Here a young man hones his pioneer skills at Winter Trade Days on Thanksgiving weekend and at right - Santa Claus visited during An 18th Century Christmas.  Click here for more - WTD Photos & Christmas Photos.

The Long Run Massacre hosted by the Painted Stone Settlers draw record crowds

Now in it’s 18th Year The Painted Stone Settlers had record crowds on Saturday and Sunday this year at the event held on September 9-11. Friday’s school day saw almost 700 kids come through the gates and Saturday’s crowd was augmented by around 200 scouts and their families. The event tells the story of the evacuation in 1781 of Squire Boone’s settlement known as The Painted Stone Station. Descendants are always an additional portion of the audience and this year the farthest traveled descent was from Montana. The event was also recorded for YouTube by Shelbyville’s own Wizard Graphics.
More photos from the weekend event .

Elegance is the word for the 8th Annual Jane Austen Festival
at Historic Locust Grove

For fans of the early 19th Century with all of it’s elegance and style, The 8th Annual Jane Austen Festival was the place to be on July 18 & 19th, 2016. Historic Locust Grove in Louisville, Kentucky hosted the event for The Jane Austen Society of Louisville. But the ladies came from far and wide to participate in an elegant tea, shop the vendors of Meryton, watch the style show and more during the weekend event. All photos now loaded!

The Battle of Blue Licks 2016

The Battle of Blue Licks in 1782 was a pivotal battle for Kentucky. Ambushed by Indians, the major force of Kentucky’s militia started out after the natives had attacked the settlement known as Bryan’s Station. Warned by Daniel Boone that the Indians were planning an attack, the hot headed settlers anxious for revenge plunged into the wooded terrain only to be shot at from behind the trees. Even though they quickly took cover, over 80 prominent Kentuckians were killed. Photos Now Loaded!

History for a Moment

Most of the historical events and venues we cover deal with 100 years or more. This bit of history happened in three days - the blink of an eye in the scheme of things. Sand sculptor Damon Farmer started on Friday of Labor day weekend and completed his sculpture by the end of the day on Monday. Done with figures of Kentucky’s colorful horse history, visitors stopped to watch as the work progressed each day.

Learn More...

Oldham County Colonial Trade Faire 2016

Re-Enactors don’t always attend period events. One of the educational challenges to teaching folks about the 18th Century is to appear at Civic fairs and festivals. Here the Painted Stone Settlers Cannon Crew demonstrates their cannon on the corner of a busy street opposite a rail road track! The boom of the cannon drew much attention to the event at the Oldham County History Center which ran in conjunction with the LaGrange Arts on the Green event which draws thousands of visitors.

Descendants Gather at Fort Boonesborough

Period tents and 18th century garb were replaced by modern pop ups and street clothes at the 2nd Annual Gathering of Descendants. The event took place on June 18 and 19, at Fort Boonesborough State Park in Richmond, KY. Genealogy groups and speakers were on hand to greet visitors and provide more information about the 18th century settlers who first settled in the area. Photos Now loaded!

History in Our Own Backyard

Women on the Frontier 2016

United States Air Force Museum

A visual visit to the United States Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Springfield, OH. Click here....

April 16 and 17 brought the 12th Annual Women on the Frontier event to Fort Boonesborough. A weekend dedicated to learning - this event gives women re-enactors and their families a chance to learn more about the frontier. This years theme was Food and Shelter. Attending women and visitors to the fort were schooled in frontier gardening, and shelter building. Saturdays events included a hands on building of a shelter from willow saplings. Photos Now loaded.!!

Chief Black Hoof
 Visits the Painted Stone Settlers

Each spring The Painted Stone Settlers of Shelbyville, KY present a first person speaking event to the community. Well known for their re-enactment of The Long Run Massacre each fall the group added the spring event in 2009.

We realized that not everyone can make the fall event and the fact that it is an outdoor event hampers some folks in the community. As our mission is education - the spring event was a way to expand that mission, said Helen mcKinney of PSS.

On April 14, Chief Black Hoof (Catahecasa) brought his story to The Stratton Community Center. His was a long life and one that not many people are familiar with. Known as a great orator among the Native peoples Black Hoof took a different view on the American than did many of his contemporaries.

Springfield Ohio native Rusty Cotrell brought the Chief to life with his portrayal. More photos and story to come.....

New Event Calendar Format

The Pioneer Times has a new format for our event calendar. Click here to view the calendar.

