Old Fort Johnson (Johnson Hall)
Market Faire
June 7-9, 2002
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More on Sir William Johnson and Johnson Hall |
| Sir William Johnson and the F&I War |
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Old Fort Johnson
Sir William Johnson
and Johnson
Hall |
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Early in June, 2002, we headed out to Johnson Hall for a weekend at the Market Faire. Historically, Sir William Johnson obtained a permit to hold a Market Faire, and we were there to repeat that event. Sir William Johnson's home, known as Old Fort Johnson, in Johnstown, NY. is a State Historic Site in the Saratoga region.
I followed Paul there and we arrived late Friday evening (having got fairly lost and arriving via a police escort in the end) to join up with the folks from the Hinsdale Garrison, including the Scotts, Susan Murata, and others. Paul's fiancé Diane Swirsky is a member of the Hinsdales and we were there to join them. The first person we saw as soon as we got there was Richard Wright. And one of the first things he says to us is that he just recently ran into my dear friend Seamus (Mike Slease), who was camped at the end of a nearby row. Paul and I wandered down to say hi to Seamus, since Paul knew him from the Market Faire at Fort Frederick, MD, a year earlier. Seamus said some people he didn't know just happened to ask him, a short while before ,if he knew me and if he had seen me. It turns out those people included Kathy Scott of the Hinsdales, trying to find me. I thought that was pretty funny, that my various friends were accidentally bumping into and meeting each other. I guess this is why I have a reputation of knowing everyone and everyone knowing me, which is a fun reputation to have.
We set up our tents in the dark, guessing where we should put them, because by that time, all the Hinsdales were asleep. We were on a bit of a slope with a stream at the bottom, and we had to find enough space on the limited flat ground for several tents. We squeezed our tents in somehow. Diane arrived some time later, along with Natasha. I think it was about midnight before we were all done setting up.
Because the weekend was nothing more than a market faire, this was going to be one of those very rare events were I had no requirements to be somewhere and do something, where I could relax and just enjoy without having to worry about a schedule. That's how the usual events are, where we have to worry about what time inspection is, what time the battle is, therefore what time we need to eat and what time we need to form up, and from that when can I squeeze in a bit of time to relax and visit people and sutlers. This weekend, I would be able to do things at my own pace and do whatever I wanted. I spent the entire weekend in woman's clothing, which also was very rare.
The place certainly had the air of a market faire. Sutlers were set up on either side of the road that wound around in front of the property. A special place was set aside for the woman who entertains the children with acrobatic tricks, games, puppets, and music. A few food venders were also there. Most of all, it had a fun, festive feel to it. Because it wasn't a military event, most people showed up in their civilian clothes. Seamus and his men, for example, were in regular 18C clothing rather than their 3rd PA "Augusta" Regiment uniforms.
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Kay Martz and Seamus MacWilliam |
And the weather was perfect.
Saturday morning, I donned my woman's gear and wandered around enjoying the sites and sutlers' tents. I spent some time wandering through the sutlers, visiting friends, and getting to know the Hinsdales a bit better. I had met Kathy Scott in January at the Women's Weekend Workshops for 18thC reenacting women, which was put on by Diane Swirsky. Kathy is very cool. With her this weekend was her husband Don, her son Michael, and her daughters Sarah (great name!) and Caitlin. Caitlin and I went shopping and with her little bit of money, we bought some new ribbons for her shoes and I bought some fabric for new stays, all of which we purchased from the famous Gage Sisters.
The Gage Sisters are actually Goodwife Laura Spickerman and Theresa Gage. Laura makes beautiful hand-woven linen tapes, belts, and garters using an inkle loom. She is very good, and very fast. Many of us use Laura's tapes for lacing stays, as they are perfect and totally appropriate for that. The belts and garter sets are usually worn by the men, mostly French milice and non-regular British men. Theresa sells a variety of fabrics, useful for women's jackets, petticoats and gowns, and men's coats and weskits. Theresa also sews 18thC clothing and is currently making Diane's wedding gown, for the wedding at Ti at the end of June. Laura's and Theresa's mother is Jean Gage, Willow Weaver, who makes incredibly beautiful willow baskets.
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My new sewing box |
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My new oval storage boxes |
I did a bit of shopping that I shouldn't have done. I fell for a gorgeous rounded utility box, which I simply couldn't resist. It looked like it would be a perfect sewing box, and a sewing box was becoming something increasingly useful, if not quite necessary. This one, well, it became necessary. There was something about the golden stain and the beauty of the wood. Inside, it has a small removable shelf. Very beautifully done all over. It was made by Ralph Aument, whose business is Fort Augusta Woodworking, maker of "fine handcrafted period furniture from select hardwoods".
Another piece of extravagance was three oval boxes hand-made by Debra Ann Grover, who with her husband Cleon, have a business called Historical Reproductions. He makes swords, shields, and and a variety of other item. She makes and paints the oval boxes. She uses historical information for the patterns, then hand-paints and finishes the boxes. They are really lovely. I had her paint the outsides of two boxes so that I could have the top available for anyone else I wanted to paint them. And I bought a little one completely painted. I would love to use them for storing ribbons and tapes and things like that.
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Saturday also included good food, cooked by the Hinsdale women. Some of their cooking was part of a cooking demonstration. Gina Gerhardt was there with her wool demonstration. She cards, spins, and dyes wool.
On Sunday I took time to tour the old house. It is in fabulous condition and is very interesting. We have read about Sir William Johnson, the British man who took on many ways of the Indians and became their primary advocate in the white man's world. But seeing how his home was furnished made that much more real. The rooms were papered and decorated and appointed in the style of a British gentleman and mixed in were many American Indian items- weapons decorating the walls, animal rugs on the floors beside the beds, wampum and jewelry on the fine wood tables. It was very interesting. I enjoyed taking that tour. Some visitors asked me a question about something on the diningroom table and I think I gave them wrong information. Oooops.
Meanwhile, various militia units drilled during the morning, children watched a puppet show, and everyone kept on shopping. I purchased my boxes from Debra Ann Grover on Saturday and she painted and oiled them Saturday night. Sunday, we waited for them to dry so I could take them home. I had to leave early, though, and left it to Diane and Paul to pick up my boxes for me, which they did.
This has been a wonderfully low-key event, we were blessed by great weather, and it was a real treat.
Oh yes, here's some interesting trivia about Johnstown: it has a South Melcher Street, the sign for which reads "S. Melcher St." I want that sign.