For one day every year, Kirby’s Mill in Medford takes a trip back to the earliest days of the town.
The Medford Historical Society’s annual Country Day event is a history lover’s dream. The event consists of demonstrations and presentations about life in America during the 18th and 19th centuries.
However, the purpose of the event isn’t necessarily to entertain Medford’s history buffs. The goal is to get a whole new generation of local residents interested in the history of the Pinelands and Medford.
Historical society president Bill Stauts said the demonstrations at Country Day are catered toward kids.
“There’s so many things that kids would be interested in,” he said. “It’s more for the kids than anything because of the way things are done. It’s something they don’t see every day.”
This year will be the first Country Day where the farm museum will be open. Located across the street from the mill and first opened during last fall’s apple festival, the museum features numerous pieces of equipment from the 19th century.
One of the highlights of Country Day is the depiction of a Civil War-era encampment.
Members of the 12th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry will be doing the presentation of the camp and will also demonstrate black powder rifles.
Many of the other demonstrations revolve around every day living. Stauts said Country Day is about displaying how Americans lived hundreds of years ago.
“They like to see how it was done from the 1700s,” he said,
The historical society recognizes the importance of getting kids interested. Elementary school classes from Medford and the surrounding area take field trips to Kirby’s Mill throughout the year.
“We have the one-room schoolhouse where third graders turn out and have classes there,” Stauts said.
In addition, the historical society’s Dr. James Still Education Center was created with kids in mind. Activities for kids are scheduled throughout the year at the center, and with the upcoming restoration of Still’s house next door, the historical society hopes to expand the number of events at the property.
Stauts believes the next generation will have a brighter future with the more they learn about history.
“We like to learn things so we don’t repeat the mistakes,” he said.
The reason Country Day becomes such a focus for the historical society is the opportunity to reach people from outside the township. Stauts said many children in Medford are exposed to the historical places in their own town, but many outsiders have never heard about them. Country Day is one of the few events where the historical society draws people from outside Medford.
“Most of the people are probably from outside of Medford that come here,” Stauts said.
Country Day will be held on Sunday, July 13 from noon until 4 p.m. at Kirby’s Mill. For additional information on the event, log on towww.medfordhistory.org.
