The Melville Heritage Museum held a special day of demonstrations today, showing children how vintage tools and processes worked. Among the demonstrations today was a vintage butter churn, as well as the sorts of toys children used to amuse themselves in the days before video games, television, and radio.
A perfect replica of a turn of the century classroom gave kids an idea of what it was like.
Back in the 1800s and early 1900s, churning butter was a laborious process. Kids saw some of the various tools that were used to prepare a fresh batch of butter, even participating in shaking the milky substance in a jar. A special clamp used to keep cows from kicking the farmers while being milked was demonstrated, as well as a tour of the museum.
A ball and cup was also demonstrated as an example of a historical toy popular in the period.
The museum is gearing up after being the recipient of a grant from the Bayer Fund, which will be used to provide upgrades and renovations to the Farm Tool Room.
For more information, or to arrange to visit the Museum, call (306) 728-2070.