Submit your events to our new calendar. Please submit any events through this link. All living history events may be submitted.

In addition to the calendar any events submitted will appear in an online searchable database. This will allow you to search for an event that you may not know the date. Click here to see the database.

The Cumberland Gap Event - The National Parks Celebrate 100 Years with a National Quarter Release

Re-Enactors gathered on April 9, 10 and 11 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of The National Parks System. The 3 day event consisted of an encampment for visitors on Saturday and Sunday, a special twilight visit to the Gap for re-enactors on Saturday evening and the unveiling f the new Commemorative Quarter on Monday in the presence of almost 2,000 school age visitors. Learn More..

History in Our Own Backyard

An early spring in Kentucky had us heading out - cameras in hand looking for history in our own back yard. Just across the Ohio River in Southern Indiana was a little known set of murals in Jeffersonville along with this monument to Lewis and Clark outside The Falls of the Ohio State Park. Statue at Clarksville, Indiana  Murals at Jeffersonville, Indiana

Penix plans Boone Trace Hike in
conjunction with Cumberland Gap Spring Event

In 2015 Curtis Penix planned and completed a hike of a portion of the Boone Trace. Penix is an avid hiker and was interested in learning more history about the trek. His hike was documented on his website and concluded at Fort Boonesborough on April 2015. Many people followed the event and even joined in the hike. See the story from 2015. This year Penix is going to make the trip in the reverse of his 2015 hike beginning at Fort Boonesborough and is inviting re-enactors and anyone interested in the trip.

Hikers starting out from Fort Boonesborough early on April 2, 2016.

Dr. John Fox and the Friends of Boone Trace have been working tirelessly this past year with organizations at the local, state and national level to open Boone Trace as a recreation and education destination. Last year’s hike from Kingsport, TN, to Fort Boonesborough, KY, was just the beginning.

Go to lostinthewander.com and Boonetrace1775.com (check out the digital maps page) and start following the hike.

A volunteer from the audience learns about surveying.

Fireside Chat with David VanMeter,
Surveyor at Fort Boonesborough

The third of the February Fireside Chats took place at Fort Boonesborough State Park on February 27, 2016. David VanMeter portrays a Frontier Surveyor in an era when surveying was of paramount importance. With land opening up in Kentucky and land warrants available to former military everyone wanted the best land in Kentucky.

VanMeter brought his tools of the trade and entertained audiences with both the technical and period aspects of surveying. At left he is shown with a volunteer from the audience and is helping her “sight” the coordinates.

The weather was balmy for this chat and it was a full house for the Frontier Fare dinner of burgoo and cornbread. Folks were able to mingle outside and visit the tavern and 18th Century Transylvania store before the performance.

This chat followed last week’s Mel Hankla as General George Rogers Clark and the February 6 Chat of Undressing the Historical Lady by Maggie Waterman Roberts (photos available).

Next week, March 5 brings Daniel Boone (Kevin Hardesty)to the fort. Boone was originally scheduled for February 13 but was rescheduled due to weather. There are still a few remaining seats left for this final performance - reservations are available at 859-527-3131.

Click here for more...

The Fireside Chats 2016
Undressing the Historical Lady

The Fort Boonesborough Foundation hosted the first of the February Fire Side Chats on February 6, 2016.

The opening performance was a lecture by Maggie Waterman Roberts entitled “Undressing the Historical Lady. “ The well dressed and equally knowledgeable Roberts explained with humor and tact just how many layers an 18th century woman wore.

Along the way she shed various layers, taked about their construction and how each piece developed as a common wardrobe staple. Each garment landed on the table next to her so visitors could come up to the front after her talk and examine the stitches and construction.

Additional Photos

1952-2015

The Re-Enacting World loses an original

Wayne Milton passed away on December 23, 2015. There were complications after his surgery, and he had been in the hospital 45 days. Most of that was in a drug induced coma in a ventilator.

Wayne was a long time re-enactor. He portrayed Daniel Boone among his many personas. The last chance we had to visit with Wayne was at The Siege of Boonesborough in September. He had been battling cancer and talked of an upcoming surgery that was scheduled. He was able to see many old friends that weekend and stopped to talk with all of them. Wayne leaves his wife Kathy Johnson Milton, 2 children and four grandchildren.

In 2010 we did a photo spotlight on Wayne Milton at Martin’s Station. Click here to see these photos of Wayne at his best. His obituray can be found at http://www.mathers-gauncefuneral.com/obits/obituary.php?id=583965