Headquarters House Museum (home of the Washington County Historical Society) celebrated the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Fayetteville on Saturday, April 18. This year's celebration included a Dutch oven cooking competition, lace-making and quilting demonstrations, period dancing, house/museum tours, living history presentations, artifact exhibits, and a color guard.
The Dutch oven competition was awesome! There were teams from Oklahoma and Arkansas who cooked breads, main dishes, and desserts to enter in the competition, as well as to feed the visitors at Headquarters House. The judges, who included Channel 5's Darren Bob and Ashley Ketz (both were SO nice and funny!), had a TOUGH job! The Grand Champions were Curtis and Gaye Ann Grace from Newkirk, Oklahoma. They won dessert with their apple berry pie, as well as the bread portion with homemade cinnamon rolls. The Mudtown Dutchers from Bethel Heights, AR, won the main dish portion - their seafood jambalaya was amazing! Jim and Dawn Mills, also from Newkirk, Oklahoma, had a terribly mean (a very very good mean!) pecan pie. The cookoff would not have been as successful had it not been for Ron and Doris Williams and Oscar and Ruby Robinson, who fed every visitor to the Battle of Fayetteville with brown beans and ham, cornbread, and trashcan turkey. See their website at http://www.ozarkmountainmemories.com/. We appreciate their help and dedication very much!
Pictured Below - Top: Gaye Ann and Curtis Grace, "The Mudtown Dutchers"
Bottom: Jim Mills, Dawn Mills, Doris Williams
The Dogwood Lace Guild was represented by several lacemakers who demonstrated the tedious and fascinating skill. Their delicate pieces were gorgeous! They meet the 1st Saturday of each month at 10:00am at the Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale. Contact Peggy Bowen at peggy.bowen@gmail.com if you're interested. Quilting was demonstrated by the Son's Chapel Quilters. They meet Tuesday mornings from 9:00-12:00 at Son's Chapel in Fayetteville. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Scott at happyhowardscott@aol.com.
Pictured Below: Peggy Bowen with Dogwood Lace Guild, The Son's Chapel Quilters
Doug and Tess Kidd were kind enough to bring their collection of Civil War artifacts. Tess is the Volunteer Coordinator for WCHS. We love to have them show off their collection!
Every summer the WCHS holds their Heritage School for Young Ladies and Gentlemen at Headquarters House. During the week-long program, one of the things they learn is dance. The Virginia Reel, Gay Gordon, Duck Soup, Patty Cake Polka, and the Waltz are just a few of our favorites. Mrs. DeeDee Lamb, Director of Historic Programs, puts on quite a show every year! If you're interested in learning about the 1850's and 1860's, contact WCHS.
Pictured Below - Left: Jennifer Davis, DeeDee Lamb, me, and Joe Guinn; Right: Jordan Garrett and me
This year's WCHS Scholarship was presented to Jennifer Davis of Fayetteville. I'm proud to call her a close friend! She's a lovely young lady who will go VERY far in life.
A special and HUGE "thank you!!" to all the volunteers who make the Washington County Historical Society a success. Their signature events - the Battle of Fayetteville and the Ice Cream Social (August) - add so much to our community. Without the Historical Society, our county would not have so much of its past preserved and promoted.
If you're interested in becoming a member or volunteer of WCHS or would like to schedule a house tour, please go the website linked at the top of the page. Getting involved with the past is very rewarding - understanding the past is vital to our future.
Great write-up!!
ReplyDeleteThose are some good pictures - I would like to see one of the Headquarters House on there.
ReplyDeleteAnnette G.