Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area: History at Home

Wednesday June 15th
10:30 a.m. “The Dye Pot” –Up until recent times most colors were created using natural substances. Join Slade
Nakoff as he demonstrates how local plant species can be used to create various colors of dye. This event will
be held inside fort Watauga. Duration: 30 minutes.

2:00 p.m. “How to Start a Fire with Flint and Steel” –Join Matthew Simerly in the fort as he teaches you how
to build and start a fire with flint and steel just like the frontier settlers. Learn how make your fire-starting kit, a
useful skill for hikers, campers, and any outdoors loving person. Duration: 30 minutes.

Thursday June 16th
10:30 a.m. “Long Hunters, Who Were They?” –Come down to the fort and join Matthew Simerly as he explains
who long hunters were, what they did, and how they explored Tennessee and Kentucky. Learn how these men
opened up the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains to be settled, and what drove these men to explore
beyond the frontier and into the wild west of the 1760s. Duration: 30 minutes.
2:00 p.m. “Brain Tanned Deer Hide” –Leather was an important commodity as well as a trade item during the
18 th century. Join Slade Nakoff as he starts the historical process of making leather. Duration: 30 minutes.

Friday June 17th
10:30 a.m. “Quillwork” –Join Slade Nakoff as he demonstrates the process of quillwork, a predecessor to
beadwork achieved with porcupine quills. Meet in the visitor’s center. Duration: 30 minutes.
2:00 p.m. “Dress to Impress, 1770s style” –Mark Twain once said, “Clothes make the man” and in the 1770s it
was especially true. Head up to the visitor’s center and listen to Matthew Simerly as he discusses the fashion of
the time and the function of those clothes. You’ll learn how social standing, ethnic background and
geographical region shaped how people dressed in the time of the American Revolution. Duration: 30 minutes.

Saturday June 18 th
10:30 a.m. “Kids Militia” –Calling all kids! Report to Fort Watauga for training under the command of
Matthew Simerly. Kids will learn about the Militia’s role in the American Revolution by experiencing the basic
drill and the equipment they used. This program allows kids to connected with their history in a fun and hands
on way. Ideal for kids 6 to 12. Duration: 30 minutes.
2:00 p.m. “The Colonial Gunsmith” –Join Slade Nakoff as he demonstrates and describes the work of a
gunsmith during the 18 th century along with the methods of the trade. Meet in the visitor’s center. Duration: 30
minutes.

Sunday June 19th
10:30 a.m. “Buckskin Breeches” –Buckskin short pants or “Knee breeches” were the blue jeans of the 18 th
century. Join Slade Nakoff as he demonstrates the construction of such a garment while outlining the deerskin
trade along the frontier. This event will be held inside fort Watauga. Duration: 30 minutes.

2:00 p.m. “A Chat with a Continental Soldier” –Today Matthew Simerly will explain the equipment of the
common soldier, their daily duty, and experiences. From the clothes they wore to the food they ate, see what the
men faced as they fought for our independence. Duration: 30 minutes.