Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend at Sauder Village

Memorial Day weekend historically marks the start of the summer vacation season. Families will be piling into minivans for a weekend get-away and Sauder Village is prepared to welcome guests from across the Midwest interested in making special memories together this holiday weekend.

Sauder Village is one of the time-honored family getaways in the Midwest. What was once thought of as a day-trip, however, has now become a multi-day destination. Families come to stay at the Inn or Campground, play in the pool, enjoy great food, and make special memories while visiting the Historic Village.

We hope you enjoy this short video clip that showcases the Sauder Village experience and will plan a visit soon to enjoy all we have to offer!

Memorial Day Weekend Details:
Historic Sauder Village will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday for the holiday weekend. Hours are Saturday, May 28 from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sunday from noon-4:00 p.m. and Monday, May 30 from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.. Veterans and active military (with valid military ID) will receive free admission throughout the holiday weekend and on Sunday only, kids 16 and under receive free admission.

At the Barn Restaurant, a special Holiday Brunch will be served on Monday, May 30 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. This brunch has become a family tradition in the community with great choices like made-to-order omelets, waffles, crepes and pancakes; pork loin, biscuits and gravy, Barn Chicken, home fries, fresh fruit, pastries and a chocolate fountain. With the personalized service and large selection, this holiday brunch is a great way to celebrate Memorial Day.

Our Country Get-away Package is an affordable way to enjoy an overnight stay, a meal at the Barn Restaurant and a visit to Historic Sauder Village. While the Campground is nearly booked for the Holiday Weekend, rooms are still available at the Sauder Heritage Inn. For more information about packages, to check availability or make a reservation, call 1-800-590-9755 or 419-446-2541.

Take time this Holiday Weekend to relax and enjoy time with family and friends by planning a fun-filled get-away to Sauder Village.

Civil War 150th Anniversary

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. To help us remember that historic event, and to review the impact the war had on our country, state and local communities, Sauder Village will host a lecture series and open a new Civil War exhibit in the Museum Building.

April 12, 1861 is an important historical date that may not ring a bell for many of us today. At 4:30 that morning, a cannon ball was fired at the federal fort in Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the American Civil War. “Blood, Sweat and Tears: How the Civil War Touched Northwest Ohio,” is a new exhibit at Sauder Village. This special display will examine the national, regional and local impact of the war. The exhibit will explore the ways Ohioans participated in the war and what was happening on the home front. Guests can learn about what affect the war had on the lives of the women and children left at home and how families communicated with the soldiers and received news about the war.

“The Civil War touched each person’s life whether they served or not and affected their daily activities,” shared Tracie Evans, Curator of Collections at Sauder Village. “The soldier’s area of the exhibit will include an overview of the war, Ohio’s role, companies and regiments from Northwest Ohio and how soldiers made the decision to serve. The Homefront area will look closely at the role of women during the war, relief organizations, daily life, agriculture and dealing with loss.”

The Civil War exhibit in the Museum Building will open on Monday, May 16 with an Open House at 5:00 p.m. – before the start of a special Civil War lecture, “Blood, Tears and Glory: How Ohioans Won the Civil War.” This first lecture in the series will be presented by Dr. James Bissland at 7:30 p.m. at the Sauder Heritage Inn. Dr. Bissland is Associate Professor Emeritus of Journalism at Bowling Green State University and author of the book “Blood, Tears and Glory: How Ohioans Won the Civil War.” The lecture is free and open to the public.

A second lecture will be held on Monday, June 20th at 7:30 p.m. Steve Charter, Head and University Archivist for Archival Collections at Bowling Green State University, will present “Civil War on the Homefront.” Steve will focus on what was happening on the homefront, the economic, political and social climate during the Civil War. What happened while the fathers, sons, husbands and brothers were away? Who was left behind and how did they cope while offering “moral support” to their soldiers. Insight will be gleaned from diaries and letters.

Sauder Village is pleased to be working with the Ohio History Service Corps and a group of local museum and non-profit organizations from Fulton, Williams, Henry and Defiance counties to coordinate the Civil War and War of 1812 activities. For more information about the Civil War Exhibit and Lecture Series at Sauder Village visit: http://www.saudervillage.org/History/Civil_War_Remembrance.asp

For other Civil War events and activities throughout the region visit: http://www.ohiocivilwar150.org/

Sauder Village Open for 2011 Season!

Opening day at Historic Sauder Village is always a joyous occasion. After a long winter it's great to see the Village buzzing with activity . . . craftsmen at work in their shops, costumed guides sharing stories and guests of all ages having fun in the past.

