Oak Harbor youth learn the past first-hand during visit to Log Cabin
OAK HARBOR - In early May, R.C. Waters Elementary School third graders in Stacy Schlagheck’s class studied the early history of Oak Harbor. They learned about the village’s founder, Adolphus Kraemer, and they made timelines of the village’s history. On May 15, their timelines came to life when they visited the Oak Harbor Log Cabin.
The annual third grade trips to the cabin teach the students what daily life was like for mid-19th century settlers. Joining Schlagheck’s students were third graders from Alison Hepler’s class at St. Boniface Catholic School.
“This satisfies some of the state requirements,” said volunteer Jane Whitaker. “They’re comparing life in Oak Harbor in 1860 to now.”
Students learn butter-making skills during tour
The students moved through stations where they learned to make butter from scratch, wash clothes by hand, and live in a log cabin. Volunteer Sharon Sprague mixed butter ingredients into a jar and asked the students to take turns “churning” it by shaking the jar. In just a few minutes’ time, butter was formed, and the children enjoyed samples of it spread on crackers.
Volunteers Brenda Lochotzki and Kay Hallett demonstrated a ringer-washer and encouraged students to hang-dry the clothes using hand-whittled wooden clothespins. Before they left, each child had the chance to pump water from a working pump.
“What we teach is related to a course on the middle 1800s. That is what they’ve been studying, so this is a wrap-up of what they do in the classroom,” said volunteer Dot Priesman.
Log Cabin was moved to park in 2005
The cabin was once owned by Priesman’s grandparents, Cy and Dorothy Franck. Priesman’s parents, Bill and Marge Priesman, donated the log cabin to the village, and it was disassembled and moved to its current location. The cabin officially became village property in 2005, and the land surrounding the cabin was dedicated as Adolphus Kraemer Park in 2009.
Priesman told the students she remembers playing in the cabin on her grandfather’s farm when she was a child.
“It was a two-story cabin then, but some of the logs were rotten, so they made it one-story when they moved it here,” she said. “It’s kind of fun that they brought it into town for everyone to enjoy.”
While touring the inside of the cabin, the students heard about early townspeople from Priesman and volunteers Mary Pohlmeyer and Connie Fabian. They learned about how early settlers tamed the Great Black Swamp and what life was like for the Native Americans who came before them. Students discovered that Oak Harbor was once home to wild animals such as wolverines, black bear and buffalo, and they saw antique housewares including rug beaters and razor straps.
Before they left, students were given sack lunches filled with foods that 19th century students would have eaten. The lunches were provided through funding by Oak Harbor Rotary Club.
Schlagheck was grateful her students had the opportunity to visit the log cabin.
“Part of our studies is learning about local history,” she said. “We learned about Adolphus Kraemer and how important the Portage River is to the town. The kids really enjoyed it.”
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: RC Waters students visit Oak Harbor Log Cabin
