YORKTOWN SETTLEMENT

Our visit at the Yorktown Settlement would best be told by Nancy. "Our third day and last stop of the Historic Triangle was visiting and touring Yorktown, VA. The Yorktown Victory Center museum and living history chronologically starts in 1750 through around 1783. For review of the last three days, Colonial Williamsburg shows what life was like during the Colonial times, Jamestown replicates the early settler’s struggles and lastly Yorktown’s Victory Center tells the stories of the French Indian Wars to the American Revolution.

Similar to Jamestown’s museum when you finish the Yorktown’s Victory Center you go outside and see the Continentals Army encampment. There are many demonstrations and my favorite one was learning about the surgical procedures of that time for major battlefield injuries. Many would think that a high percentage of deaths in the army were caused by battlefield wounds but it was actually from the diseases that were spread among the men at camp. Just looking at the tools used by the so-called surgeons of that time era you can’t imagine the pain these men went through after being hit by bullets. A total of six surgeons would be needed, but four to hold you down and two to do the surgery. There was no hygiene or anesthetics except for biting down on a stick!

Leaving the encampment we were then led to how a middle class farm would be set up during the time. We were shown how vegetables from the garden would be preserved and meats too! I really loved the wattle fence! It brings such character to the garden."

I interviewed a few people for my radio show. One was the woman who ran the "kitchen" and the other was the woman who was the "manager" for the encampment area and at that time in the "hospital".

Photos by Nancy Kozicki

JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT

In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, 104 Englishmen began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River and earned the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony. Jamestown is one of the three "triangles" of history with Williamsburg and Yorktown being the other two. The capitol of of Virginia will move from Jamestown to Williamsburg.

We are at the Jamestown Settlement, another outdoor recreation of history. It starts, however, indoors at the museum. We skipped the 30-minute introductory film as I had an appointment to interview historian Nancy Egloff for my radio show. The exhibition galleries chronicle the 17th century beginnings in Virginia with the Powhatan Indian, English and west central African cultures. We saw a special exhibition on the Werowocomoco principal residence of the Powhatan. You can also get the lowdown on John Smith and Pocahontas.

Then it's outside to view activities of early 1600's Virginia, the Powhatan Indian Village, recreations of the ships Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, and James Fort.

Photos by Nancy Kozicki

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA: INTERNATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS CENTER & MUSEUM

The new International Civil Rights Center & Museum, located on South Elm Street, focuses on the landmark lunch-counter sit-ins at this restored 1929 F. W. Woolworth building. Four students ignited this 1960 sit-in movement. It's certainly not a boring museum of just photos. Managing Director for Development Amelia Parker gave us much of the tour. Quite interactive and includes the original lunch counter as well as a sort of maze area that depicts the experience of "white only" and "colored only" ways of life. Price for bottle of coca cola is more for "colored" Museum is meant not only to view history of segregation but who and what groups that helped lead the way to integration. You can hear Amelia talk about the tour on my radio show.

There are other places that you will view the four sit-in guys as well.