Prairie Day Camp invites kids to experience journey through time
Eden Smith picks out a hat while dressing up in 1860s-period costumes at the Prairie Day Camp at the Carrie Lane Chapman Catt Girlhood Home. Press photo by Bob Steenson
Corrine Roth gets some help dressing in clothing similar to what might have been worn at a prairie home in the 1860s. Press photo by Bob Steenson
Dressed in 1860s-period costumes at the Prairie Day Camp at the Carrie Lane Chapman Catt Girlhood Home on Wednesday were, front from left, Hazel Hansen, Amara Bolin, Vance Bolin; back from left, Graham Hansen, Eden Smith, Jada Low, Avery Low and Corrine Roth. Press photo by Bob Steenson
Participants in the Prairie Day Camp venture into the nearby prairie while dressed in 1860s-period costumes at the Carrie Lane Chapman Catt Girlhood Home. Press photo by Bob Steenson
Participants in the Prairie Day Camp at the Carrie Lane Chapman Catt Girlhood Home and their adult leaders enjoy a 1860s-period lunch of chicken legs, sweet corn, bakes beans, cookies and lemonade. Press photo by Bob Steenson
By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com
It’s a typical day on the prairie — or at least a somewhat close approximation for the kids attending the annual Prairie Day Camp hosted at the Carrie Lane Chapman Catt Girlhood Home.
The summertime event, offered each year by the National 19th Amendment Society, gives kids a look at what life was like back when Chapman Catt lived in the home.
With Chapman Catt’s claim to fame being her work on passing the 19th Amendment to give women the right to vote, the day camp is also an opportunity to provide a little civics lesson.
In the morning the camp kids were given an explanation of how voting works, each given his or her own Prairie Day Camp registered voter card, then asked to cast their ballots for which toy they would like to receive at the end of the day — dominoes or marbles.
The toys were typical of what Carrie would have played with as a girl, said Cheryl Erb, who was one of a team of National 19th Amendment Society members helping run the camp.
In the afternoon, Floyd County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Gloria Carr gave another presentation and announced the official results — it was a squeaker for the marbles at 5-3.
The day was filled with activities for the eight youngsters who took part this year. In addition to the voting, fun included a prairie walk led by Floyd County Naturalist Heidi Reams, period games such as hop-scotch and jacks, singing, stories and creating a booklet that captured each attendee’s memories of the day, with guidance putting the books together by Mary Chipman, the summer program assistant at the Chapman Catt Girlhood Home.
The kids also enjoyed a lunch featuring chicken legs, baked beans, sweet corn, cookies and lemonade, and the day was capped off with fresh-pressed apple cider and molasses cookies. The kids helped shuck the sweet corn and grind the apples, Erb said.
The Prairie Day Camp is led by the National 19th Amendment Society in partnership with Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area.
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