Waitsburg’s First “Pioneer Day”

WAITSBURG - Being off the grid had a whole different meaning in the 1860s, when early settlers founded a community that later became Waitsburg.

Nowadays, some homeowners and communities pride themselves on being independent of large utility networks for their resources, but back then pioneers didn't have a choice and became very adept at keeping their households going by hand.

That was the message to several groups of Waitsburg elementary school students who came to Waitsburg's historic Bruce Mansion for a taste of life and lessons from those early days.

Called "Pioneer Day," the field trip was the first of its kind initiated by retired fifth-grade teacher Pam Conover in collaboration with the Waitsburg Historical Society. Sandra Hedrick, director of volunteers for the society, wrote the lesson scripts for the event, which drew grades K-2 in the morning and grades 3-5 in the afternoon.

"I thought it was a wonderful way of acquainting children with the history of Waitsburg," said Anita Baker with the Waitsburg Historical Society.

Baker, a former elementary school teacher herself, set up shop in the classroom, showing kids how strict school discipline was on the frontier and how kids had to work hard to keep their space warm and organized.

Waitsburg was founded 146 years ago, spurred by Sylvester M. Wait who erected a flour mill near the Touchet River north of Main Street. Each year, Waitsburg celebrates its formative years with the Pioneer Fall Festival at the Bruce Mansion, which is still completely off the grid.

Visitors then have a chance to see demonstrations of life, arts and crafts of the 1880s as did the students last week.

With the spring rains coming and going Wednesday, the kids rotated through the various stations showing them how to sew buttons, make rope, churn butter, make dinner using a Dutch oven, play bluegrass instruments, tour the two-story museum and get some time in a Pioneer classroom.

"I taught them a short lesson in reading, math and geography using old text books," said Baker who selected words from a 1865 book for a spelling bee. The younger kids wrote their name on a slate.

She also noted that it would have been the responsibility of one or more of the students to keep the fire going in the stove during the school day. Even on a spring day with the coolness of rain, Baker said she was exhausted and "freezing" after seeing the many groups come through for Pioneer Day.

Conover said she hasn't decided if the event will be the first and/or only one of its kind, though there was little question it seemed popular with the dozen or so adult volunteers and with the kids, who had a chance to learn something different during their last week before the summer holiday.