Today we checked out Living History Farms, just outside of Des Moines. It’s a 1875 era town, with three living farms (Ioway Indians, 1850 settlers, 1900 farmers) that feature authentic reenactors to explain all sorts of little details about daily life in a small Iowa town in the 19th century. We helped the printer work on her printing press, talked to the milliner and seamstress about hat making and wearing so many layers in hot weather, and spent a long time with the blacksmiths learning about the changes in smithing over the Industrial Revolution and how to shoe a horse. The kids even got to hold a very large horse toenail clipping! At the 1900 farm, the farmer let the kids climb into the hay mow and help pitch hay down for the horses. We played with period toys, including the fancy 3D picture viewer and innumerable tops, and we helped grind spices at the drugstore. We played school in the schoolhouse for a long time, and the girls each did a little recitation. Our feet were very sore by the end (and the little girls each had a bit of a meltdown at one point), but I think we all learned a lot. Tommy thought it was slightly less interesting than Greenfield Village, because these houses didn’t belong to famous people like the buildings there, but we all agreed that this felt much more authentic. So glad to be learning all this Midwest history while we’re here!
