Foxfire Museum Living History Days April 9-10

Backcountry Notes ^ | April 7, 2010 | Jay Henderson

[jay1949]

"See the days of pioneer Appalachia brought to life by local families as the Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center hosts two days of living history, with adults and children dressed in 1800s period costumes, showcasing almost every facet of life in these mountains 200 years ago. Cooking simple food in a stone fireplace, crafting wood furniture with hand tools, blacksmithing in a coal-fired forge, one-room schoolhouse classes covering the Appalachian “three Rs” (Readin’, ‘Ritin’, and Religion), short church services, a quilting bee, plenty of old-time kids’ games (everyone is invited to join in), live traditional music — all of these activities (and likely more) bring the Foxfire Museum to life . . . "

[Tainan]

I seem to remember back in the days of The Whole Earth Catalog there was a similar publication by the name of Foxfire.

Maybe someone else can remember it a bit better. It dealt with the same topics as the Whole Earth Catalog I think.

[jay1949]

I have good news and bad news. The bad news is, you’re way off . . . Foxfire has nothing to do with the Whole Earth Catalog genre. The good news is that the Foxfire books are a national treasure, still available, preserving a record of the traditional culture of southern Appalachia. Check out Foxfire here: http://www.foxfire.org/index.html

[Boonie]

jay,

Is Elliot Wiggington still living? Did he get out of the troubles he had with Foxfire???

[jay1949]

As far as I know, he is still alive and still on probation, and hasn’t been involved in Foxfire since the early 1990s — everything was rolled over into the Foxfire Foundation.

[Boonie]

OK...thanks...It has been my belief he really blew a good thing he had....

[jay1949]

He did, but the idea was too good to die.

[Tainan]

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear on my comment.
I didn't mean they were affiliated. Just that they both came about in approximately the same time frame and that they both dealt with items of self-sufficiency and life skills past on from prior generations.
I just seemed to recall them being contemporaneous of a sort.
Heck, it was a long time and maybe a few chromosomes ago.

[Boonie]

Whole Earth Catalog and Foxfire were completely different...

While Whole Earth dealt with “hippie” and nomadics, communal plain living, self sufficiency, etc...

Foxfire dealt with Southern Appalachian living from the past to the present and interviews with the elderly mountain about past customs, traditions, methods of living...

[ASOC]

Good book series, interesting interviews and some actual hands on stuff w/photos.

I wonder if they would sell more if renamed

Post-atmoic Survival 101?

[jay1949]

Heck, it was a long time and maybe a few chromosomes ago. LOL -- ancient history. I may have my copy of the whole earth catalog in my boxes of old junk in the basement.