If you’ve noticed a disturbing lack of smoke, rifle shots or
hoop skirts in San Benito County, fear not. The county Historical
Park will host soldiers and society dames alike this weekend for
the annual Civil War Days living history event.
If you’ve noticed a disturbing lack of smoke, rifle shots or hoop skirts in San Benito County, fear not. The county Historical Park will host soldiers and society dames alike this weekend for the annual Civil War Days living history event.
“This is really wonderful site, because we have all of these historical buildings we can use,” said Susan “Auntie” Pfiefer, a Livermore high school teacher who plays the role of an orphanage benefactress. “The soldiers can run right through the middle of the street and fight instead of fighting out in a field, and it gives you a better picture of what it would have been like in a real town.”
The Historical Park will be populated by re-enactors staging mock battles between Confederate and Union forces, as well as those in civilian garb, giving visitors a taste of what life was like for the women, children and men left at home during wartime.
“There are a lot of people here to demonstrate all the different professions people took up in those days,” said Debra Horton, who plays the headmistress of Mrs. Butler’s Academy for Young Ladies.
The event began Friday with a special opportunity for local schoolchildren to come and get an up-close look at people, dress and trappings of Civil War-era society. More than a hundred students, many of them homeschooled, got a chance to learn about schoolhouses, fabric dying, ladies’ dress and gambling during the war, though no battles were mounted.
“We learned that back in the day teachers could hit their students,” said Tres Pinos School student Lexi Chevarria, adding that she was glad teachers were no longer allowed to hit students.
Parent chaperone Kim Randle said she thought the event was fun and worthwhile for students.
“I think everybody really enjoyed the day, but I wish there had been a battle,” she said. “Also we thought that maybe older students would get a lot out of something like this.”
Re-enactors who volunteered to work with the children said living history events such as this can help students succeed in class, by giving them visual examples of events they read about.
“For me, reading history out of a book – well you might as well take me and shoot me in the head,” said Les Burrows, who plays a Confederate chaplain. “But when you can interact with people and see how it was, kids really get something out of that, and they have fun.”
This is the second Civil War Days event the San Benito County Historical Society has helped bring to Hollister, and organizers hope the event will continue to flourish. At least 100 re-enactors and more than of 1,000 spectators are expected to take part in the fun.
“I see a lot of potential for this event in this location,” said Burrows. “It just needs time to grow.”
SBC Historical Society President Peter Sonne said the society was thrilled to be hosting the event this year and also expressed hope that the community at large will take time to visit and appreciate the event.
“The Civil War is something you read about in school,” he said. “But we see this as a wonderful opportunity for our community to learn a little more about what it was really like.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
