It's All Worth It

Hello Fort St. Joseph friends, followers, and supporters, my name is Genna. I was a part of the 2015 FSJ field school and came back this year to tackle the position of Public Outreach Coordinator with my partner in crime, Liz. This past weekend, we were able to see all of our hard work from these past six weeks pay off, through our annual Open House.

Our knowledgeable blacksmith! (Photo Credit: Genna) 

Voyageur canoe rides provided by Sarett Nature Center
(Photo Credit: Genna)

This year’s Open House was an absolute hit! We had a distinguished group of interpreters all dressed in period clothing and presenting on everything from brewing, fishing, sailing, quill-writing, and textile making among others. Our faunal analyst, Dr. Terrance Martin, was present with his animal remains display which included an emphasis on the types of animals that were present at Fort St. Joseph. We had ongoing lectures both days related to this year’s theme of “Rivers and Waterways” presented by Dr. Michael Nassaney and Dr. José Brandão. Sarett Nature Center was giving rides in their 34-foot canoe out on the St. Joseph River. And if that wasn’t enough to keep you occupied, the field school students were able to show off their hard work by educating the public through tours of their excavation units.

Anne working the children's activities
(Photo Credit: Genna)

            All in all, we recorded over 1,000 visitors during the course of our two-day event and we could not be more thankful for those who participated. The field school students and staff are lucky to have this opportunity to bring a voice to the history of Fort St. Joseph, especially to the audience that showed up on Saturday and Sunday. Since the project’s start, we have continued to see the amount of support from the city and community of Niles grow year after year. As public outreach coordinator, I have learned more about the love this community has for its history than I ever imagined I would.

            Thank you to all of those who attended our 2016 Annual Open House and we hope to see you during the summer of 2017!