On February 14-15, Old Fort Niagara ushers in the semiquincentennial year with a special event focused on how people survived winter on the New York frontier during the American Revolution.
Visitors will have the opportunity to try out snowshoes, start a fire with flint and steel, build a wilderness shelter and write a letter home with a quill pen.
Other living history demonstrations include laundry and winter hygene, winter clothing, the thermal science of fabric, carpentry, officers’ amusements, Native diplomacy, frontier foodways, fishing on the Great Lakes and hourly musket firing demonstrations.
Fort Niagara was held by the British throughout the American Revolution. In February 1776, the Fort was cut off from communication and supply by American forces besieging Quebec. Visitors to the Fort will learn how the garrison dealt with both winter weather and isolation 250 years ago.
During the American Revolution, Fort Niagara served as British headquarters on the Great Lakes as well as a refuge for Loyalists and Native Americans who supported the British Crown.
The Fort also served as a base of operations for raids against the New York and Pennsylvania frontiers. In addition to the program’s many living history demonstrations, visitors will learn about the Revolution on the northern frontier through interpretive talks during the day.
Hours for the program are 10 am to 4 pm both days. More information is available by visiting the Fort’s website at www.oldfortniagara.org or calling (716) 745-7611.
Photo provided.
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