WOF 18


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				14th Annual

	Women on the Frontier at Fort Boonesborough

			April 21 - 22, 2018

		Photos by Kathy Cummings and Elizabeth Chalfant

“Fighting Frontier Females”

Saturday’s Schedule for the 14th Annual Women on the Frontier kept it’s promise for “Fighting Frontier Females”. The weather was warm and sunny after an absolute soggy and cold spring. As promised learning about guns/rifles began with learning about how to mold musket balls. Re-Enactor Larry Ginter led participants in the forge through a detailed, hands on “how to” from melting the lead to pouring into the molds.

Women often molded balls and loaded rifles for the men during an active confrontation with Indians so it was a skill that most women had on the frontier. But many times men were gone for extended periods of time and the women of the frontier knew their way around shooting and all it entailed. Food and protection both depended on these skills. And as noted in the event program women also had to give up personal and household items when metal for musket balls was running low. Imagine turning your spoons into musket balls!


		Brenda Rice watched as Larry Ginter handles a musket ball just out of the mold.

	Click here for Slide Show “Making Musket Balls”


		Larry McQuown conducted the section firing the flintlocks. He went through all of the safety features, parts of the gun, the difference between a rifle and a flintlock and more. He discussed types of gunpowder, filling a powder horn and touched on the many expressions that have funneled down to our speech today. Expressions like “lock, stock and barrel”, “ going off half cocked” and “flash in the pan.” Not only did the women participants get a chance to fire but visitors who signed a waiver could also take their turn.

	Firing A Flintlock. Click here for the slide show.


	Firestarting with Fort Manager Bill Farmer

		Click here for photos




		The many faces of Women on the Frontier 2018 Click here for the slide show


	Using axes as tools and weapons were also explored during the weekend event.






		Special thanks to Kriti Heasley, Emily Burns and Bill Farmer for planning this event.

The staff and planning committee for Women on the Frontier 2018 dedicated this year’s event to the memory of Anne Farmer. Anne worked at the fort for 16 years and participated in many of The Women on the Frontier events along with managing the fort gift shop.

Her presence will be missed!