[dropcap]B[/dropcap]lacksmithing, broom making, soap making, corn shelling and candle making are just some of the actives on hand at the 27th annual Pioneer Day at Dr. Pounds Farmstead in Dripping Springs.

Hosted on a farmstead more than 100 years old, Lisa Chaffin, Pioneer Day event chair, said this event is the best format to see history come to life.

An estimated 40 demonstrators and vendors will be sharing their respective skills, such as quiltmaking and selling their wares.

“What makes me smile, what tickles me, is watching someone discover what they (visitors) didn’t know before,” she said.

It was the blacksmithing Chaffin found most captivating when she attended her first Pioneer Day with her two sons.

The trio was so in awe of the blacksmith striking down his hammer onto the metal, they were invited, and accepted, to try it out themselves.   

For Chaffin, an accountant, volunteering on the farmstead provides a creative outlet.

Over the summer, she’s involved in children’s programs, which work with kids in exploring history through hands on “make and take crafts.”

Traditional methods are used to create the crafts, Chaffin said. However, she hopes younger generations will gain interest through attending the event.

The Buggy Barn Museum, based in Blanco, will be at the event displaying buggies and horse drawn carriages from the era.

A wet plate photographer, a sketch calligrapher, leather craftsman, a display of Model T cars, Hill Milk and Honey Farmstead, and Cowboy Church of Hill Country are just some of the organizations that will be participating.

Descendants of Confederate Veterans will hold four demonstrations throughout the day.

DON’T MISS OUT

Pioneer Day will be held Saturday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.  Admission is $7.50 for adults, $5.00 for veterans and seniors, and free for children four years old and under. Price of admission includes crafts made by the participants and a free ride on a horse drawn wagon.

Dr. Joseph Pound, who long ago owned the farmstead, was a Mexican-American war veteran and a Confederate Army veteran, according to primary letters in the historical portal of Texas History managed by the University of North Texas Libraries.

Lauren Neugebauer, chair of the collections committee and self taught preservationist, said slaves owned by Pound and his wife’s family, who were from Mississippi, constructed the first log cabin completed in 1865.

Pound and his family, who were very active in the emerging community, are recognized as one of the founding families of Dripping Springs.

The farmstead, which is recognized as a national and state landmark, sits on five acres of land and includes the house, a barn, windmill, cistern, smokehouse and cold frame, which is similar to a greenhouse.   

In a documentary linked on the farmstead’s website, Marjorie Owens, Pound’s great-granddaughter, said the farmstead held the first school and church services in the area.   

Descendants of the Pounds have resided on the farmstead up until 1983, while still solely using the outhouse and only adding the innovation of electricity to the property.

The 152-year-old house and neighboring buildings are always in need of upkeep and Pioneer Day also serves as a fundraiser for those efforts.

“It has only been 15 years since the last renovation and we have already had to replace the roof,” Neugebauer said.

In order to maintain the house to its original construction, the same techniques and materials used to build the house are used in the maintenance.

In some cases, that means more frequent repair.

She hopes in the future they will have the funds to build a temperature controlled space for the more than 8,000 artifacts to be safely displayed.

“On the back of our minds, we hope one day to (build) a visitor center so that it feels more like a real museum,” Chaffin said.