JEFFERSON — History and mystery steam into Jefferson Depot Village this weekend.
The living-history village is teaming up with the Ashtabula Carson & Jefferson (AC&J;) Railroad to create an event that chairwoman Jean Dutton hopes will equal or surpass the depot’s Strawberry Festival in attendance. On Saturday and Sunday, the depot’s restored buildings will be open, and guides in period costumes will interpret life in the 1890s and present demonstrations, including basket and candle making, public school instruction, and wool dying and spinning.
Village buildings include a general store, church, school, an 1888 home, the 1845 Sheffield Post Office, railroad depot and church barn.
At the neighboring AC&J; Railroad yards, a small steam switch engine will take passengers on one-hour excursions to Carson Yards. The train will run 1, 3 and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with an additional trip at 11 a.m. Saturday. Paid reservations are highly recommended; call 576-6346 to make the reservation.
The steam weekend celebrates the excursion railroad’s 25th anniversary.
As the train steams out of the yards for its first trip Saturday, “circuit rider” Vernon Palo, a United Methodist pastor, will arrive at Jefferson Depot for a service at the village’s Church in the Wildwood. Sandra Kalas will play the pump organ for the service. She’ll also do a pump-organ concert at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
A traveling jewelry show from Paris will arrive at the Depot, from Columbus, Saturday morning. Dutton says it’s coming by train, but not the AC&J.; The show is shrouded in mystery. Dutton said the village has been given the jewelry and will be selling it throughout the afternoon Saturday.
“It will be a variety of jewelry, costume and some gems,” she said. “You will have to be there to see it.”
The mystery element continues with the patriotic musical scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday. Dutton will identify the performers only as adults from Andover. There’s mystery surrounding the children’s choir, which is scheduled to perform at 2 p.m. Sunday.
“It’s going to be a surprise,” she said. “They have not told me how many children are coming.”
In keeping with the living-history mission of the weekend, the lunch menu will feature foods that made their appearance during the 19th century. Visitors also will learn about herbal and primitive medical treatments, and have the opportunity to test their digestive system’s capacity during a pie-eating contest. There will be a horseshoe pitching contest and a variety of recess games for children.
Cost for each day is $3 per person. The event begins 10 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.
“Where else can you go in the county and really experience how your ancestors lived?” Dutton asked. “It was a little different way of life.”
online: jeffersondepot village.org familytrainrides. com
Local News
Steam train rides this weekend in Jefferson
Depot's buildings open
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