Again this year we are pleased to kick-off the season with our annual Quilt Show. During the six-day Quilt Show both traditional and modern interpretations of quilts are represented. It has been an honor to showcase the talents of so many accomplished quilters for the past 35 years and we look forward to celebrating their fine craftsmanship for many years to come.

The Quilt Show runs through Sunday, May 1 in Founder's Hall. We hope you enjoy this short video clip featuring photos from this amazing exhibit and will make plans to join us.

Many Hands Make Light Work

If you think your spring cleaning projects seem exhausting, imagine trying to prepare more than 40 historic homes and shops for guests visiting from around the world! Sound like a daunting task? That’s why we so appreciate the help of volunteers! Today nearly 30 students from Pettisville High School are at the Village as part of a community service project. The Pettisville High School seniors are volunteering in the Village as a way to give back to the community before they graduate. Students have been raking and pruning, mudding the Lauber Shelter in Pioneer Settlement and washing windows and porches on historic buildings. Other groups of students are dusting, bagging candy and pricing new merchandise in Lauber’s General Store. As a non-profit organization, we truly appreciate the nearly 160 hours of service these hard-working students have contributed to Sauder Village. Thank you! Interested in getting involved? If your organization is looking to give back to the community we hope you’ll consider getting involved at Sauder Village. Projects will vary depending on the group size and time of the year, but we’d love to have you give us a call to discuss the opportunities! Please contact Kris Jemmott at 419.446.2541 to see how you can help make a difference at Sauder Village.

Opening Day Two Months Away!

With the sun shining here in NW Ohio, thoughts soon turn to opening day at the Historic Village. After a long winter we're always excited to welcome back our many employees and volunteers who work in the historic homes, shops and craft buildings. We also look forward to many spring field trips with students from the tri-state area visiting our living-history village as well as the start of the summer travel season - bringing families from throughout the Midwest (and around the world!) to Sauder Village.

Are you currently making plans for your summer vacation? We hope you'll consider joining us often throughout the season! A Sauder Village membership is an affordable way to enjoy fun and educational experiences all year long! You'll also be helping support our non-profit organization. Visit our Membership page for more details: http://saudervillage.org/Membership_Support/membership.asp

To help with planning your visit be sure to visit the events page on our website. We have a great schedule of special events planned for 2011 with something to interest almost everyone! http://saudervillage.org/Creativity/events.asp

We certainly hope you'll extend your stay at Sauder Village and in Ohio! Enjoy an overnight stay at the Heritage Inn or Campground and visit some other great attractions in Archbold, Northwest Ohio and throughout the Buckeye State. There are many other great resources to help you plan your visit and discover new vacation ideas. We hope some of these websites help. Happy travels. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Helpful Travel Websites for planning an Ohio vacation . . .

Ohio Department of Travel & Tourism: http://consumer.discoverohio.com/

Ohio Dept. of Travel & Tourism blog: http://discoveringohio.com/

Toledo Visitors Bureau: http://www.dotoledo.org/gtcvb/

Archbold Chamber of Commerce: http://www.archbold.com/

Do you have some other suggestions? Please post a comment with links to travel websites you've found helpful!

Pretzels, Jellies & Hot Cross Buns

Get a Taste of History at Sauder Village!

While historic cooking demonstrations and hands-on opportunities to make butter, ice-cream and noodles are an important part of the living-history experience at Sauder Village, in 2011 there will be even more occasions for guests to learn traditional cooking skills. The “Taste of History” food classes at Sauder Village will provide class participants the chance to make home-made pretzels, Hot Cross Buns, jams and jellies.

“We’re thrilled to be adding so many unique food classes to our Class Schedule,” shared Andi Erbskorn, Curator of Education. “There seems to be an increased interest in getting back to the basics with cooking and people are really interested in learning to make some traditional recipes and enjoy hearing the stories that go along with them.”

One of the new classes being offered this spring is “Do the Twist! Pretzel Making and History for Families.” Pretzels were rewards for good students, hidden like Easter Eggs, used in marriage ceremonies and served as treats on special occasions. In this fun-filled class, children and their adults will work together to mix dough, form pretzels in traditional shapes and bake them to enjoy together at the end of the class and take some home. The class will be held on Saturday, March 26 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and the fee is $12.00 plus a $5.00 supply fee.

While many people may sing along to “Hot Cross Buns,” few know much about the history of this traditional food. In the class “Hot Cross Buns and Easter Breads,” participants can try baking these delicious, traditional breads from scratch. Each class participant will take home round braided Italian Easter bread with colored eggs entwined in the braids, a lemony Ukrainian Easter Bread and Hot Cross Buns. European bread making traditions and stories will also be shared during the class. This hands-on class will be held on Saturday, April 16 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The class fee is $20.00 with a $9.00 supply fee.

