By Kris Leonhardt
Senior Editor

STEVENS POINT – For a quarter of a century, the Portage County Historical Society has been educating and entertaining the community by showcasing local history in an event held the third weekend in June.

Portage County Historical Days is held in Plover’s Heritage Park and Tim Siebert, president of the Historical Society, said that the event has arrived in different forms throughout the years.

“For a number of years, we had a Buckskinner Rendezvous,” Siebert sad. “Then after that, we did a bunch of weekends on Civil War recreation. Now, the last few years, we’ve just kind of done a series of different topics – one had to do with circuses, two had to do with World War I – and now this year, we are doing something with demonstrators, crafters.

“This is a whole different way of doing things. We’ve never done this with demonstrators, a band, beverages – the whole thing. It’s very, very different than anything we’ve tried before.”

The event will feature late 19th/early 20th century demonstrations.

“The one that’s kind of fun is the one that is doing the kids games, which would be the games that kids would have played (in the) early part of the 20th century,” Siebert added.

Demonstrations will feature crafts, such as: calligraphy, butter making, weaving, tatting and candle making, wood carving, and square dancing.

“These are real simple things, but most people have no idea how you did that,” Siebert explained.
Siebert said that the event is expected to receive a state award during the weekend as well. The event will also feature information and a display on horse-drawn farm equipment.

“It gives residents a sense of belonging, a sense of their roots, the community and how it evolved,” Siebert said.

Heritage Days will take place June 15-16, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., at Heritage Park, on Washington Avenue in Plover.

For more information, find Portage County Historical Society on Facebook.