Turn of the Century Days brought vintage charm, history, fun — and a dash of 1898 elegance — to Roxbury
Historical trip back in time included
all the old favorites and few new tricks!
“All the agreeable pursuits” of 1898 were in full vintage swing for the entire Labor Day weekend in Roxbury's Kirkside Park Saturday and Sunday. This year's Turn of the Century Days culminated in a thrilling, decisive 18-8 victory for the "hometown boys of summer" as the Roxbury Nine snared the coveted Harry M. Keator Cup after two full days of authentic vintage base ball action.
Saturday's "sweater weather" sent the sausage
and savories at the Public Beer Garden flying off the grill. Ever dapper
Public Lounge Beer Garden hosts Andrew and Juan and Tammy and Bill Allison
inaugurated this refreshing 1890s tradition with some special brews and ciders
on tap. Base base ball fans gobbled up those hearty fortifications under
picnic tents while vintage base ball orator Brad Shaw regaled them with a
rousing recitation of "Casey at the Bat." Not to be upstaged, the
vaudeville troupe Clan Tynker entertained kids and grownups alike with magic,
juggling, acrobatics, amazing stilt-walking and more sleight of hand than
even an our vintage strikers could shake a bat at. 
Katie Boardman and Dave
Ralphaelson also warmed the crowd with old-fashioned parlor songs that everyone
could sing along.
Kirkside Park was packed with kids of all ages rolling hoops on the wide lawns, hopping about on homemade stilts and getting creative in the children's tent with dollmaking, weaving, under the guidance of Sue Wittenberg and Dorothy and Rebecca Rose. With vintage base ball going full swing in two ball fields on Saturday, fans were able to see historic ball recreated from the early days of 1864 slow pitch to the signature 1898 fast pitch game of the Roxbury Nine.
On Main Street, Roxbury's new, authentic Victorian hotel coach was led by majestic Belgian drafts as student docent Kelsey O'Brien charmed passengers with true tales of Roxbury's history. Even more elegant was the velvet-upholstered 1890s haute fashion surrey which transported its passengers down the main thoroughfare in true "Gouldian" style. Visitors got an exclusive once-a-year peak inside the hamlet's most interesting historic homes with more Roxbury student docents lending their expertise on the 19th century lifestyles and architecture lived in Roxbury's finest homes. One of the most exciting features of Turn of the Century Days is the opportunity for Roxbury youth to become immersed in their own history and pass along that knowledge to hamlet visitors.
Saturday evening, Katie Boardman and Dave Raphaelson warmed up the crowd with their "never musty" musical adventures, slowcasing their homemade banjo, musical bones and other melodious period noiseboxes. They were the perfect period openers for the uncanny mountain fiddling of Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, which resounded in the splendid stone acoustics of Gould Memorial Church, warming up our time travellers for the many Sunday pleasures to come.
 |
And the sun was shining for the beautiful Outdoor Community Service on Sunday
morning led by Rev. Richard Dykstra, who spoke of reclaiming the idea of "serving
gladly." The island in Kirkside Park was then transformed into a fashion
runway, where everyone from tots to gents showed off their 19thc Sunday best,
led by fashion coordinator extraordinaire Karina Walker. Expert narration
of each costume by Dr. Lorraine Tyler of SUNY-Oneonta added immeasurably
rich insights to all those yards of silk and gingham. She reminded us that
the invention of the sewing machine freed many a seamstress from the drudgery
of hand-stitching and allowed sartorial creativity to run wild with details
and ornamentation. 
But the sewing machine was also a part of the industrial
revolution, which would bring mass-manufactured clothing and sweatshops into
our lives. For Sunday's Fashion Contest, however, everyone was wearing an
authentic Victorian outfit created with individual flair and creativity.
After the parade, everyone was ready to loosen those corsets and sample one of the 62 scrumptious fruit pies on offer at the Pie Social, which was conveniently located next door to the Rotary's ice cream booth for ala mode on the go. \Thanks once again to Writers in the Mountains for bringing their pie-baking prolix and prowess to the festival!
On Sunday afternoon, Clan Tynker enthralled the children with their whimsical variety show, eliciting the same wide-eyed "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd as traveling entertainers of the 19th century. That notorious snake oil salesman, "Dr." I.C.U. Itchabod Ferkin managed to pawn off his dubious health elixir, Aqua Purefecta, on unsuspecting rubes, and more instructive entertainment was on offer from hand-hewers and companion bicyclists.
Another kind of drama was unfolding in Kirkside Park as the Roxbury Nine hometown team faced their final challenge of the season in a hard fought game with the Elizabeth Athletic Club from New Jersey. The Roxbury Brass kept the crowd stirred with their old-time ballpark favorites and rousing brass marches. Roxbury Nine manager and Parks Director Peg Ellsworth took a break between innings to announce the fashion show winners and to thank some special volunteers and staff who are crucial to Turn of the Century Days each year. Two of those staff members, Karina Walker and Courtney Fairbairn also presented Peg with special gifts, and most especially, the heartfelt gratitude of her community, for all her hard work in bring the glory and charm of 19thc Roxbury roaring to life, year after year.
 |
Stay tuned (wired?) for exciting developments on the 19th century experience of yesteryear in Roxbury. Word has it the Delaware and Ulster may be "railroading" even more time travelers our way . . .