Finally, Sauder Village staff will be offering a “Jams and Jellies” class this spring. On Tuesday, May 17 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. students will make three different jams and jellies using cooked and frozen methods of preparation. Each person will take home three jars of jam and jelly made by the class that evening. The fee for this class is $18.00 with a $10.00 supply fee.

In addition to the “Taste of History” food classes, Sauder Village is also offering classes in quilting, blacksmithing, finger weaving and knitting. The spring schedule also includes classes about tea, wreath-making, brooms, felted bags and rug hooking.

All Sauder Village classes require pre-registration and pre-payment. Class descriptions and registration information is available online at http://saudervillage.org/Creativity/classschedule.aspSpecial rates are available for Sauder Village members. Registration can be completed on the secure Sauder Village website or by calling 800.590.9755 or 419.446.2541.

Take time to learn something new this year! Experience a taste of history, explore a heritage craft or plan a fun-filled get-away with your family this summer. Enjoy all that Sauder Village has to offer - Ohio’s largest living history destination right here in Northwest Ohio!

Meet the People - a New Feature for 2011

Since our Historic Village is closed for the cold and snowy winter, we thought it might be fun to "meet some people from the past" on our blog. These short articles will provide a more in-depth look at some of the people who lived in Northwest Ohio in the early 1800s. We hope you enjoy the articles and will make plans to join us in the spring to experience the lives of these pioneers at Historic Sauder Village.

And now, let's meet our first pioneer . . .
Anna Sauder Witmer-Roth

By 1844, Wayne County, Ohio was a settled area with several well-established Amish communities, but newlyweds Anna and Peter Witmer chose to leave their comfortable life there and travel to the frontier. Anna’s father, Henry Souder (Sauder) had purchased land in Cedar Creek Township, Allen County, Indiana in 1837 and it was to this property that the Witmers moved.

Cedar Creek Township’s first permanent settler had arrived in 1834. By the time Anna and Peter reached the area in 1844 there was a store, a school and the first road had been surveyed. They made their journey while Anna was pregnant and in November their first child, Barbara, was born. By then Peter had built them a log house with one large main floor room where most of the family’s living was done. A lower level contained the kitchen/eating space. However, there was no interior connection between these two levels, so Anna had to go outside in all weather when traveling from the living area to the kitchen. The loft over the main room would have been used for "cold" sleeping, as there was no heat.

Anna and Peter prospered on the frontier. The 1850 Agricultural Census reports Peter owning 160 acres of land, raising wheat, Indian corn and oats and owning a team of horses and a team of oxen. In that same year their daughter, Ann, was born giving them three sons and three daughters. And then on August 5, 1851 tragedy struck. Peter died suddenly and Anna was left a widow with six children under the age of seven and a farm to run.

At this time in history, women who were widowed frequently fell into dire straits. They were often unable to keep their family together and lost everything. However, Anna was fortunate. Within a year, she married Benedict Roth. Benedict was a good provider and the farm continued to prosper. Together they would raise Anna’s six children from her first marriage and have nine of their own.

Anna’s youngest son Henry remembered how hard his mother worked to make a good life for her family. She had an outdoor bake oven and would bake as many as 15 loaves of bread at a time, as well as pies and cakes. Anna was also a spinner. She spun and plied wool from the family sheep. In the cold winter months she would knit mittens and other clothing for her family.

Anna lived a remarkable life. She made the long trip to unsettled Cedar Creek Township and worked hard to raise 15 children. She saw many changes in her lifetime. Anna lived to be nearly 80 years old. When she died, in 1904, she was one of the oldest original settlers of Cedar Creek Township. She was survived by 12 of her 15 children, 83 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren. Many of her descendants today still remember her from shared stories and family histories.

Pictures: Anna Sauder Witmer-Roth with her granddaughter Emma. Also, the Witmer-Roth home, which guests can visit at Pioneer Settlement.

Video: This short video clip shows photos of the restored Witmer-Roth home, an outdoor bake oven and garden where costumed guides share Anna Sauder Witmer-Roth's story. Have you visited the Witmer-Roth home at Pioneer Settlement yet? What are your thoughts about this home and the new addition to Sauder Village? Can you imagine raising 15 children in that small home? If you haven't visited Pioneer Settlement yet, we hope you will join us this season to walk through this home and experience the daily lives of the early pioneers.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire . . . .

As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season continues, we want to take a moment to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We have enjoyed the opportunity to share photos, recipes, stories and more with you on our Sauder Village blog and look forward to even more unique opportunities to share our stories in 2011.

