All good things come to an end

It has been many years now that I have been scheduling the Hands On History program here in southwestern Ohio, but this will be the last year.  Between increased travel costs for schools and presenters, schools no longer taking field trips and my own increased travel schedule throughout the year, it is no longer feasible for me to continue putting on this program.

Tomorrow and Friday, May 9 and 11, 2012 are our final home school days.  If you haven't registered please feel free to do so asap, or take the chance and just come.  We will begin at 9:30 am each day, so please arrive in plenty of time to park, check in and so on before the program starts.

Hands On History 2012 Dates

Dates for 2012 have been approved.  We have 2 Home School Days next year, Wednesday, May 9 and Friday, May 11, 2012.  Monday, May 14 and Tuesday, May 15 are available for public and private school groups.  Please contact me privately or leave a comment with your contact info so I can contact you directly.  As always, private information will not be published.

Directions from the Cincinnati/Lebanon area

Here are some directions from the Cincinnati area to help you get to Quaker Knoll with as few problems as possible.

Take I-71 North to Exit 36, Wilmington Road. This is the Fort Ancient exit.
Go east (right) on Wilmington Road towards Olive Branch Campground (on the south/right side of the road.
Go 3.1 miles past Olive Branch Campground to North Clarksville Road/Co Rd 37. Note that North Clarksville Road is one of those split country roads, so you will first pass northbound North Clarksville Road on the left, the next road to the right is North Clarksville Road southbound.
Go south (right) onto North Clarksville Road for 2.7 miles. You will cross Rt 22/3 at a stop sign and continue into Clarksville.
North Clarksville Road ends at OH 350 next to a feed mill on your left. Go east (left) onto 350 East through Clarksville.
Go 3.5 miles on 350 E then take a slight left onto 730 North towards Wilmington.
Go 2.1 miles on 730 N to the second road to the right. The first road is an entrance to Cowan Lake. The second road is Sprague Road. You can only go Right on Sprague Road. There will be a sign for the Quaker Knoll Church Camp.
Go 1/2 mile on Sprague Road to come to the driveway for the camp. There is a sign. The driveway is shared by a few homes. Just continue on and the lane will end at the Quaker Knoll lodge.

Hands On History at Quaker Knoll Camp May 11-13 and 16-18, 2011

We are now accepting reservations for May 11-13 and 16-18, 2011.

Home School Day - Thursday, May 13, 2010 - It's Official!

We are now taking reservations for Thursday, May 13, 2010, Home School Day, Hands On History at Quaker Knoll Camp. Join us and the Four Kings, the oxen, for a day learning about early Ohio life.

Home School Day - Thursday, May 13, 2010

We have not had any home school groups select a day this year, so we are offering Thursday, May 13, as Home School Day. Please contact me ASAP to schedule your family or group.

Hands On History dates May 12-14 , 17-19, 2010

We are now accepting reservations for May 12-14 and 17-19, 2010.

Home School Day 2009

Home School Day will be Monday, May 18, 2009 at Quaker Knoll. If you or your home school group is interested in joining us, we are ready to take additional reservations.

Spring 2009 Program - May 13-15, 18-20

Our 2009 program runs May 13-15, 18-20, 2009. We are not planning a fall program but will consider doing one if there is enough interest.

The program takes about 4 hours, running from 9:00 or 9:30 AM until about 2:00 PM, or as your busing schedule permits. Admission is $5.00, with two adults free per 25 students. Home school families and groups are most welcome.

Frontier Resources in the News

On Tuesday we had a visit from Wilmington News Journal reporter Brandon Smith who wrote this article. Unfortunately the photo in his article is mis-labeled. It actually shows Maria Hummel with the oxen.

Spring 2008 at Quaker Knoll - Hands On History

We are looking forward to seeing some of our favorite schools and home school groups again this spring. We still have some room for home school groups on Monday, May 19. We do have another day open should you want to bring your school or home school group on Thursday, May 15.

Spring 2008 Home School Day for Hands On History at Quaker Knoll Campground

We are now scheduling home schoolers for Monday, May 19. If your home schooled family or group is interested in attending our program this spring, we suggest this day. If another day would work better for you, please contact me for availability.

Spring 2008 May 21 full

May 21. 2008 is no longer available for scheduling. We also have a large group coming on Friday, May 16 so could only take a small group if you are interested in that day.

Directions to Quaker Knoll from Waynesville, Ohio

The roads in rural Ohio can be pretty confusing. There are often 90 degree turns, and sometimes a road will 'cross' another road offset by some distance. If you don't know the road 'continues', and which direction to go to find the rest of it, well, you can end up pretty lost!

Here are some directions from Waynesville, Ohio to help you get to Quaker Knoll with as few problems as possible.

