Ligonier Valley Historical Society holds living history weekend at Compass Inn

History lovers who braved intermittent rain showers Saturday afternoon were transported back to the 1800s as the Ligonier Valley Historical Society presented its second living history weekend this year.

The event was held at the Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown.

It featured members of Ship’s Company, a Maryland-based maritime reenactment group that taught visitors about the War of 1812. It focused on the Navy moving munitions through the area as they traveled from Philadelphia to Erie.

The group also demonstrated the drill behind firing a Howitzer cannon and shot it off twice throughout the day.

“It’s a way for people to really get personal with history, to understand history, rather than just looking at things under glass or things they can’t touch or interact with,” said Theresa Gay Rohall, executive director of the Ligonier Valley Historical Society. “It’s a way to talk to people who have spent their life learning about these different time periods.”

The event also showed guests how food was prepared in that period and featured a blacksmith and Tom Melville of Wisconsin, who taught guests about cricket. Melville travels the country teaching people about the game that was played in America anywhere from the colonial times to the late 19th century.

“This was the first really organized sport played by organized teams, organized rules … so that sets a precedent they established for baseball and other sports,” Melville said.

In addition, there was a station where children could learn how to dip candles and tie knots.

Monica Oggero of Laughlintown attended the event with her father, 90-year-old Robert Jensen.

The duo live down the street from the Compass Inn and tend to stop when it hosts various events, Oggero said.

“It’s fascinating to hear people talk about what life was like at that period of time,” Oggero said. “It’s wonderful to see the food being cooked for them and how they did that. It’s fascinating. I love history.”

Monte Holland, 83, of Ligonier echoed similar sentiments, adding, “They bring in people to represent parts of history I haven’t heard of before.”

The Ligonier Valley Historical Society’s living history weekends are held in June, July and August. Last month’s event featured an 1830s medicine show.

Next month’s event, scheduled for Aug. 21-22, will allow guests to visit with reenactors portraying soldiers and camp followers of the Proctor’s Militia tasked with protecting the western border of the early Pennsylvania colony from attacks by Native Americans and British soldiers.

This month’s event continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.