During this week before Christmas, we hope you'll take time to step back and appreciate the simple things in life during the holiday season. Read a special story with a child or grandchild. String popcorn or make a gingerbread house. Take time to visit a neighbor or even just call a long-lost friend. Enjoy the sites, sounds and smells of the holiday season as you make special memories that will last a lifetime.

Perhaps you can even experience some of the holiday songs you hear this time of the year . . . try roasting some chestnuts with our recipe below, make your own snowman, deck the halls and be sure to enjoy and celebrate a silent night. Merry Christmas to all from the staff at Sauder Village.

Oven Roasted Chestnuts
Things You'll Need:
Chestnuts & Salt
Baking Sheets, Paring Knives

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Clean off chestnuts. Use a sharp paring knife to cut an X into one side of each chestnut, or prick chestnuts with a fork to allow steam to escape. Arrange chestnuts on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan, with the cut or pricked sides up. Roast in oven for 15 to 25 minutes, or until chestnuts are tender and easy to peel. Peel the nuts when they are cool enough to handle, and enjoy.

Your Contributions Are Important

In these challenging economic times, being good stewards of our resources is a necessity. Fortunately this is a traditional value at Sauder Village, and one of the guiding principles of our founder, my grandpa, Erie Sauder.

We continue to follow his example of combining constant innovation and seeking better ways to make the most positive impact with the support received from generous people. Through gifts and involvement, Sauder Village can continue to serve as a vibrant educational resource and a welcoming place for families to have fun creating memories together.

As you plan your year-end donations to the organizations that mean the most to you, I hope you will be inspired to make a gift to Sauder Village. I am deeply grateful for your interest and support. It means a lot to me and to the future of Sauder Village.

With sincere thanks,
Debbie Sauder David, Executive Director

Make your donation online!

Whether your contribution is $25 or $2500, know that together we can make a collective difference in sustaining and enriching the Sauder Village experience for generations to come.

Gifts of all sizes make a difference and help to:

- Continue a first-class educational resource in this region.
- Keep admission affordable for school children and families
- Enable students to experience their best learning by “getting their hands on history”
- Provide talented craftspeople who demonstrate traditional crafts that inspire
- Make it possible to offer engaging activities and programs that multiple generations can enjoy together
- Offer a youth volunteer program where students gain confidence and maturity
- Allow for personalized experiences through costumed interpreters who make the stories of the past relevant to our lives today
- Ensure that the lessons learned from the past will never be lost
- Create the perfect place where all ages can spend quality time together in an atmosphere that is just plain fun!

Please consider making a donation to the Sauder Village Annual Fund today and be part of celebrating the past while inspiring the future!

We're Thankful For . . .

As we look forward to the Thanksgiving Holiday, we thought it would be appropriate to share some thoughts about all that we’re thankful for here at Sauder Village. We hope you enjoy this short list and perhaps you’ll even take time to share with us why you’re thankful for Sauder Village. We’d love to hear from you!

At Sauder Village we are thankful for . . .

. . . the many employees and volunteers who help to provide memorable experiences for our guests.

. . . the thousands of guests who join us each season – to visit the Historic Village, enjoy great shopping, delicious food or a relaxing, overnight get-away!

. . . our founder, Erie Sauder, and the leadership team that has continued his dream for the future of Sauder Village.

. . . our members who choose to be a part of Sauder Village by enjoying fun and educational experiences all year long and supporting the preservation of the past for generations to come.

. . . our beautiful location in the heart of rural, northwest Ohio and the canopy of trees on the Village Green – creating a beautiful place for guests to relax and enjoy time together.

. . . the teachers who bring their students to Sauder Village each season where the history they read about at school comes to life!

. . . the many craftsmen who share their talents with our guests as they make pottery, glass spheres, baskets, wooden buckets and more!

. . . all of the people who help make our special events such a great success - from teachers and guest artists to individuals participating in our Fiddle Contest or entering a quilt or rug in a special exhibit.

. . . the many donors who help support the efforts of our non-profit organization. From $5 to $5000 – we’re thankful for every gift.

. . . the hundreds of Junior Historians who volunteer their time to help play old-fashioned games, shell corn, make ice-cream, wash clothes and help get our guests involved in activities of yesteryear.


. . . our team of oxen, horses, chickens, goats and other animals that help our guests experience life on the farm.

. . . the many people who choose to shop, eat and stay at Sauder Village – by supporting our for-profit areas you are supporting the non-profit living-history village as well!

. . .everyone we’re connected to online! Thanks for staying connected to all that we’re doing at Sauder Village by following our blog, Facebook or Twitter pages.

The list could go on and on as we are truly thankful for so many things here at Sauder Village. Thank you, enjoy this short video and Happy Thanksgiving!

Stay connected with all that's happening at Sauder Village!