A Walk with History

As our grandson Parker says, "Emma, she's a cute bear."

The first thing I want to say about Williamsburg is, leave Fido at home, or maybe in the hot car but just don’t take the dog. We forked over $36 a piece for tickets only to find out we couldn’t take Emma in to any of the historical buildings. So Brian and I did the tag team thing which took a little longer but we managed. We forgot her travel carrier in the trailer so we couldn’t hide her like usual when she’s in places she’s not supposed to be. Her carrier actually looks like an oversized purse and once she settles down to sleep, you can’t tell she’s in there. She’s been in museums with us. She’s been in tons of restaurants with us. She even travels on the plane in her carrier. I suppose that’s the advantage of having a 6 and a half pound dog. My purse weighs as much as my dog!

A one, and a two, and a three...

I’ve been to Williamsburg before and it was just as interesting this time around as my first trip. There’s a lot, and I mean a lot, of commercial/touristy stuff in Colonial Williamsburg but there’s a lot of history as well. You just have to look for it. Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area covers 301 acres, which includes 88 original 18th century structures and hundreds of houses, shops and other buildings which have been reconstructed on their original foundations.

There’s a lot to do in Williamsburg and a lot to learn. Here’s a bit of useless information for you…

The courthouse is one of the oldest buildings on site and was used until 1932, or 1939, I can’t remember which. They used the courthouse to try misdemeanors and used the Capitol to try felonies unless the person committing the felony was black. Then they were tried in the courthouse.

The buildings in Colonial Williamsburg exist today because of the fact they were built on brick foundations. Homes built directly on dirt did not stand the weather of time and have long since disappeared.

The population in Colonial Williamsburg was about 1,800 in it‘s time. There were more slaves than whites.

Thomas Jefferson did not care for Williamsburg at all calling it “Devilsburg.” He felt there were way too many taverns saying there was too much emphasis on the taverns and not enough emphases on learning. For this reason, Williamsburg was not chosen as the state capitol for Virginia.

Women had the same rights as men until she married.

If a married woman was found guilty of a crime, whatever punishment she was to receive, her husband received the same. So if the punishment was 10 lashes, her lucky husband received 10 lashes as well.

The “dentist” would use a T handle instrument to pull the tooth. Liquid opium was given to the patient after pulling the tooth as giving the narcotic before would make the patient nauseous.

Apothecary Shop - See anything
you need??

While Brian was in the Apothecary shop, he learned when brushing teeth, Colonist’s used a licorice like stick, “Dragon‘s Blood” (a resin), cinnamon and burnt alum. The stick was chewed until frayed, and with the “Dragon’s Blood” on their “toothbrush” started brushing!

Way back when, the colors red and purple were so expensive only royalty could afford the luxury until the British happened upon the West Indies where they were introduced to prickly pear “seeds.” Once these seeds were crushed they could easily and affordably make the colors red and purple. They took the seeds back to Great Britain where they planted the seeds only to be disappointed in their growth, or lack of growth. It wasn’t until the seeds were put under a microscope they learned they were not seeds at all but dried beetles with all legs and arms removed.

Would make a great Halloween
costume - Minus the corset
of course!!

As I visited the Milliner shop I started talking to another tourist standing next to me, “I swear the woman who wore that corset had the smallest waist I’ve ever seen!” As it turns out, the other tourist was visiting from Canada and actually worked in an attraction similar to Williamsburg. She proceeded to explain what I was looking at was not actually a corset but a “stay” and that particular stay was used on a child. She went on to explain it was similar to a corset but was not cinched as tight. A stay was used for women as well as children to help with posture. The woman who worked the Milliner shop agreed. In wearing one, I was told you’re totally unable to bend at the waist forcing the wearer to bend at the knees and aided in making you stand straight and tall. Oh, my mother would have had a hey day with that one! To this day she claims I have a bad habit of slumping.

We both agreed Williamsburg is something everyone must do at least once in their lifetime. If you go in the summer months, make sure to take LOTS of water as you’ll be paying big bucks for the stuff. A bottle of water currently runs $2.50 a bottle. No telling what it’ll cost next year. And wear good shoes as you’ll be doing a lot of walking and standing as you watch reenactments of our nations history during Colonial times.