In Waynesville routes 42 and 73 intersect.
Take 73 east out of Waynesville, towards Caesar's Creek State Park.
Go about 4 miles on 73 E across the lake until you come to Oregonia Road on your right. The town of Harveysburg will be on your left.
Take Oregonia Road South/Right and go about 1 mile.
At the intersection of Harlan-Carroll Road and Oregonia Road, Oregonia Road will take a very sharp turn to the right. Do not take the turn on Oregonia. Go straight ahead to go onto Harlan-Carroll Road continuing South 2.4 miles.
Harlan-Carroll Road dead-ends into Harveysburg Road. Turn Right/South onto Harveysburg Road.
You will go over I-71, and continue 1.2 miles to a stop sign next to the Clinton-Massie schools. This is the intersection of Lebanon Road, crossed by Harveysburg Road to the north and George Road to the south. Harveysburg Road becomes George Road. Continue South by going straight ahead onto George Road.
Continue South 2.9 miles on George Road. You will go across Rts 22 & 3 (running together) after about a mile and a half, then George Road ends at Creek Road.
Go Right onto Creek Road about .4 miles to S. Clarksville Road.
Go Right on S. Clarksville Road to go into the town of Clarksville.
This is a one stop-light town. At the stop light turn left onto 350 East.
Go 3.5 miles on 350 E then take 730 North towards Wilmington.
Go 2.1 miles on 730 N to the second road to the right. The first road is an entrance to Cowan Lake. The second road is Sprague Road. You can only go Right on Sprague Road. There will be a sign for the Quaker Knoll Church Camp and a smaller one for Hands On History.
Go 1/2 mile on Sprague Road to come to the driveway for the camp. There is a sign. The driveway is shared by a few homes. Just continue on and the lane will end at the Quaker Knoll lodge.

Hands On History -- 2007 Dates

In 2007 we will once again have both spring and fall sessions. The 2007 dates are:

May 14-18, 21-24
October 1-5, 8-11

Please e-mail me for details or to make your reservation at shelley.mcclanahan @ gmail.com.

Getting to Quaker Knoll - Without Getting Lost!

Many of the internet maps available to help us navigate from place to place don't know the roads around here. I presume there have been changes made to the roads, but the bottom line is that the directions it gives are getting people lost!

If the mapping program takes you on Ogden or Beechgrove Roads, unless you already know your way, please take another route. I suggest getting directions to either Wilmington, Cuba or Clarksville, Ohio, then get directions from there to Quaker Knoll.

The address for Quaker Knoll is 675 Sprague Rd, Wilmington, OH 45177. Sprague Road is off Route 730, between Wilmington and Route 350.

Hands On History - Children's Work

A child's life on the Midwestern frontier was vastly different from that of the students that take part in our programs today. In presenting this difference we try to make each visiting student feel as if they were a part of a frontier family. They are introduced to the loneliness, isolation and quiet of a world immersed in a sea of trees, separated from friends and family, not only by miles but by months.

Using the actual tools of frontier living the students are given a small taste of the work of children at a frontier homestead. The real issue is why settlers were willing to undertake these risks and hardships. The students are introduced to the entity of the frontier family, its unity in the face of difficulty and its role in survival.

Hands On History - One Room School

At our One Room School station you get to experience life in the Ohio schools of the 1800's through the early 1900's. You will sit segregated by gender, learn about harsh discipline, short time to learn and thet it is a privilege, not a right, to go to school. Everyone in the room participates, there is no one excepted. You will also also learn about what was and wasn't taught.

Hands On History - What your day will be like

When you come to the Hands On History program at Quaker Knoll your group will be directed to an orientation area. Depending on the weather this may be indoors or outside. We will give a brief introduction and orientation to everyone, then each group or class will go to a presenter to start the program.

We have found that it usually works best for students to be in their normal classes, or groups of 15-25.

Our program is structured into 20-minute stations, with a costumed interpreter at each station. At each station your group will learn about a different aspect of our early history. When you finish with the current station your group will be directed to go to the next station in a clockwise fashion.

We have found it bet to keep as close to the children's food schedule as possible! When it's time to eat, just take lunch break in-between stations. When lunch is done just go to the next station in order. We will direct you when you leave each station, of course.

Your group will then continue through the stations in order until it is time for you to leave.

Hands On History - Western Movement

In the "Great Leap Westward" of 1779-80 two thirds of the people who made the move into the Cumberland settlements died in the first year, men, women, and children. Settling the frontier was a family struggle. Children were a necessary ingredient in the formula that permitted westward expansion. This program uses the tools and materials used by children their everyday lives on the frontier to explain their importance to the creation of the United States.