Here's a peek at our Seneca Falls and Auburn adventures!
The first morning started with a choice of activities.
Most families opted for the Glacial Presentation (pictures, anyone?),
but one family chose the Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry.
One of the particularly neat things about the museum was their hands-on Simple Machines room.
Most families opted for the Glacial Presentation (pictures, anyone?),
but one family chose the Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry.
One of the particularly neat things about the museum was their hands-on Simple Machines room.
inclined plane
lever
wheel and axle
pulley
(single, double, and triple lifting the same weight
so one can compare the effect on force required)
(single, double, and triple lifting the same weight
so one can compare the effect on force required)
Next up - we all gathered at the Women's Rights National Historical Park in downtown Seneca Falls, where we admired the etched wall of the Declaration of Sentiments (which was modeled after the Declaration of Independence),
watched a movie about the early days of the Women's Rights movement,
looked at pictures, and paraded around and posed with life-size sculptures of those involved in the birth of the women's rights movement.
watched a movie about the early days of the Women's Rights movement,
looked at pictures, and paraded around and posed with life-size sculptures of those involved in the birth of the women's rights movement.
On to the Wesleyan Chapel on the corner of Fall and Mynderse Streets,
where the First Convention for Woman's Rights was held July 19-20, 1848.
where the First Convention for Woman's Rights was held July 19-20, 1848.
The chapel was later used for many other things - store, car shop, laundromat, etc. - and thankfully, the National Park Service is in the process of restoring it.
Things are getting more personal as we head to the other side of town to the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, her husband Henry, and their seven children.
After the ranger's presentation and touring the inside of the house,
the children had a very fun time playing tag in Elizabeth's back yard -
perhaps like her own children may have done 150 years ago??
the children had a very fun time playing tag in Elizabeth's back yard -
perhaps like her own children may have done 150 years ago??
"We will accomplish wonders" -
correspondence between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
Then we traveled to neighboring Waterloo to visit the M'Clintock House, where the Declaration of Sentiments was actually written by Mary Ann M'Clintock, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and others. The house also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
A reproduction of the room in which the historical meeting took place
and the writing was done.
and the writing was done.
The M'Clintock family has all of the original furniture, but they lent it to the National Park Service so that exact reproductions could be made, right down to the detailed grains in the wood.
Wow - that was a long day, but it's not over yet.
A few families are pictured here starting to settle in for a showing of Iron Jawed Angels at the Hotel Clarence, who graciously supported our outing by letting us use one of their reception rooms, supplying a big screen, and providing hungry children with lots of good snacks.
A few families are pictured here starting to settle in for a showing of Iron Jawed Angels at the Hotel Clarence, who graciously supported our outing by letting us use one of their reception rooms, supplying a big screen, and providing hungry children with lots of good snacks.
Onto the next day, some families started the morning bright and early by meeting at the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. Others started a wee bit later at the William Seward House in Auburn. It was fun for the kids to visit someone's home who had strong ties to our own local area. It was fascinating to learn about his very close connection to Abraham Lincoln and the abolitionist movement, about his role as an advocate for everyone's right to receive an education, and about his significant role in NYS government and in US history.
A couple families arrived before the formal program was to start and while waiting for the rest of the group were able to tour the basement of the house, which also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Here are a few of the kids in their old kitchen in the basement, which also served as a secret shelter for runaway slaves.
Why, yes!, that IS our Jordan who was escorted into the roped-off area of the living room and invited to play for us all on what was the Seward family's personal piano! (Notice the bust on display in the back - a bust of Venus that was found in Pompeii and which W. Seward received as a gift. And along the right edge of the photo in the thick gold frame is a HUGE original Thomas Cole painting that he did for W. Seward, also as just another gift.)
Service for 60 anyone? Very fine china, a gift from France.
Next stop - the Fort Hill Cemetery to find the grave sites of the Seward family and Harriet Tubman as well as the great "mound" built by the prehistoric Mound Builders. With many thanks to a very helpful and generous cemetery grounds keeper, we found them all!
Here we are at Harriet Tubman's grave site, which people are still regularly bringing flowers to. Note the stones on top - apparently, per our grounds keeper guide, that is how visitors traditionally communicated to one another that they had been there. Many folks choose to continue the tradition.
It surprised no one that the Seward grave sites were quite fancy.
Here are William's and Frances's.
Here are William's and Frances's.
And here's a look at the entire row,
which includes their children's burial sites as well.
which includes their children's burial sites as well.
We found the mound, rumored to be the highest spot in the area,
now completely covered with grave sites.
now completely covered with grave sites.
And at the top of the mound?
A monument built to honor Chief Logan who was born a Cayuga Indian
and later lived with a small tribe of Mingo Indians.
A monument built to honor Chief Logan who was born a Cayuga Indian
and later lived with a small tribe of Mingo Indians.
An excerpt from "Logan's Lament":
"I have often thought to live with you but for the injuries of one man. Col. Cresap, the last spring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not sparing even my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This has called on me for revenge. I have sought it: I have killed many: I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I rejoice at the beams of peace. But do not harbour a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan? Not one."
Etched at the bottom of the monument - "Who is there to mourn for Logan?"
And last but certainly not least - we visited Harriet Tubman's homestead.
After being sent out on our own for lunch from the visit to the cemetery, a couple families arrived early at the Harriet Tubman Visitor Center to enjoy their picnic lunches in Harriet's yard.
Our guide at the visitor center was wonderful and such an amazing story teller,
and she made it a very participatory experience for the children and adults alike!
and she made it a very participatory experience for the children and adults alike!
Here is Harriet's Home for the Aging.
Each child got to try out Harriet's butter maker!!
And here is the house Harriet lived in, right next door to the Home for the Aging but undergoing renovations (so we didn't get to go inside). This was the initial property she owned (bought the Home for the Aging later on at an auction), and interestingly, it was William Seward who enabled Harriet to have this house. He wanted to give it to her, but as proud and headstrong as she was, she insisted on setting up a payment plan and buying it from him. They think this one will be ready for visits next year.
And then we all started on our long journey home back to the Capital Region.
Many, many thanks to Debbie, our upper elementary directress,
who envisioned and coordinated this amazing field trip for us!
Many, many thanks to Debbie, our upper elementary directress,
who envisioned and coordinated this amazing field trip for us!
