Demonstrators bring history to life at ‘Three Notch’
Published 5:51 pm Wednesday, May 10, 2023
- Contribued Photo Brandi West demonstrates how women did laundry in the 1750s.
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“Thunder on the Three Notch” features a skirmish between the Creek Indians to the settlers along the Pea River.
The Friday and Saturday event also showcases a variety of living history demonstrations.
Brandi West of Millbrook always attracts a large gathering with her demonstrations and stories that bring history to life
Millbrook is a familiar demonstrator at Fort Toulouse.
“I do a laundry demo there and wear 1750s French attire. I can sew and make my garments as well,” West said. “I became interested in living history in 2019. Due to coronavirus, I didn’t get to attend any events for a long time, but I was able to use that time to learn, sew, and purchase items I could use for my demo. I chose to portray a 1750s working class French colonist at Fort Toulouse, but I have many interests and hope to grow my own knowledge of different eras”
West learned much of her sewing from her own research using books and resources on the internet, but when I was very young my grandmother helped show me many of the basics. We would cross stitch and crochet together the most! When I got older I started to learn how to make clothing. I think this is a very useful skill and it has been a joy to learn historical techniques an how clothing of the past was created. I am also lucky enough to have other living history mentors who have helped me grow and learn.