Independence Village AAR

[Michael Comer]

Well, I had a very good time this past weekend at the event. The first person was excellent in my opinion. Yes, there were a couple of slips but folks were brought back on track fairly quickly without any problems. I was sorry to see it end actually and would like to see us to another on an extended weekend and have it run into Monday.

As sheriff, it was a pretty quiet weekend although I was kept wondering about Mr. Trent and Mr. Zimmerman. Some conversation I overheard raised my suspicions and when they got into a scuffle on Saturday night I didn't know who to believe since the accusations were flying about who was the slave catcher and who was running from something in Alabama and trying to hide out. Since there weren't any witnesses to who threw the first punch I either had to arrest nobody or arrest them both. Since I didnt' want to listen to them bicker all night in a jail cell, I gave them a firm warning and sent them on their way. Mr. Trent filed a complaint and that's where it stood. I told Zimmerman to leave town the next day - he was just passing through anyway - and he was gone by first light which defused any situation.

Mrs. Little's meals were excellent and I made the right decision by paying her for dining privileges while I was updating the tax rolls in town. The sheriff's quarters were sufficient I reckon but a bit cramped. Seems like the cell is bigger than the office part but I was able to conduct business just fine.

Lots of talk about the war and how it is going to effect us. Mr. Aufmuth wanted us to have a town homeguard but I wondered how threatened we truly were in that part of Illinois. Of course, if the rebels got Missouri, it would be another story completely.

Mr. Mueller and Mr. Trent made some improvements on some of the buildings which will continue each time we go back.

All in all, I thought the town was a great place to do events and I'm glad I attended. I look forward to future events there which everyone agreed would be something they wanted to do. It's difficult to fine a venue for a good civilian event but I think this place fits the bill and the owners are so easy to work with, who wouldn't want to continue going there.

I'm ready for the next one this fall.

[Silvana Siddali]

Re: Independence Village AAR

I had a nice time too. I was especially impressed with Melissa Walker's impression (Mrs. Abraham Smith) -- every bit of it so carefully researched! The Quaker gown, caps, fichu, were beautiful. I thought her quiet friendly dignity added so much to our conversations. I loved having her as a visitor.

The village is rural, and the houses are mostly frontier log cabins. After the event ended a number of people ran around to take photographs, and I hope they'll post them (mine will be along shortly.) Each family turned their cabins into warm, cozy, simple homes. What I liked best -- everyone worked so hard! Hank, Ron, and Evan hammered and sawed their way through the village, repairing and preserving the cabins. Jenny and her brother planted an herb and flower garden. Nanci ran a general store. Linda Little cooked wonderful food. I was grateful to Mike Comer for pitching in to give us a thoughtful sermon that touched us all. Frank Aufmuth entertained us with song, dance, joke, riddle, and silliness. There are more lovely and funny moments, and as I think of them I'll post them ...

My favorite moment: sitting on my front porch after a hard day's work, conversing with Mary Ann Smith (Melissa Walker) and watching my neighbors go about their daily lives as the sun set behind the meeting house.

[Abrams]

Re: Independence Village AAR

I also had a blast, and found plenty to keep busy with, even without having rebs or yanks to worry about or fight with. Many small projects for the ladies were completed successfully, although next time I will ask Mrs Little for a clearer definition of "How loose?" the mantle is. Is it just a 'Little Wiggly' or is it 'Oh My God!' loose? One gets fixed faster, and can help keep unwanted "spices" out of the rhubarb... ;) Making and assembling the rope bed, and affecting the repairs to the other bed (that had a malfunction) helped ensure a good sleep for a couple more villagers and kept Mr Trent, Mr. Zimmerman and myself busy. There is still plenty to do for any craft in the village.

I was surprised by the ruckus Saturday night, and hope my honeyed whiskey did not contribute to the altercation. The two men had worked together so well all day, but knocking off early may have given them too much idle time. Excellent weather overall, except without a time piece, it was deceptive, heh. The light rain, that fell only at night for the most part, sounded lovely on the tin roof and was nice to sleep to.

I am looking forward to the next event there.

