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The event, which included games, demonstrations and a birthday celebration for Thurston County, was highlighted by the cider press facilitated by eighth-graders from Tumwater Middle School’s Homesteaders program.
The students, dressed in attire from the 1800s, washed and cut apples before tossing them into a grinder, eventually pressing the chunks and filtering the liquid through cheesecloth for bottling and selling.
Social studies and Homesteaders teacher Bob Cooksey said the experience helps his students learn what life was like for the pioneers.
“This is not reading the history book; this is going out and trying it,” Cooksey said.
And try it his students did, labor and all.
Evan Nemeth, 13, and other classmates worked one of three cider presses, grinding endless buckets of apples.
Nemeth said he enjoys the work but wouldn’t trade places with a pioneer-era teenager.
“Life was a lot more complicated,” he said while he cranked the press. He added that he couldn’t give up today’s modes of transportation, machines to do all his washing and the ease of power tools.
At the apple-slicing station, Blake Fullington said he enjoys the historic aspect and reading through old Fort Nisqually journals.
His only complaint was the clothing, especially the vest that he couldn’t quite figure out.
“It’s made of carpet or something,” Fullington said with a smile.
Those who didn’t bring apples to press could participate in pioneer games, write with a quill and learn how branding was done. Others, such as 6-year-old Jacob Cohen, were more fascinated with lassoing a bull head.
His grandparents, Jack and Karen Stein, were visiting from British Columbia and decided Cohen’s parents needed a break, so they took their grandson out for the day.
Though Cohen was unsure whether he wanted to be a cowboy, his grandpa playfully reminded him that there were a few things to accomplish before taking on the pioneer lifestyle.
“We’ve got to finish school first, right, Jacob?” he said with a laugh.
Nate Hulings: 360-754-5476
nhulings@theolympian.com
www.theolympian.com/outsideoly
