Ice Age (Mike Full, April Wicker)
- Artifacts & Tools (Barb Stinger, Rochelle Martinazzi)
The students saw how laundry was done in a demonstration by Emme Gende involving an old-fashioned wringer. The “Butter Churning Station” (Eleanore Mickus) was where the students sampled the results of their butter on hard crackers. And there was some hands-on time with old games (Doreen Knoll) such as Spinner, Game of Graces, and Jacobs Ladder.
In the one-room schoolhouse, students sit on wooden benches, following strict classroom rules while practicing arithmetic and cursive handwriting on slate boards with chalk. The lessons also emphasize the values of cleanliness, good manners, and respect.
Another popular station, Artifacts & Tools, provides the opportunity for students to see and touch a variety of artifacts and antiques used in the homes and farms of the American pioneers. Students enjoy guessing how the early settlers incorporated these items into their daily lives.
The day would not be possible if not for a group of important people working behind the scenes. Rebecca Pratt and Richard Hall provide a trailer load of items; from a room full of artifacts, to the benches and other items for the schoolhouse, and as caretakers of the historic Sweek House they provide a wealth of knowledge of how things were done by the native people and the pioneers. In addition, the THS Board, Heritage Center manager Rick Wheelock, Al Stewart Photography, and the teachers and volunteer parent chaperones keep the day moving along so the kids are able to learn and enjoy their journey.
We look forward to welcoming other Tualatin Elementary Schools to this engaging event in the future. If you are interested in volunteering for this event or would like more information, please contact ask@tualatinhistory.org.