[Michael Comer]

Re: Independence Village AAR

Here's a couple of shots of my sheriff's office that Chris Ireland took after the event had ended. Cozy little place.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Independence Village AAR

This was absolutely a superb event. I loved having real work to do, as a carpenter hired by Mr. Mueller, and I loved the realistic pace of small-town life, without worrying about having everything searched, broken and lost by bushwhackers/armies, and without any more high drama than the one surprise which Silvana planned.

I've always said that as the drama is scaled back, little things become just as interesting. When Gettysburg is being fought in your cornfield, that's all you can think of, but when there's just small-town life, it becomes just as exciting: A bed collapsing in the middle of the night, a stranger in town, the latest gossip.

For civilians who don't want the physical demands of being chased out of their homes by the army, but want something that feels more like time travel than hanging out at a mainstream event, this is perfect. And it's reasonably centrally located too, in eastern Illinois, for anyone back of the Atlantic coast.

Rumors are starting that there will be another edition this fall. I would highly recommend it, as an excellent example of how good a civilian immersion event can be. Hopefully a specific date will be announced soon. If anyone is interested, and isn't sure how they'd fit in, just email me or anyone in this thread and I'm sure we can suggest a role, and provide instant friends and family, to suit.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Silvana Siddali]

Re: Independence Village AAR

To explain some of Mr. Mueller's mysterious references: Mrs. Little's kitchen had an unstable mantel piece, which went crashing to the floor when Sheriff Comer hung his haversack from it. Lanterns and crockery were smashed in the process. To my eternal shame I picked up the shards and threw them into the fire without looking ... and nearly "spiced up" the rhubarb with them. Fortunately the shards missed the pot. But I had to stand a lot of ribbing for the rest of the weekend. People started wondering how my husband actually met his end.

Then Mr. and Mrs. Good's bed went crashing to the floor after most of the villagers had retired -- it was quite audible to neighbors. That gave rise to much hilarity.

Finally, it seemed that hardly anyone had a working clock or timepiece, so when the sky darkened at 3:00 o'clock, Mr. Mueller thought it was time to quit for dinner. He never heard the end of that either.

About the Fall 2011 event: we are looking at Columbus Day weekend. The plan is to have a four-day long event. The cost will probably be around $30 (which wouldn't include food), but think of that as a bargain -- no spectators, and a whole village to play in!

We are considering running fund raisers to help cover the cost of site rental, so keep watching for news. It may be possible to give families a price break or to figure out some kind of a sliding scale for those who might have difficulty coming up with $30 per adult. We're open to suggestions.

Save the date: October 7 - 10, 2011.

I hope to be able to confirm the date and prices within a few days.

Edited to add a few pics. Actually I just reread my post & realize that I'm making it sound as though the place is falling to bits. There were some repairs needed, but the village is in good shape & quite charming.

[littlefarm]

Re: Independence Village AAR

I second everyone elses comments about Independance Village. Great place, great people, great weekend!

Sheriff Comer is much too kind regarding my cooking. But then, he never questioned me about my property (or lack therof) so perhaps feeding him will keep my name off the tax roll? Hmmmm....

The faulty mantel was actually more humorous than anything. Only one lantern has one broken pane. No other damage done. But the look on Mr. Comer & Mr. Muellers' faces when they discovered it was priceless!!

I'm really looking forward to future events. As personas develope & events create a history between the inhabitants, wonderful relationships are developing just like a real community.

Linda Little
(Lydia)

[Outrider]

Re: Independence Village AAR

Congratulations Silvana and all on the event. It sounds like a grand time was had by all. The idea of a military drama free civilian event appeals to me these days. I regret not being able to attend and will make an effort to be at another down the road a piece.

[Silvana Siddali]

Re: Independence Village AAR

Quick note to let you all know that there will be a smaller "carpe eventum" style of event at Independence Village during the weekend of September 16-18, 2011. The site owners will host an event on Saturday, September 17, from 1:30 to 7:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon will involve interactions with spectators, but at all other times we will have the village all to ourselves (no spectators.) The private portion of our event will be strict immersion--no modern talk, no modern objects.

There will be no registration fee for this event. We just need to know that you're coming, and that you're willing to sign an insurance waiver.

On other news --

We have a request in to the site owners for Columbus Day weekend, October 7-10, 2011. They are discussing that now and will get back to us within a few days. That event will be a harvest celebration, dated October 1861.