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Pinedale Online > News > September 2012 > Big Piney 4th Graders visit the Sommers Ranch Homestead

Visiting the homestead. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Visiting the homestead
Field trips are a great way for students to learn about Wyoming history.

Pumping water. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Pumping water
Students use the old well pump to get water for the laundry demonstration.

Homestead info. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Homestead info
Jonita Sommers and Clint Gilchrist talk to students about the early history of the Green River Valley.
Big Piney 4th Graders visit the Sommers Ranch Homestead
Learning by doing at a homestead living-history site in Sublette County
by Pinedale Online!
September 20, 2012

4th Graders from Big Piney Elementary School visited the Sommers Ranch Homestead on Monday, September 17th as part of their Wyoming History classes. The students got to help churn butter, learn about spinning, practice roping, collect chicken eggs, do hand laundry, and visit a nearby Native American archaeological site.

The new homestead living history site is a joint project of the Sublette County Historical Society, Green River Valley Museum, and siblings Jonita and Albert Sommers. It opened to the public in the summer of 2012 after two years of preparation work on the site. The intent is to create a hands-on living history site where visitors can touch, explore, and learn about the homestead era of the early 1900s in the Upper Green River Valley.

Photos by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online!



Related Links
  • Sommers Ranch Homestead on Facebook
  • LaBarge Elementary School students learn about homesteading history - Sept. 19, 2012
  • 2011 Sommers Ranch Open House - Sept. 8, 2011
  • View of homestead house before restoration done in 2010
  • Old newspapers an intriguing time machine - Oct. 17, 2010
  • Sommers Homestead will be open for summer hours - May 31, 2012
  • Sommers Ranch nomination for 2012 Leopold Conservation Award

  • Big Piney 4th Graders. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Big Piney 4th Graders
    Big Piney Elementary School brought 38 4th grade students out to the Sommers Ranch Homestead living history site as part of their Wyoming History lessons.

    Introduction. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Introduction
    Former Big Piney school teacher Jonita Sommers talks to the kids. It is her family ranch that the homestead project and site is on.

    Hen and eggs. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Hen and eggs
    Kids got to collect chicken eggs.

    Egg nests. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Egg nests

    Collecting eggs. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Collecting eggs

    Bringing in the eggs. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Bringing in the eggs
    Each of the kids had a chance to collect eggs and bring them over to the homestead house.

    Washing eggs with vinegar. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Washing eggs with vinegar
    The students washed their eggs with vinegar.

    Bread and Butter. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Bread and Butter
    Homestead volunteer Jamie Brewer spreads the home-made butter on bread for the kids to taste.

    Spinning. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Spinning
    Sandy Bousman demonstrates how to use a spinning wheel.

    Spinning. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Spinning
    Sandy Bousman spinning demonstration

    Laundry day at the homestead. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Laundry day at the homestead

    Pumping water. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Pumping water

    Tasting the well water. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Tasting the well water
    It tastes great!

    Takes two to carry it. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Takes two to carry it

    Pumping but no water. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Pumping but no water
    At some point the well pump broke and would no longer pump water, much to the disappointment of the kids. That was a good chance to talk about how devastating it would have been to have the well break on the real homestead. Something else that needs to be repaired - life on the homestead, continual maintenance and dealing with things breaking was more of a challenge to those living here in days gone by.

    Strong man. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Strong man

    Having fun washing. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Having fun washing

    Scrub, scrub, scrub. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Scrub, scrub, scrub

    Rinsing out the soap. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Rinsing out the soap

    Rinsing laundry. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Rinsing laundry
    After washing, the clothes had to be rinsed in another basin.

    Craft activity. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Craft activity
    Kids got to make clothespin dolls and alligators.

    Concentration. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Concentration
    The boys made green alligators, red fire dragons, blue sea monsters and Ninja warriors out of the clothespins. (Parents, look out, you might find your clothespins at home disappear and turned into doll families and Ninja warrior armies!)

    Help! The alligator got me!. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Help! The alligator got me!

    Hat attack. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Hat attack

    Learning to rope. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Learning to rope
    Angie Thomas helps show kids how to throw a cowboy rope.

    Learning to hold the rope. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Learning to hold the rope

    Learning to rope. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Learning to rope

    Ready to throw. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Ready to throw

    Petting Nibbles. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Petting Nibbles
    Kids could pet Nibbles the horse.

    Teeter-Totter. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Teeter-Totter
    Kids line up for a turn on the homestead wagon wheel teeter-totter. It has been rebuilt from the original one, which uses tractor seats for seats and broom handles to hold on to.

    Counter balance. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Counter balance
    Besides being a lot of fun, the teeter-totter is a good lesson in weight balance.

    In the stock truck. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    In the stock truck
    Kids can climb in the old stock truck and play

    Swinging and shooting hoops. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
    Swinging and shooting hoops
    Homestead playground
    Pinedale Online > News > September 2012 > Big Piney 4th Graders visit the Sommers Ranch Homestead

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