Centennial Village gives students a glimpse of history at Spring History Festival

Thousands of fourth-graders got a taste of what life would be like without cell phones, iPods or even indoor plumbing at this year's Spring History Festival.

After sampling life without those modern conveniences, Alexis Kanatzar, a student at Walden Elementary in Walden, said she is happy living in the 21st century.

"I would rather live now because you didn't have to carry your own water (for cooking and drinking), Alexis said.

Alexis was one of more than 2,000 regional students who have and will descend on at Centennial Village Museum this week to see glimpses of daily life on the high plains.

Students saw demonstrations of blacksmithing, printing, butter making, rope making, wood-stove baking, tortilla making and quilting.

The event attracted schools from throughout Greeley, and as far away as Cheyenne, Akron, Estes Park and metro Denver. Through Friday, students, teachers and chaperones will watch and participate in nearly 35 living history stations staffed by 90 volunteers, plus museum staff.

"We have a wealth of talented and dedicated volunteers who make all this possible," said Chris Dill, superintendent of Centennial Village. "It's a chance to really showcase Centennial Village and provide a memorable hands-on experience for kids who are the museumgoers of the future. What began in 1992 with two days of events and about 1,000 students is now four days in May and another four days in September."

Lara Hoff, a staffer at Centennial Village, playing a teacher on Tuesday, showed students what it would be like to attend a one-room school.

In addition to sharing a classroom with students ranging in grades from kindergarten through high school, Hoff showed how students back then got by without the conveniences of today.

Forget pen and paper; students back then wrote on small, book-size blackboards with scrapes of chalk.

"Paper was too expensive back then," Hoff said.

Students also had to deal with teachers having more authoritative power than they have now. The students got to watch demonstrations of that control through mock spankings and paddling.

Ally Allen, another student from Walden Elementary, said though she liked learning how to bake biscuits and sewing dresses, she appreciates the ease of her modern-day life.

"It was a hard life," Ally said. "You had to do chores."

CENTENNIAL VILLAGE

Regular hours at Centennial Village are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information on museum events, call (970) 350-9220 or visit www.greeleymuseums.com