Okay, today the Regimental Brewmeister went in for his influenza vaccine. If you have not done this (or made plans to do so soon), you are a fool. There has been a lot of talk for the last two years about pandemics but remember, these are not new and these are NEVER going away so …
Category Archives: Ideas
Mathew Hopkins — Witchfinder General under King James
In James I’s England, the witch became a powerful symbol of those hated forces that opposed the king. During the English Civil War, the “Witchfinder General,” Matthew Hopkins, was responsible for the hanging more than 300 women between 1644 and 1646. James I, linked religious subversion with political subversion, usurpation, and the attack on monarchical …
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The Hammersmith Ghost
Well, you would think that the Candlelight Tour season at Fort Mifflin would be more than enough “ghost stories” for one year but, alas, I have found another. In October, November, and December of 1803, a number of people in the Hammersmith area of London claimed they had seen and, in some cases, even been …
Fort Mifflin will have a Newspaper at Siege Weekend
This year for Cannonball Tavern I made up a period newspaper with news as it would have been published in March of 1777. I plan to produce souvenir newspapers this year Siege Weekend. The news will be reproduced for the time period (October 1777) as will most of the ads but if you want to …
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“Gulliver’s Travels” is first published on October 28th, 1726
Gulliver’s Travels, or Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships is Jonathan Swift’s best known work, and a classic of English literature but the Irish writer and clergyman didn’t write his “traveler’s tale” as a children’s book. Swift …
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Erie Canal opens October 26, 1825
Okay, this is a little out of my wheelhouse (pun intended) but we are actively making preparations to conduct a brewing demo at the Herkimer Home State Historic Site in Little Falls, NY on November 5 which abuts the Erie Canal so the topic is at the forefront of my attention. Canals played a major …
Holiday Spirits with the Regimental Brewmeister
November 24 — Fort Mifflin Spent too much time with your in-laws for Thanksgiving … Come learn about the OTHER spirits that reside at Fort Mifflin. For the last several years, we have run a very successful program on 18th Century brewing class and our original plan was to repeat this on Black Powder Friday. …
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Let’s Talk about Punch Bowls
Most of us grew up associating Punch Bowls with a huge, overly ornate bowl, often bucket sized, that our parents or grandparents kept on a sideboard and only used for fancy parties. In the 18th Century, that punchbowl would have seen much more use. According to legend, punch was introduced to England in the early-to mid-17th century …
Come Help Us Create a Unique Portable Bar at Fort Mifflin
On September 17, 2022, Fort Mifflin took possession of an Amish surrey style wagon approximately 5 ft wide and 7 feet long in serviceable condition. This buggy was donated by Warehouse on Watts and transported to the fort by Fort Mifflin staff. The buggy is in “good” condition but not roadworthy and does need minor …
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Mead was not Mainstream in Colonial America
Honey bees are not native to North America. They were originally imported from Europe in the 17th century. In a letter written December 5, 1621 by the Council of the Virginia Company in London and addressed to the Governor and Council in Virginia, “Wee haue by this Shipp and the Discouerie sent you diurs [divers] …
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 