Graphic Enterprises - Home of the Pioneer Times - A Web Site for Living History
Women on the Frontier at Fort Boonesborough
June 10th and 11th 2006
Photos by Jim Cummings
We never could get a good shot of Karen Scales as she kept busy all day Saturday cooking. At 4 o’clock Saturday, the Women of the Frontier, fort staff and some of the fort visitors were treated to pork roast, potatoes, corn on the cob and more.
Melanie Kuntz excels not only at spinning and weaving but at teaching the public about her crafts.
Krista Graves shared her vast knowledge of women’s clothing and fabrics with the public.
Left - Tabitha Foster - a fort employee is working at the forge this summer. She was a perfect addition to “Women on the Frontier” as she explained to visitors that there were actually women blacksmiths in that time period. Here she works on a sword she is fashioning. Tabitha is a student at Eastern Kentucky University.
Left- Kathy Cummings spoke with visitors to the fort. As they passed through the cabins she told many visitors the story of the native woman they were about to meet.
As the story went Elisha was the long ago captured sister of Melanie. After many years as a captive she had been returned to the fort- but all of the women’s attempts to teach her to dress and live again as a white women had failed. She persisted in sleeping outdoors and still clung to her native clothing and ornaments.
It was amazing as guests circled through the fort - how many questioned Elishia about “her life as a captive.”
Left and top - As time allowed Mel would take an interested child and let her try her hand at spinning and weaving. This young girl had been reading the “Little House on the Praire” books and was remarkably knowledgeble about the early homemaking arts. Her younger sister had been reading a book called “From Cotton to T-Shirts” and although she loved feeling the samples of weaving on display was too camera shy to participate.
Right - Not only did Krista talk about clothing - she gave these younsters a change to try on the hats!
Melanie Kuntz (left) sets the scene for Kathy Cummings (right) first person account of “A Widow from Painted Stone Station.”
Below left - Fort employees working in the garden.
Below right - As the weekend winds down Bill Farmer of Fort Boonesborough stops to chat with the “Women of the Frontier”
