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Siege at the Blockhouse 2010
Dates:
5/21/2010 - 5/23/2010
Location:
Block House
Description:
Siege at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse!
Saturday and Sunday May 22-23, 2010
Camp Set-up Friday May 21
10 AM – 9 PM Saturday
11 AM – 3 PM Sunday
Horse race Saturday morning
"Battles" on Saturday in the afternoon and evening
Natural Tunnel State Park
Duffield, Virginia
Dear Living History Reenactors, Vendors, and other interested parties,
The Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association, in cooperation with Natural Tunnel State Park, invites you to join us for "Siege at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse." This Living History event is in its seventh year and is growing bigger and better each time. The Wilderness Road Blockhouse was constructed in 2003, by the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association, as a representation of the fortified frontier home of John Anderson. Anderson built his home in 1775 near the North Fork of the Holston River, and it became a landmark noted in 18th century journals, letters, and publications along the westward migration route that traveled through Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. Several notable figures from the history of that period are associated with it, including Daniel Boone, Col. Richard Calloway, Judge Richard Henderson, Col. Joseph Martin, as well as Anderson, who continued to be a prominent figure in his community throughout the remainder of his life. Our event attempts to give the visitor a taste of life on the Virginia frontier in 1775 and to tell stories associated with late 18th century westward American migration, though they may have happened at other sites along the route. We work hard to tell a balanced and accurate story of the settlers of European descent, African Americans, and of the American Indians of the time and place.
Interested participants can expect the following amenities: Those with period appropriate camping gear are encouraged to camp at the Blockhouse site; water, firewood, and bathrooms are available nearby at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse Interpretative Center; showers are available at Natural Tunnel State Park Swimming Pool, a short drive or walk; and a limited number of folks can be accommodated overnight in a dorm style Park facility; The DBWT Assoc. provides breakfast sandwiches on Saturday, May 22 and a fast-food supper on that evening. There is a campground in the Park with electrical hookups and water for which reservations may be made. We currently charge no fee for vendors; period appropriate vendors can locate next to the historic area, others elsewhere; there will be a food vendor selling snacks, drinks, hot dogs during the day on Saturday. Siege at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse is not yet a juried event, but we ask that participants make every effort to be appropriate representations of the late 18th century Virginia frontier.
Please note that no vehicles may be in the historic area after 8 AM on Saturday, May 22; and that there should be no take-down, or vehicles, on Sunday, May 23 until 3 PM. If you have period-appropriate seating, please bring that. Seating on site is limited.
Please let us know to expect you. Respond by returning the next page of this letter. The information asked for may be sent by email to Daniel Huffman at Daniel.Huffman@tn.gov or by US mail to Daniel Huffman, 10585 Stanley Valley Road, Gate City, VA 24251-5876. Deadline for registration is the last day of April, 2009.
Registration Information:
Siege at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse!
May 22-23, 2010
The information asked for may be sent by email to Daniel Huffman at Daniel.Huffman@state.tn.us or by US mail to Daniel Huffman, 10585 Stanley Valley Road, Gate City, VA 24251-5876. Deadline for registration is the last day of April, 2010.
Name _______________________________________________________
Number in your party_________
Street Address______________________________________________
City/State, Zip_____________________________________________
Phone ___________________________________
Email ___________________________________
Please tell us who your are, what you do. (Persona? Craft? Skills?)
To arrange to stay in a Park dorm-style facility or to make a campground reservation, please contact Park Interpreter Megan France at 276-940-1643 or megan.france@dcr.virginia.gov.
