Vol. 134
A LOOK INSIDE ERCA celebrates milestone PAgE 3 ________________
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Issue No. 39
Historic retreat remembered
Cottam hitches up for driving clinic PAgE 7 ________________ Mcgregor makes dedication down Memory Lane PAgE 8 ________________ Ruthven Apple Festival hits 34 years PAgE 9 ________________ Bus Patrols prepare for new school season PAgE 11 ________________ Fall Home Improvement PAgEs 25-32 ________________
Looking For A Good Home “ROCKY” see Page 7 for adoption information.
Re-enactors spent two days camped at Maidstone Museum to commemorate the retreat to Moraviantown. Pictured right: shawnee leader Tecumseh, played by David Morris, tells his life story to an audience.
by Jennifer Cranston Maidstone Bicentennial Museum transformed into a 200 year old military camp over the weekend. In late September of 1813 British Commander Henry Proctor, Caldwell’s Rangers and the Native’s fighting with them reacted to losses of the Battles of Lake Erie and Put-in-Bay. They lost Amherstburg and Boblo Island and fled to Moraviantown near Thamesville. The legendary Native leader Tecumseh died on Oct. 5 1813 at the Battle of the Thames. A re-enactment of the historic retreat began in Amherstburg and traveled
through Lakeshore to ChattamKent and will culminate with the historic battle where the British suffered a devastating loss along with their native allies led by Tecumseh. Davis Morris has been playing Tecumseh for about 25 years and chose the 200th anniversary of the icon’s death to retire his character. He was preparing for his performance on the Maidstone leg of the reenactment as he talked about his upcoming demise. “I die on Saturday next week,” he said. “It’s a perfect day to die.” He says following the death of Tecumseh, Morris’s hair will turn white and he will become
an old native storyteller. He will model his new character after “Changes His Feathers,” who was a healer and storyteller of the Shawnee Nation. This week long re-enactment is led by Caldwell’s Rangers of Amherstburg. This reenactment group is modeled after the original Ranger unit that fought under William Caldwell and is based at Fort Malden National Park. Alex Dale is an Interpretation Officer at the Fort and leads the Rangers. Today’s Rangers are made up of Fort Malden summer staff who volunteered to make the week long trek in period costume and portray the period life style.
Dale explained that the Ranger Unit was equivalent to a Canadian Militia Unit and it was the only one to participate in the War of 1812. Dale and his Rangers were at Maidstone Centennial Museum on Friday and Saturday, camped in period appropriate tents and cooked over open fires. It was one of many educational stops along the route. On Friday 155 local students came to learn through living history at the museum. Saturday the encampment was open to the public. “I think it’s important to remember the history of where we come from,” said Dale. “It’s important for youth which is why we do so much for students.” He also pointed out that with Canada being a multi-cultural country with many newcomers, many people have no idea what happened here. “It’s important to know what happened in your own back yard,” he said.