Conner Prairie Living History Park

When we visited Fishers, Indiana, recently, we never dreamed we would be visiting in the 1800s! But we stepped right back in time, thanks to the 200 acres of living history known as Conner Prairie.

The first thing we encountered was a museum full of information about the Conner family, the Lenape Indians and life in the 1800s in this area of Indiana. Then we stepped out in to the sunshine of an 1859 day. Looming before us was a hot air balloon representing the historic voyage of John Wise. I wanted to go up in it, but unfortunately it was not flying that day due to storms in the vicinity, so I contented myself with a photo in a booth made up to look as if I was in the actual balloon.

Wandering along the shady path, we soon found ourselves in a Lenape Indian camp circa 1816. As elsewhere on the grounds, there were modern day guides in blue shirts and re-enactors in authentic garb. We explored the bark and stick huts, and while I tried my hand at trading a beaver pelt for supplies at the trading post, my husband had a fascinating conversation with a lonely Lenape brave. Finally tearing ourselves away, we made our way past the split-rail fences toward the William Conner homestead. The brick house features built in cabinets called "presses," vintage wallpaper, a "bee hive" fireplace for baking large quantities of bread, and a very informative guide. The homestead also includes a large animal barn complete with goats, chicks, donkeys and sheep. A tiny, black lamb was curled up in misery, missing its mother. There is a loom house with a working loom and a large quantity of dyed wool, sheared from the local sheep and dyed with natural ingredients. A spring house for keeping food cool, and a lady teaching children how to dip candles bracketed the kitchen garden overflowing with flowers and vegetables.

Continuing down the path we suddenly entered 1836 in the form of a town on the prairie. All of the little houses are set cozily side by side with the school, general store, carpenter's workshop, blacksmith shop and more, sprinkled among them. We enjoyed a short visit with the young girl who cleans for the blacksmith; then we watched the blacksmith himself work the bellows and hammer the iron in to useful shapes. While he worked, he chatted amiably. Until someone suggested he didn't pay his apprentice enough, that is. He became as fiery as his chosen profession, letting it be known in no uncertain terms that the apprentice was getting a deal, in the form of food, clothing, a place to live, and an education in a very lucrative business. Why, he said, he could make up to $6 a day, rather than the average unskilled worker earning $6 a week for a 15 hour a day, 6 day a week job.

We paid a call on the doctor, who, after ascertaining that we did not have a medical emergency, but were merely making a social call, got back to "performing delicate surgery on a chicken pot pie," i.e., eating his dinner. As he commiserated with us for being forced to "flee the war down in Florida," and boasted about the fact that he had actually been to college, he continued to eat the delicious smelling pie with his large knife.

Excusing ourselves, we strolled down a path and through a covered bridge, emerging in the year 1886. Before us was a lovely little church where we stopped to relax for a minute or two in the peaceful setting. Then we continued past the schoolhouse, opened the gate beside the thriving flower garden, and went in to pay a call on the large, prosperous family who "lived" in the large house there. The lady of the house was busy supervising the making of sauerkraut in her snug kitchen with the wood burning stove. She bustled about, shooing the chickens out and giving instructions to her hired girl, so we soon went out to visit the livestock. A few curly tailed pigs, cows and large farm horses, perhaps Percheron, were snug in their various pens and pastures. One magnificent fellow was willing to be petted and made over, which I was happy to do!

We finished out a lovely day by catching an open tram to ride all around the park-like grounds. Soon we were back at the lovely little gift shop, which included items like pottery and textiles that were made on the premises, as well as preserves, books, and pioneer costumes for kids. We really felt like we'd gotten our money's worth out of the $12 admission price. And we weren't even there on sheep shearing day!