Pioneer Day Saturday at LSUS Pioneer Heritage Center
10/24/05

Who were the pioneers that settled the northwest corner of Louisiana? Where did they come from? How did they live? How did they adapt to life on the raw frontier? The LSUS Pioneer Heritage Center provides answers to these and many more questions about life in the region’s early settlement days.

Have you ever seen a master farrier work his craft in a Blacksmith Shop? Have you ever danced to the tune of a bagpipe? You can see all this and more at the Pioneer Heritage Center’s Annual Pioneer Day Saturday (Oct. 29) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be quilters, woodcarvers, living historians and more.

The LSUS Pioneer Heritage Center gives insight into the intimate home life of the settlers and the natural environment in which they struggled to survive. Do not expect to see “history under glass.” This is a regional “history laboratory” where you can see how the pioneers built their first homes, clothed and fed their families and coped with sickness and hardship, as well as how their diverse beliefs and customs contributed to the cultural mosaic that is Louisiana.

Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children ages 6-12 or under and free for 5 and younger.

For information, contact Dr. Marguerite R. Plummer, director of the Pioneer Heritage Center, at 318-797-5332 (mplummer@lsus.edu) or Marty Young, assistant director, at 318-797-5339 (myoung@lsus.edu).

9th Annual Pioneer Day Participants

Glenn Pettiet (as Jubal Pearson) - Pioneer campsite and survival skills

Jan Pettiet – Yesterday’s Lady – 1850’s attire and displays and discussions of authentic period clothing

Reddshanks – Scottish campsite, Scottish music, Highland Cattle, genealogy and historical information

Bill Atteridge – Civil and Korean War Naval Museum – Master Model Ship Builder Display and histories of ships

Michael L. Baker, master farrier – Blacksmithing

Gail Fleetwood – The Soap Lady/Sundial Farms – Dried herbs and spices and soap-making demonstration

Red River Quilters – Quilting

North Louisiana Woodcarvers Association – Wood Carving

Katherine Aulds – Spinning

West’s Battery – 1860s artillery drill – cannon fired every hour