We hadn't seen my folks for a while and we needed a Ducky and Gigi fix, so we altered our field trip day so they could go with us! One of my folks' favorite treat places is getting ice cream at K-State, we used that as a base and built our trip around it and headed to Manhattan. The place that best fit what we are learning now is
Goodnow House. Goodnow House was built in 1859 by Isaac and Ellen Goodnow. The Goodnows were abolitionists from New England and moved out here with the New England Emigrant Aid Society. Isaac started the pre-cursor to K-State University, Bluemont College. The museum was small but exemplary because all the artifacts that were in it were used in the household either by the Goodnows or their adopted daughter.
Oh how pretty this house was, and how I think I would have enjoyed the Goodnows. They shared similar interests...
In fact, the house would be a reflection of our lives, but just 150 years ago. Books galore, artifacts - yep:)
While there was a lot of hands off type of areas, there was a section where our guide let the kids try out some period artifacts...
The high point, just for this homeschooling momma, was when we walked by this picture of a soldier with excellent hair on a horse, and Bubby says to me, "Mom, do you know who that is?". I answer, "George Custer?". Bubby, "No, Mom, that's Nathaniel Lyons." Our guide was pretty shocked, and actually so was I. It was indeed Nathaniel Lyons who we had learned about when we visited
the Wilson's Creek battlefield. He too had excellent hair;) As a homeschooling parent, I still get those moments of, "what are they retaining?", but its sinking in! Yay!
I am so glad we chose this site for our destination today. Suggested donation is $1 for kids and $2 for adults, and it is chalked full of free-stater history and architecture:) Even Shorty did relatively well which is always a bonus.
Right across the drive is the Riley County Historical Society, so we made it part of our trip.
The area for displays was not really big, but it was well laid out with interesting displays. You also can't beat free admission! The biggest find for me was some artifacts from Sikes' Store in Leonardville. My hubby's gg-grandfather worked there, so it was fun to make personal application for the kids.
Our next stop was Call Hall on the K-State campus. Since K-State is an agricultural based college, you can buy all kinds of wonderful things that they produce at the Dairy Bar at Call. We started with the ice cream...
and checked out where they process the milk...
that was especially fun since my gr-grandpa attended K-State dairy college in the early 1900s before it was K-State.
On our way out we bought some of the meat, cheese and ice cream that was for sale (they also sell flour too!).
We're definitely going back to the Little Apple soon. Every sign we saw (for the zoo, the Flint Hills Discovery Center, art museum, etc...) was met with "oooh, I want to go there!" And, well, I have some genealogy research that I need to make an appointment for as well!
