The Darke County Park District and Friends of Bear’s Mill are excited to announce a new field trip opportunity for all fourth-grade students in Darke County. The field trip will be held at Bear’s Mill on May 10th and 11th. Students will step back in time to the 1800’s where things were simpler, yet harder. At the site of Historic Bear’s Mill, they will feel as if they are the farmer bringing their grain in by wagon, the miller cleaning and grinding the grain with water power, and even the wife baking the bread and cornmeal over the fire. These activities are just a portion of what is planned of their day! Hands-on tinsmith and blacksmith workshops, pioneer life/toys, and candle dipping will complete their day.
Appreciation for pioneer life will be greater after experiencing these hands-on activities. These young Darke Countians will grow up with a sense of what their county looked like in the 1800’s. Students may go home that night questioning if they could survive pioneer work every day or if they would like the simpler way of life without modern day technologies.
This project is funded in part by the Ohio History Fund, a grant program of the Ohio History Connection. The Ohio History Fund is made possible by voluntary contributions of state income tax refunds, sales of Ohio History “mastodon” license plates, and other donations. The Ohio History Fund awarded Darke County Parks $15,860 to fund the first two years of this annual event. The Darke County Parks and Friends of Bear’s Mill are matching $11,973 to get this project started. This funding makes it possible to provide all activities, including bussing, making it free of charge to the students and school corporations.
The Mission of the Darke County Park District is to acquire and preserve land areas possessing special natural and historical features and to manage and maintain these resources for the benefit of its residents through appropriate educational and passive recreational programs and activities. The staff of Darke County Parks are grateful for the financial support of the Ohio History Fund, as well as the dedication of local sponsors and volunteers to make new educational events like this happen.
For more information, please contact Sophie Nieport at 937-548-0165 or snieport@darkecountyparks.org.