Festival celebrates early life in Butler County
Butler County pioneers built their own cabins, grew crops and animals for food, raised their children and made their own clothes.
“Pioneers worked hard,” said Pat Collins, the Butler County Historical Society executive director.
That lifestyle will be displayed at the society's Pioneer Festival and Primitive Craft Show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Cooper Cabin, 199 Cooper Road, Cabot, which offers residents a glimpse into the early years of Butler County.
At the festival, people can tour the cabin and spinning house, learn about herbs, watch quilting demonstrations and beekeeping and listen to children's music.
Festival admission is free. Food will be available to purchase.
The Butler County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization with a mission to collect, preserve and interpret Butler County's historical records and artifacts for the educational benefit of the community.Built by the Cooper family circa 1810, the cabin was an original county homestead. It was enlarged after the Civil War and family descendants remained in the cabin until 1962. In 1976, the cabin and grounds were bequeathed to the society, according to the society's website.The Cooper Cabin Pioneer Homestead is located on a land patent obtained by Samuel Cooper in 1817. Cooper's cabin was a simple, rectangular shape with two windows and a door, and while there was no second floor there was a loft.Building a cabin was the first task of a pioneer to gain ownership of the land.The cabin is furnished with family heirlooms and memorabilia, as well as other period pieces. Outbuildings include a spinning house and a spring house. There is also an extensive herb garden maintained every year by the Herbal Thymes Garden Club of Saxonburg.The last family member to live in the cabin was Nancy Cooper who was born in 1861 and died in 1963, Collins said.“She spent her whole life there,” she said. “She never had running water and got electricity in about 1957. She had a hotplate and a light bulb.”Over the time the cabin has been closed, the society has worked to repair the cabin in various ways, such as roof and stair repairs and tending to the cabin grounds.Now, the society is ready to reopen the cabin's doors, Collins said. Anyone who wants to learn more about Butler County's history should attend.“History is important,” she said. “We have to preserve it and educate future generations.”
WHAT: Pioneer Festival and Primitive Craft ShowWHEN: 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. SaturdayWHERE: Cooper Cabin, 199 Cooper Road, CabotCOST: Free admission; food available to purchaseFOR MORE INFORMATION: Call the Butler County Historical Society at 724-283-8116.
