Well, here we are back in Palmer for our final Alaskan event, tomorrow's State Fair.
Wanting to further study this town's interesting beginnings, we visited the History Museum and watched the very informative video Alaska Far Away: The New Deal Pioneers of the Matanuska Colony.
I fell in love with this exhibit. Times were lean during the Great Depression, so scrimping, saving and reusing everything possible was a way of life. In those difficult times, if women wanted to provide for their families, they had to get creative, especially when it came to clothing. That’s when women noticed that one of their food staples, flour, came in cotton sacks. Innovative and desperate, they often emptied the sacks and used the fabric to make clothing for their children. When flour sack manufacturers caught word of the trend, they decided to reinvent the way they packed their flour (fancy patterns) and the results were stunning!
When planning the Colony, land was set aside for churches with the stipulation that the construction had to be out of logs (I think it was to keep them humble and equal). The United Protestant Church, also known as The Church of a Thousand Trees, is the only one of the three original historic churches that looks as it did in 1935.
As part of each family’s farmstead, a barn was raised- a sturdy square structure 32′ by 32′ and soaring 32′ high. Today, these Colony barns are an iconic reminder of what has been called the last great pioneering adventure in America. While most are gone, the ones that remain are being lovingly restored to their original grandeur.
Many of the farms were sold and became subdivisions but there are still pockets of scenes like these that remind you of what life must have been like for those Colonists.
The Colonists were one of the groups who started the Alaska State Fair here, in 1936. So here we are, carrying on their 82 year old tradition. For $15 we can camp on site (which is the same price if we just parked). This will be our home for the next two nights, strolling distance to all the festivities. Woo hoo. This is so exciting and the perfect finale to our Alaskan Adventure.
posted under |
2 comments:
WOW -crowded parking spot :) It would have been funny if you had gone and parked next to the only other vehicle in the field for companionship.
Amazing...you can't get much these days for $15. You hit the jackpot.
Post a Comment