Come one, come all to a special Hastings Museum family event that offers an up close look at Civil War life – from soldiers on the battlefield to those who stayed behind – with a special focus on Nebraska’s role in the Civil War.
| This special event is Saturday, June23, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Hastings Museum (some activities are outdoors). |
| This event is FREE and everyone is invited! |
Even though Nebraska was not yet a state, 150 years ago the territory sent one-third of its male population to the war, and more than 200 died or were killed.
Speaker David Wells will discuss at 1:00 and 2:30 p.m. Nebraska’s role in the Civil War and the thousands of war veterans who came to Nebraska afterwards. In fact, by 1890 more than 100,000 veterans lived in Nebraska, and they played a major role in the development of Nebraska from a territory to statehood, including helping to found many cities.
A camp reenactment by the 1st Nebraska Infantry Company C offers you an opportunity to interact with Civil War experts and gain an understanding of how solders lived. From what they ate to activities they used to pass the time to prepping for battle. Interaction is encouraged!
Musician Dan Holtz will be performing songs that express the war’s wide variety of sentiments, issues and stories.
For four years, the Civil War raged on such storied battlefields as Gettysburg and Antietam in the East to lesser-known places like La Glorieta Pass in New Mexico. With guitar and harmonica accompaniment, musician Dan Holtz will be performing songs that express the war’s wide variety of sentiments, issues and stories. Holtz’s program includes some of the popular patriotic and sentimental parlor songs, chronicling the war to memorable excerpts from some of the great conflict’s novels, poems and short stories.
Other activities include:
- Croquet – This lawn game arrived in the States during the Civil War and became an overnight sensation. Learn and play it during the event.
- A Civil War picture cutout – You’ll have a chance to “take an image,” as they said during the war years.
- Participate in dance lessons – Discover what was popular during the time period.
- Fashion – What did people wear? And why?
Special learning stations include:
- Zoetrope – This revolving drum has spaced slits around the side. A series of pictures inside appear to move when the drum is turned.
- Hardtack – This name for hard bread sprung up during the war. Too hard to be eaten whole, hardtack was sometimes broken up with a rock and placed in the cheek to soften until it could be chewed and swallowed. It was also soaked in water and fried in bacon grease. Hardtack was also called “sheet iron crackers.”
This is a great opportunity to discover incredible insight into one of the most tragic events in our nation’s history – but it’s just one of many special Museum initiatives that offer you an up close look at the Civil War. Another is the Liberty on the Border exhibit, which is on display through Labor Day.
In July, the Museum will have Civil War themed movies which will play in our Theatre with our new digital projection system and 65-foot-wide screen!
| Civil War Film Festival | July 10 | July 17 | July 24 | July 31 |
| Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. | Gone With The Wind | Glory | The Conspirator | Gods and Generals |
The Civil War Up Close is supported in part by:
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