Stonefield: Where You Can Visit The Past

STONEFIELD, Wisconsin Historical Society’s Museum of Agricultural History and Village Life, is tucked in a valley next to the Mississippi River about a mile north of the little river town of Cassville.  If you are a former farmer, have relatives on a farm, or are merely interested in what early farm life in the Midwest was like, STONEFIELD should be on your “a place I must visit” list.

Here you see early farm machinery, the real thing, not replicas, of such implements as reapers and corn binders, high wheeled wagons and threshing machines.  There’s a farmstead with an early 1900 farm house and barn and out buildings, and when you cross over a bridge you find a fascinating little village of yesteryear complete with a newspaper office, a one room school, a saloon, blacksmith shop, country grocery and meat market, hardware store and much more.

I was there Saturday with my fellow Fulcrum published writer, Kenny Salwey, who calls himself the “The Last River Rat.”  We were there telling stories, signing books and visiting with people spending the day learning about The Great River Road and life at an earlier day when people were less hurried and took time to visit with their neighbors and enjoy their surroundings.

It is always fun to talk with folks I’d met other times at Stonefield, and visit with my old friend. Allen Schroeder, who is director.  My daughter Sue, author of One Room Schools: Stories from the Days of 1 Room, 1 Teacher, 8 Grades, accompanied me.  She signing her book and talking with folks about life in a one room school.

It was a good day.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: A day visiting the past is a day to remember.

ANNOUNCEMENT:  For those in the Madison area: Mark your calendars.  Launch of my new novel, THE GREAT SAND FRACAS OF AMES COUNTY will be at Barnes and Noble, West in Madison on October 7, 7:00 p.m.  Everyone invited.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

September 24, 10:15. Wisconsin Retired Educators, Marriott West, Madison. Rural Wit and Wisdom

October 2, Heartland Forum, Minneapolis: The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County

October 7, 7:00 p.m. Barnes and Noble, west Madison: The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County

October 9, 11:00 a.m.  The Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio. The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County.

October 16, 6:00 p.m. Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose, WI The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County

October 19, 12:30 p.m. Wisconsin Book Festival, Rm. 302, Madison Main Library. The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County

October 23, 5:00 p.m. dinner, 6:00 p.m. presentation Green Bay Neville Museum. Horse Drawn Days. Registration required.

November 1, 9:00 to 4:00 “Writing From Your Life Workshop” The Clearing, Ellison Bay, WI

November 1, 4:30 p.m., Book signing WI The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County The Clearing, Ellison Bay, WI.

November 8, 9:00-11:30, Sheboygan County Research Center, Plymouth, WI. Barns of Wisconsin.

November 12, Noon. Wisconsin Historical Society Tour, La Crosse, Weber Center for the Preforming Arts.  Farm Stories.

December 7, 1:00-2:15 and 2:30-3:15 Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells(Two sessions) Wis Farm Bureau Meeting. Writing From Your Life for Children and Grandchildren.