The Early American Crafters–Heritage Canyon historical interpreters–invite the public to enter 11 buildings on Saturday, October 5, and Sunday, October 6, 2019, in Fulton, IL. Fall Festival is held at 515 N. 4th Street from 10:00 a.m. from 4:00 p.m. both days. Park downtown and ride the shuttle to the Canyon entrance.
The Bad Boys Traveling Summer Baseball Team food stand will sell walking tacos, sandwiches, chips, pop, and water.
Next door at Andresen Nature Center, 409 N. 4th Street, entertaining activities await: pumpkin painting; paper airplane make-and-fly; microscopic peaks at bees; robotics demonstrations; nature talks.
- Chat with buckskinners and the rope maker.
- Observe wood stove cooking and blacksmithing.
- Enjoy dulcimer music.
- Attend lessons in the frontier school.
Rev. Danny Lybarger of Abingdon, IL, might be found foraging for natural medicinals in the apple orchard, on Saturday. He holds examples of two common, low-growing weeds: plantain and violet. Their leaves, he notes, when brewed together as a tea, have medicinal properties to ease sinus drainage. Atop the hill near the Town Hall, he plays a wooden flute, shares Native American history, and tells stories during Fall Festival.
The 1860’s House is a cozy place for visitors. This building and its separate Summer Kitchen are the only authentic structures in the Canyon. The buildings were removed board-by-board from the Don Temple farm in the Garden Plain, IL, area. Upstairs is a sleeping loft, but visitors do not ascend the steps. Beneath the floor is a recessed space dug into the ground. It is used by Early American Crafters to keep items cool, following the example of early homesteaders.
Davenport, IA, wood carver John Stoltz applied his skills inside the Iron Works, shown below. The bottle and goblets are not his creation; they were turned on a lathe. He displayed various spoons, scoops, and spreaders; picks; a whistle; two Christmas ornaments; walking sticks and canes. He uses numerous types of wood. Stoltz carves horn, antlers, and bone, too.
