A young man in red suspenders raises his hand, “I have
a letter from my brother in Cuba,” he explains."The Maine was sunk. My brother was there!"
“Please read your letter to the class,” the teacher instructs.
Standing and pulling a rumpled paper from his flannel shirt pocket, the youngster reads:
"Dear Family, I was just closing my letter to you when I felt the crash of the explosion. It was a bursting,
rending, and crashing sound, or roar of immense volume, largely metallic in character. "
Thank you, Levi. Now, pupils, it is time for arithmetic. Please get out your slates. When we are finished, we will
hold gunny sack and three-legged races at recess.”
In an ironic crossroads between the past and the present, elementary students have used the Internet to gather
material for their "current events" class set in the 1890s. They also have memorized poems and learned
songs from the turn of the last century, dressed in old fashioned clothing, and packed their lunches in pails.
History comes alive in the Vignes School at the Crossroads. What could have been a tedious lesson about the Spanish
American War becomes real as children role-play during day-long field trips to the Village at the Crossroads. But
this is more than a one day adventure. In preparation for their trip, students learned research skills, how to
plan, and a vast number of facts pertaining to the history of our county, state and nation.
As the Historical Village develops, we dream of extending the experiences to three or four day residential experiences
so the youth of today can live like those in the past. |
Currently:
- maintains the Historical Village
- provides historical interpretation during special events.
- hosts school groups
- hosts clubs and organizations
- sponsors a Junior Historical Society
Plans to:
- build an outbuilding for storage and demonstrations
- build or move a general store/post office to the site
- create a museum of churches in the Chapel entryway
- host motor coach tours
- staff the Village with costumed characters during tourist
seasons
- act as a clearing house for historical sites in Door
County
- sponsor enactments and residential experiences
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