Founders Day offers glimpse of the past

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

Smoke from the blacksmith’s fire wafted across the grounds of the Man House Museum, while an old country tune filled with guitars and longing hung on the wind. Founders Day took attendees back to the 1800s with the sights, sounds, smells, activities and fun of the 19th Century on Saturday.

The fifth annual event at the home of one of Mansfield’s co-founders, Ralph Man, let visitors experience candle dipping, quilting, spinning and hanging clothes on the line, just like Mansfield residents did 150 years ago. Attendees enjoyed the live music and outdoor games.

“It’s a really good turnout,” said Jessica Baber, manager of the Mansfield Historical Museum. “I have talked to people and it’s their first time to come out here. They are wanting to know when they can come back.”

Inside the Man House, volunteers offered tours while musician Jet Jones coaxed tunes out of the 172-year-old melodian (a forerunner of the pump organ).

The free event, sponsored by the city with help from the Mansfield Historical Society and Historic Landmark Commission, spread out across the grounds of the historic home turned museum, drawing a steady stream of people despite temperatures in the high 80s.

“The purpose is twofold,” Baber explained. “Obviously, we are here to educate the public about the past. It’s the only place in town people can see firsthand how people lived in the 1800s. Second, it’s fun!”