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BPC reaches into the past at Spring Turnout Festival

Area youngsters learn how to milk a goat at the Spring Turnout Festival held on the Montgomery County Historic Village on the BPC campus April 5. (Photos by E’Quain Rhodes)

By E’Quain Rhodes

BPC Marketing Staff Writer

MOUNT VERNON—Although the conditions were less than stellar, the show must go on.

This Spring Turnout Festival demonstrator gave hands-on lessons in caning a chair April 5.

This past Saturday, the Montgomery County Historic Village Committee accepted this task, by conducting a Spring Turnout Festival April 5. Held at the Historic Village on the Brewton-Parker College campus, the Committee managed to brave the weather and enlighten all as to how life was many years ago. The festival was held in conjunction with BPC’s Alumni Weekend events.

Dr. Mary Waalkes, the curator of the village and professor of history at BPC, praised the festival.

“We had a good number of people come by and all stayed for a while,” said Dr. Waalkes. “Children really enjoyed opportunities to do things the old-fashioned way. They pounded biscuits, made cornhusk dolls and milked goats. They saw how to rope a bed, how to make butter and how to spin cotton. Parents talked with our volunteers, often swapping family stories. We had a great day!”

The Historic Village showcases a magnificent depiction of the history of the Montgomery County. It is located just behind Jones Lake on the BPC campus. For more information, contact Dr. Waalkes at 912-583-3110. Learn more about the village and its history on the BPC website at www.bpc.edu/socscience/historic_village.

Brewton-Parker College is the only accredited four-year Christian college in south Georgia.

Dr. Mary Waalkes, BPC history professor and curator of the Montgomery County Historic Village, is dressed for life in early 20th century south Georgia. She was one a several volunteer demonstrators at the Spring Turnout Festival planned in conjunction with BPC’s Alumni Weekend April 4-5.

This demonstrator shows how to make biscuits “from scratch”.

Cornhusk dolls were favorite playthings of young ladies in the early 20th century – and relatively easy to make as this little girl discovers at the Spring Turnout Festival April 5 in the Montgomery County Historic Village on the BPC campus.

-BPC-