Imagine this:
You're living in pioneer times, and it's the
Fourth of July.
No colorful fireworks ~ no
laser show ~ but you will be celebrating
the day with an explosion of sound that pioneers
heard thunder through the hills when they
celebrated Independence Day.
Folks as far as 15 miles away have reported
hearing our annual Anvil Shoot, and certainly
everyone gathered for the excitement feels the earth shake under their feet.
Anvil shooting used to be a fairly common way that
rural folks celebrated special events--they "shot
the anvil" to celebrate the nation’s Independence,
Christmas, and even Davy Crockett’s election to
the U.S. Congress. A few years ago, two men,
each more than 100 years old, watched the Museum’s
anvil shoot and recalled this tradition from their
early boyhood.
So shooting the
anvil has come to be the highlight of the Museum's
fabulous July 4th Celebration. Along with the big
boom, there are patriotic ceremonies and lots of
music—the
old-time mountain music and folk tunes of the
Southern Appalachian Mountains.
Mountain skills are
demonstrated for visitors that range from
broom-making to crosscut sawing, from open-hearth
cooking to spinning, and more. Folks can
sample old-time favorites like sassafras tea and
fried apple pies.
A
replica of the Liberty Bell is rung precisely at 2
p.m. in conjunction with the National Bell Ringing
Ceremony. The Sons of the Revolution raise
the Liberty Pole, commemorating the colonial
spirit that protested British rule, and a
presentation of flags from the Colonial era to the
present are included in the schedule of events.
Step back into history for a Fourth of July
Celebration that you'll never forget!
