From Bear Grease

To Fur Of A Fox,

To Fine Cuisine,

Event Had It All

By JIM FELTMAN

Staff Photographer

Along a section of Limestone Creek visitors could have easily believed they had stepped back more than 200 years back in time.

Nearly 2,000 people attended the annual "Davy Crockett Days" event over the weekend at the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park near Limestone, said Mark Halback, the park's manager.

A steady stream of visitors strolled under the trees lining the creek that flows into the Nolichucky River, stopping at more than two dozen exhibits featuring about 70 costumed reenactors.

Seven-year-old Garrett Long, his 12-year-old sister, Chrysta, and their 8-year-old friend, J.T. Pierce, seemed fascinated with the hide of a red fox at the tent of Harry Jordan, a reenactor from Fletcher, N.C.

Jordan explained how the skin, hair and fur were prepared and used in Crockett's time, providing materials for a variety of uses.

"It's so soft," Chrysta said as she stroked the fox's fur.

"This is something the kid's enjoy, and they learn from the people who know the way the early settlers lived," said Beau Long, Garrett and Chrysta's father.

They came with members of Cub Scout Pack 93 from Afton.

Tents, Rustic Shelters

Most of the reenactors had tents or rustic shelters set up and only used items available in the late 18th century.

Dave and Cheryl Childress, reenactors who traveled from Richmond, Va., for the event, had a cozy bed under their canvas tent and a nicely-appointed kitchen and dining table under an awning.

"A good rule for pioneers leaving the coastal areas to search for better lands and lives in the frontier was to only take what you could pack into one wagon," Cheryl said.

Many of the pioneers were busy cooking their best frontier recipes Saturday afternoon, in preparation for a cooking contest. All were cooking over an open fire (no charcoal or propane here) and using utensils only available in the period.

Fellow reenactor Chad Bogart from Elizabethton stopped by the Childress' camp to offer a taste of his winning side dish, rice pudding with fresh blueberry topping.

"Excellent," both Dave and Cheryl proclaimed.

Thankfully, the contents of reenactor Earl Slagel's cast iron pot weren't entered in the contest.

"It's a mixture of bear fat and beeswax that makes a grease that's great for waterproofing things, like boots or tents," Slagel explained to visitors like Jeff and Carey Neikirk and their 10-year-old son Jeffrey of Greeneville.

Variety Of Events

Other events at the two-day event included pioneer kids' games, a butter-making workshop, a ladies' tea in the Crockett cabin, black-powder firearms and hatchet throwing demonstrations, and bluegrass music provided by the "Roan Mountain Moonshiners."

"We've added a couple of new events this year, too," said Mark Halback, the park's manager.

"The Remnant Yuchi Nation has a camp with several members explaining the history of their tribe, showing tools and other items used on the frontier, and demonstrating the lifestyle among the Native Americans who inhabited the area," Halback said.

On Sunday, a program called "a woman's work is never done" was held with several of the women from the reenactor ranks providing information on the role of women and their contribution to survival on the frontier.

"Our event has grown steadily for six years, mainly due to the efforts of the reenactors," Halback said. "They get to know each other at various events and become kind of a family."

Halback said about 1,000 people had visited the event as of mid-afternoon Saturday.

"We're very proud of what we have here," he added.

"After all, we have a fantastic story to tell -- the history and survival of the amazing people who struggled and overcame the challenges of life on the western frontier. We're here to celebrate the lifestyles and environment that produced Davy Crockett and others like him," Halback said.