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Happening
at the Crossroads:
July
17,
2011
by
Coggin Heeringa
This
time of year, many birdwatchers come to Crossroads
to enjoy our upland birds.
Nesting in tall grass, these birds are hard to
locate unless they are perched on something taller
than grass… something like common mullein.
Even if you don’t know the name, you probably know
mullein (Verbascum thapsus). As kids, we called the
first year rosettes “Flannel Leaf” or “Bunny’s Ears”
because the leaves really do resemble the soft
velvety ears of rabbits. During its second (or
occasionally third) year, a tall plant stalk grows
from the rosette.
The plant is topped with a dense cluster of yellow
flowers, each of which blooms only one day. These
plants tower over the surrounding vegetation: They
are outstanding in their fields.
Records of mullein go back to ancient times.
Aristotle wrote that the seeds of mullein leaves,
when dropped in water, made fish easier to catch.
This may have been true in that the seeds seem to
have mild narcotic properties. In Roman times, the
mullein stalks (dipped in tallow) were used as
torches for funeral processions. During the Middle
Ages, monks used mullein as medicine for ailments
ranging from coughs and earaches to migraines. The
yellow flowers were used to dye hair.
When the colonists came to America, they brought
things with them that they thought would be useful.
For example, they brought chickens so they could
have eggs. Colonists brought mullein to be used as a
medicinal herb, but also because the fibers of the
stalk could used for candlewicks and tinder, and the
leaves made warm liners for shoes and boots.
The soft leaves were precursors to plastic wrap.
Colonial women used the leaves as wraps to keep food
moist and fresh.
Legend has it that colonial women, lacking rouge,
would rub their cheeks with the soft leaves of
mullein. The tiny barbed hairs on the leaves are
irritating to tender skin, resulting in a rash that
may well have given the women a rosy glow. That rosy
glow may not always be desirable, as many modern day
campers can attest. Even though they are squeezably
soft, the leaves of mullein leaves are not a good
substitute for toilet paper.
Obviously, if colonists needed to bring eggs and
mullein with them from Europe, they are not native
species. Historians believe that chickens arrived on
the Mayflower and mullein probably was not far
behind.
Mullein and chickens are so much a part of Door
County that they seem like natives, perhaps because
they are championed by two of the most respected men
on the peninsula, retired school superintendent Carl
Scholz and retired priest, Fr. Anthony Birdsall.
Sunday at The Historical Village will welcome Father
Tony and His Famous Chickens while Carl Scholz will
describe yet another use for mullein plants. Carl
makes and uses walking sticks from the central
stalks of common mullein, and he will speak of the
importance of walking. He also will demonstrate the
use of walking sticks and explain how his special
walking sticks are made.
As always, members of the Door County Historical
Society will be on hand to offer free walking tours
of the historical buildings, and they will be
selling apple pie to help raise funds for the
on-going maintenance of The Village.
This treat my be as “American as apple pie,” but,
actually, apples are not native either. Colonists
brought apple seeds from Europe and when the
orchards suffered low yields, they then imported
honeybees to pollinate the non-native fruit.
During the summer, The Historical Village and the
Exhibits at the Collins Learning Center are open
daily from 1:30 – 3:30 pm. Summer educator Joan
Wilkie presents free family programs featuring local
history or nature, presented Monday – Thursday.
These programs are open to learners of all ages. You
need not bring a family to attend and
pre-registration is not required.
The Collins Learning Center and The Historical
Village at The Crossroads are located just east of
Sturgeon Bay, at 2041 Michigan Street (County TT.)
Wednesday, July 20
1:30
The 1900 Chapel
Listen to hymns on the pump organ and hear stories
of the first pioneer church in Door County. Meet at
The Chapel at The Crossroads. Free.
Thursday, July 21
1:30
Family Program: Country Garden
Enjoy the vegetables and flowers selected to grow in
our Heritage Garden. Meet at the Garden Gate in The
Historical Village. Free.
Sunday, July 24
1:30-3:30
Sunday at The Village: “Walking Sticks” and “Father
Tony’s Famous Chickens”
Carl Scholz will speak of the importance of walking.
He’ll also demonstrate the use of walking sticks and
explain how they are made. Also, Fr. Tony Birdsall
will exhibit his famous chickens. Free, but Apple
Pie for sale. Meet at The Historical Village.
Monday, July 25
1:30
School Days in 1900
Enjoy daily lessons such as reading, writing,
arithmetic, history, science music in a rural
schoolhouse. Meet in the Vignes School in the
Historical Village.
Tuesday, July 26
1:30
Family Program: Butterflies Everywhere
Hike to find butterflies, their caterpillars and the
plants they love to eat. Free Meet at the Collins
Learning Center.
Many
of the Past News articles may be retrieved from
this
directory, indexed and named in the
following manner: 080101-news.htm where
the first two numbers are the year, the second
two the month and the last two the date.
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