Sauder Historical Village - Part 3

This building was the old ice cream shop before they built a different one on the 1920s Main Street.

Building #18 is the Nature Center.  

The nature center includes an exhibit on "Exploring our Ecosystem" which teaches facts about soil, aquaponics, bees, and planting.  Try out the hands-on activities and learn about the local ecosystem.

Building #19 - Water-Powered Grist Mill

I love the side view of the mill.

Milling grain into flour has been a crucial step in providing food for families since its earliest history.  In the 1700s and 1800s, water-powered gristmills such as this were common sights in most settled areas.  In this mill, they grind corn into meal which they use for our cooking demonstrations and for selling to guests.  You will learn the history of milling and get to try grinding corn with stones as Native Americans did for centuries.

Building #20 is the Erie Express Train Station.  

Drop-offs only at this location.

Not a building with a number but another site to see.  This was a wagon used by migrant workers who traveled working in the fields in the 1920-30s.  They lived in this wagon - it was their home.

It was the epitome of a tiny house 100 years ago. :)

The next section of the village is 

#21 - Natives and Newcomers.  

1803-1839

At Natives & Newcomers, the first stop on our historic Walk Through Time, you'll learn what life was like for Native Americans in Ohio.  Step back to 1803 and into the lives of the Native Americans and European traders who lived in this area at the time of Ohio's statehood.  Experience how they interacted with their environment, each other, and the Europeans who were beginning to move into the region.  Discover an important but little-told chapter in American history through engaging demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Example of the three sisters - corn, beans, and squash.  

How the Indians taught the settlers to plant their crops to grow the best.

An example of how the natives and newcomers would have lived in Ohio - the Black Swamp - in the early 1800s.

Things you can do at Natives & Newcomers!

• Explore wigwams.
• See traditional foods cooking over the open fire.
• Help grind corn.
• Watch (and maybe even try) Native American craft demonstrations such as twining and finger weaving.
• Stop by the Trading Post to learn about early trade in this area. Be sure to check out all the furs!
• Explore the historic gardens to learn about the "Three Sisters" and many other heritage vegetables and flowers.

How they would dry food to preserve it for later.

Wigwams for the family.

This building does not have a number but is part of Natives and Newcomers. It is an example of what the trading post would have been like for the early settlers and Indians.

Inside of the trading post.

The price of any goods that a settler would want to purchase would be based on beaver furs at the trading post.  It was the place to get things like fabric, guns, cooking items, and more.

Our Pioneer Family. :)

Now we move into 

Pioneer Settlement 

1834-1890.

Experience the lives of the pioneers who lived in Ohio’s Great Black Swamp while visiting Pioneer Settlement. The second stop of our Walk Through Time, this area shares stories of life in Northwest Ohio from 1834 to 1890 — the journey of the first European immigrants to this region, draining the swamp, establishing a new community, and making advancements in agriculture. 

At Pioneer Settlement, you’ll visit with costumed guides at the Lauber Settlement, Witmer-Roth Home, Log School, Eicher Cabin, Jail, Peter Stuckey Farm, and the Holdeman Church. There's an old-time Sawmill (open for special events) as well as a depot where the Erie Express Train makes regular stops for guests to load and unload.

Discover how the pioneers worked together through tough times to build a community in the wilderness based on ingenuity, creativity, hard work, and perseverance. Hear stories, watch engaging demonstrations, and get involved in fun activities to learn how these early settlers not only survived but thrived (activities vary by day and season)!

• Help carry water using the yoke and buckets.
• Make butter or help roll out a pie crust.
• Explore our gardens filled with heirloom vegetables and flowers.
• Help wash clothes on a scrub board or string “leather britches.”
• Sing a hymn in the church.
• Meet some of our favorite farm animals — pigs, calves, sheep, and geese.

Building #22 is the Lauber Settlement.

Here you will find a rough constructed log lean-to that the pioneers would have put up for shelter before winter hit as they wouldn't have had time to build a home before winter.

This is a covered wagon similar to those used by the Lauber party settlers when they arrived in the fall of 1834 after their long journey from Europe.  The Lauber party, a group of 27 adults and children from Alsace Lorain, struggled to make a home in the unforgiving Great Black Swamp.