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ALHFAM President’s Message

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What is it to be “woke” and why would someone be tired of it? According to the dictionary, it is the past tense of “wake”—to cease to sleep; to be brought into a state of awareness. My American Heritage Dictionary was published in 1982, so it was long before the current informal definition of “to be alert to injustice in society.” I, for one, am in no way tired of being woke. Why would you not want to be in a state of awareness? There is a moral imperative to call out injustice. All people have a right to dignity, and by claiming their dignity and their story, they do not lessen mine. They expand it.  

Le Grand Derangement: 250 Years of Acadian History in Louisiana

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In September of 1755, England, a political world power began one of history’s largest mass movements of people united by their Catholic faith. Acadians of Nova Scotia were dispersed throughout English lands without benefit of property, family ties or compassion. Their holdings were torched, as they were loaded on to barely seaworthy ships, on which… Continue reading Le Grand Derangement: 250 Years of Acadian History in Louisiana

On the Program Relevance of Slavery

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African culture was a particularly major component in the development of southern U.S. culture as well as American culture as a whole. In interpreting American and largely southern history, it is so easy to slip into saying how certain great and wealthy men built this and grew that, when in reality much of what is spoken of was not only done by the labor of enslaved African Americans, but were also accomplished through the skill and knowledge of these people. These skills were passed from generation to generation and have often carried forward to today.

It’s Not the Jewish Christmas: An Introduction to Jewish Holidays and Their Observance in North America, Part II

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For most non-Jews, Hanukkah along with Passover, is probably the most familiar of the Jewish holidays. Other than that Hanukkah is celebrated around the same time of year, it has absolutely no relationship to Christmas: it commemorates a great military victory and a great miracle.

It’s Not the Jewish Christmas: An Introduction to Jewish Holidays and Their Observance in North America, Part I

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On October 2, 1911, readers of the Annapolis Evening Capital opened their papers to find the following announcement: “Jew Stores Closed. Today all the Jew stores in town were closed, this being the Day of Atonement, one of the most solemn days in the Jewish calendar.[1]” It is doubtful that most non-Jewish residents of Annapolis… Continue reading It’s Not the Jewish Christmas: An Introduction to Jewish Holidays and Their Observance in North America, Part I

LAVENDER SPRIGS: Wear it with Pride!

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by Nancy Kimberley Phillips Heritage Park is a large living history museum in Calgary, Alberta (Treaty 7[1]) that has been in operation since 1964. The primary focus of the Park is to share the history of Western Canada between ~1880-1940. In recent years, a central part of our mandate has been to diversify the stories… Continue reading LAVENDER SPRIGS: Wear it with Pride!

ALHFAM President Mark Texel’s Post – Winter, 2026

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fountain pen and paper with writing

“From the President’s Pen” Winter weather to date has this year has been unpredictable and challenging for much of the ALHFAMily. Much of the New England, Mid-Western, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States have been buried by snow, ice, and/or enveloped by a three- week “polar vortex” unseen for many years. But most… Continue reading ALHFAM President Mark Texel’s Post – Winter, 2026

“WHY THIS WAY?”: The Requirement for Rote Skills in Living History

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by Jim Slining The ALHFAM FARM Professional Interest Group (PIG) is launching a multi-year initiative to fulfill the operative phrase of the ALHFAM mission statement: Sharing practical knowledge and skills. Besides a lineup of workshops and sessions for the annual conferences, we are launching Farmers Bootcamps at ALHFAM sites across the country that use the… Continue reading “WHY THIS WAY?”: The Requirement for Rote Skills in Living History

ALHFAM FARM PIG Launches New Workshops in 2026

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Plowing match at ALHFAM conference

Real Work for a Real Purpose: ALHFAM FARM Professional Interest Group Launches New Workshops in 2026 The ALHFAM FARM Professional Interest Group (PIG) is launching a multi-year initiative to fulfill the operative phrase of the ALHFAM mission statement: Sharing practical knowledge and skills. Besides a lineup of workshops and sessions for the annual conferences, we… Continue reading ALHFAM FARM PIG Launches New Workshops in 2026

ALHFAM President’s Fall 2025 Message

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fountain pen and paper with writing

“From the President’s Pen” An unexpected weather change brought gloriously cooler temperatures to the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late August. Like flipping a switch, the air became crisper, the shadows cast by a sun lower in sky become longer, and the sky a richer blue.  Miraculously, fall seems to have arrived early… Continue reading ALHFAM President’s Fall 2025 Message

250th Spark: Grassroots Power in a Time of Uncertainty

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Heidi Schlag 250th Spark

When we first started talking about the U.S. Semiquincentennial a few years ago, many of us expected a top-down roadmap: a coordinated, well-funded national vision that would cascade down to local museums and historic sites. But the reality of 250th planning has been very different. This anniversary is being shaped not by grand commissions or… Continue reading 250th Spark: Grassroots Power in a Time of Uncertainty

250th Spark: Two Lights for Tomorrow Kicks off 250th Celebration Next Month

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Heidi Schlag 250th Spark

In 1775, two lanterns in Boston’s Old North Church signaled the start of a revolution. Now, 250 years later, museums and byways across the country have a chance to bring that spirit to life through “Two Lights for Tomorrow.” (You can learn more about Two Lights for Tomorrow here; although this link is for Virginia,… Continue reading 250th Spark: Two Lights for Tomorrow Kicks off 250th Celebration Next Month

President’s Message Feb 2025

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Hello ALHFAMily, In some ways, it is hard for me to believe we are already two-thirds through the first quarter of 2025. It has been a very busy two months for the ALHFAM Board of Directors. The Committee on Organizational Partnerships (COOP) has been in conversations with board members of EXARC about the possibility of… Continue reading President’s Message Feb 2025

Yeast & Bread at Fort Nisqually in the 1850s: Unpacking the Mystery of Bread Leavening

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yeast and bread baking historical

By Sarah Hoenig Bread is a staple at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum’s period kitchen, representing one of the many food traditions in this globally connected community. But when it comes to recreating authentic bread from the 1850s, the type of leavening agent used—whether sourdough, hops, or salt-rising starter—can be surprisingly elusive. With the popularity of… Continue reading Yeast & Bread at Fort Nisqually in the 1850s: Unpacking the Mystery of Bread Leavening

Launching the Cultured Professional Interest Group (PIG) at ALHFAM: A New Adventure in Arts, Culture, and Collaboration

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Deaf children singing the nat anthem 1918

As a member of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM), I’m excited to share the latest development that promises to inspire creativity and collaboration within our community: the formation of the Arts and Culture Professional Interest Group (PIG). The conversation I facilitated during the 2024 virtual conference sparked a lot of… Continue reading Launching the Cultured Professional Interest Group (PIG) at ALHFAM: A New Adventure in Arts, Culture, and Collaboration