Happening at the Crossroads
July 20, 2007
by Coggin Heeringa
For many, a visit to Crossroads at Big Creek is a retreat to a simpler time….. a time when all goods could be purchased at a general store, when music was created by a group of friends, and when stargazing was done without high-tech equipment. This return to a simple time is the thread which runs through the Crossroads activities this week.
On Saturday and Sunday, from 1:00-3:00, costumed interpreters from the Door County Historical Society will be happy and proud to show you the buildings at the Historical Village at the Crossroads. For many, the scent of chalk dust and books will evoke a flood of childhood memories. The historical society is in the process of furnishing the Warren House and the Sturgeon Bay Home and Garden Club love to have visitors to their Heritage Garden.
Simplicity is most evident in the Greene General Store. In this day and age when a whole grocery store aisle might be devoted to spaghetti sauces or flavored mustards, it is hard to imagine buying all of your worldly goods from a tiny general store at a crossroads.
Of course, one of major attractions of any general store was the selection of penny candy. By our standards, the selection was small, but at the turn of the last century, visions of penny candy danced in many a young head.
Much of the candy we know today was not created yet. Candy corn and Black Crows were invented in 1880 and 1890 respectively, but were never sold in the heat of the summer. We think of candy corn as Halloween treats, but the reason for this tradition was that the sugary candies melted together into one orange and yellow glob in the heat of July and August, so it was only offered for sale in October. Tootie Rolls and Cracker Jacks were invented in 1896 and were instantly popular because of their ability to withstand summer heat and humidity. At the Greene General Store, as in the past, penny candy means hard candy or salt water taffy, and just to make things simple, we still sell it for a penny.
Sunday afternoon, July 29 at 1:30, the final concert of the Acoustic Concert Series will be offer by the Door County Folk Collective in the Chapel at The Crossroads.. Hobson's Choice will sing Bluegrass, Jug Band, Sea Chanteys and other folk traditions, with an occasional pop tune thrown in for good measure. The group members are Jeff Bradley, Paul Klapatch, Bob Moellenberndt and Cy Rosenthal.
Many of their tunes originated as work songs..... songs sung to keep repetitive tasks from getting boring and to help sailors and laborers keep their movements synchronized. This promises to be a most entertaining afternoon.
Monday at Vignes School will be the final “class” offered by our own schoolmarm, Joan Wilkie. From 10:00AM-12:00 noon, she invites students and their families a quieter time when children of all ages gathered in a one room schoolhouse to learn about the world.
For families that love to stargaze, or which think they might want to start, Mike Egan takes us back to the days before telescopes, before Hubble, before radio, when the way to see the sky was to look up on a nice, dark night. The program
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Why We See What We See” will be presented at 4:00 Tuesday in the Collins Learning Center.
Throughout the week, we encourage families to engage in "Green Play." The best way to learn about the environment is to simply explore in an unstructured way. Between 11:00-3:00, families can stop by the Collins Learning Center to check out butterfly nets, field guides and binoculars. Or just wade or hike.
'Tis a gift to be simple and Crossroads and its many volunteers offer these programs free of charge to the community. Crossroads is a donor supported, 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to life long, experience- based learning in science, history and the environment. It is located at the intersection of Highway 42/57 and Michigan in Sturgeon Bay. 920-746-5895. The Collins Learning Center is open 11:00-3:00 Monday through Saturday and 1:00-3:00 on Sunday. Trails are open to the public. Pets (on leash and under control) are permitted.
Crossroads at Big Creek is an historical and environmental learning preserve where learners of all ages can focus on science, history and the environment. Trails are open to the public. Dogs (on leash and under control) are allowed. Crossroads is located at the Intersection of Highway 42/57 and Michigan Street ( County TT ) in Sturgeon Bay.
