Battlefield Park: A window to the past

5/25/2011
  • Cathy-Taylor

    Cathy Taylor of Taylor,MI. cooks over an open flame during the open house.

    The Blade/Lisa Dutton
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    • Re-enactors perform a musket demonstration at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.
    Re-enactors perform a musket demonstration at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

    Re-enactors perform a musket demonstration at the River Raisin national Battlefield Park.

    The demonstration was part of an open house scheduled to introduce the community to the once seasonal visitors center at 1403 Elm Ave. in Monroe.

    Cathy Taylor of Taylor,MI. cooks over an open flame during the open house.
    Cathy Taylor of Taylor,MI. cooks over an open flame during the open house.

    The center, now part of the National Park Service, will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily year-round.

    Saturday's open house featured walking history battlefield tours, 1812 children's games, candy making a children's archaeology dig, a tomahawk throw, cannon demonstrations a military drill and a living history encampment complete with 1812 clothing, medicines, and memorabilia.

    Wood worker Jim Crammond uses period appropriate tools to work on a stool.
    Wood worker Jim Crammond uses period appropriate tools to work on a stool.

    Cathy Taylor of Taylor, Mich., uses period kitchen tools to cook over an open flame as part of the center's historical cooking demonstrations.

    Wood worker Jim Crammond uses period-appropriate tools, such as the tapered reamer, to construct a stool.