By Ryan Smith
Meadville Tribune
JAMESTOWN —
JAMESTOWN — Two young men outfitted as soldiers of the 13th Virginia Cavalry played a friendly game of tug-o’-war with Ghost in the Head of the Huron tribe.
Nearby, smoke wafted upward as a Native American woman tended carefully to the meat she was cooking over an open fire, all the while talking with visitors to her lakeside camp, authentically set to resemble a common living arrangement from the mid-1700s.
Down the path, gentle gushes of water came out of an antique well pump driven by the power of a century-old engine, and age-old tractors stood in a line close by.
An eclectic intermingling of pioneer-era cultures and histories was on full display Saturday at the 17th annual Pymatuning Pioneer & Art Festival at Pymatuning State Park in Jamestown. And for those who may have missed it, the festival continues today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“My goal is to educate the public of what was — so it’s not lost,” said McMurray resident Dana Knezevich, who goes by the name Laughing Crow when she takes on the role of the Native American woman tending to the camp.
“I love doing living history events,” said Daniel Hall, one of the Virginia Cavalry re-enactors. “We get to educate the public ...
“... about all the things they were lied to about in high school,” interjected fellow re-enactor James Griffith.
The two-day festival features living history displays including a Civil War encampment by the 150th PA Bucktails, a Native American encampment and a Daniel Boone re-enactor portrayed by Steven Caudill of Winchester, Ky.
Visitors are also invited to check out the festival’s antique tractor show and numerous demonstrations, take a free pontoon boat ride on Pymatuning Lake and participate in activities like butter churning, apple bobbing and other games from days past.
Numerous food vendors are also available along with more than sixty crafters displaying and selling their products.
This annual festival is sponsored by the Jamestown Area Historical Society.
Ryan Smith can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at rsmith@meadvilletribune.com.
Go Pioneering
The 17th annual Pymatuning Pioneer & Art Festival continues today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pymatuning State Park dam near Jamestown.
Admission to the festival is $1, and parking is free. This event is sponsored by the Jamestown Area Historical Society.
For specific event times and more information, visit pymatuningpioneerdays.com.
