Our Visit to the 26th Bois D'Arc Primitive Skills Gathering and Knap-In
The dirt road is dotted with history. Quaint country homes, stone spring-houses, and the ruins of an old school house drift past the windows as we drove our way into the past. Finally, we saw the sign for Hullston Mill Historical Park, and we knew we are almost there.
When we heard about the primitive skills gathering last year, we intended to go, but life was too crazy. This year, it was still too crazy, but we decided to make the effort to at least stop by the event. So last Saturday, after standing up a wall, we jumped in the car to make the short drive to Hullston Mill Historical Park where the 26th Bois D'Arc Prmitive Skills Gathering and Knap-In was taking place. As we pulled in, we passed RVs and tents. Dozens of canopies were set up, where demonstrators and craftsmen displayed their wares. The first booth we passed showcased handmade knives and hatchets, with blades made from stone or steel. The result was impressive -- our brother, who had been looking for a hatchet, could not resist the opportunity.
Each vendor had something to offer -- unique leather work, beaded jewelry, handmade bois d'arc bows (being made before your eyes), jams and jellies, and more knives and arrowheads.
We could only stay for a little while, but even in that short time we met so many friendly people including some local homesteaders. We had a blast visiting with Ginesse of Chic in the Woods. Her leatherwork items were incredible. She looked familiar, and as we talked, she mentioned her Homestead Rescue experience, and all of a sudden we realized where we knew her from.
As we strolled through the booths, we took a detour to explore some of the historic buildings on site -- the Wier cabin with summer kitchen, as well as Hullston Mill itself. The old cabin was inspiring, making me wish those skills hadn't passed out of our community memory so thoroughly. The Mill was an impressive structure, especially for being more than 180 years old -- it is always sobering to walk through a place with so much history. The mechanics inside are huge, soaring into the second story. I would have loved to see the mill in operation.
We headed home before we were ready, but we are already planning to make time to attend some of the workshops next year. There were food foraging hikes, basket weaving classes, archery, and so much more. Plus, there is nothing like connecting with like-minded folks who, despite many and varied backgrounds, all come together to preserve the past and keep it a part of the future.