I recently went to Haygood Mill with my homeschool pod, and we learned so much. Haygood Mill is about forty-five minutes away from our house.
Store
I was the first to arrive, and my family explored the store first. I got a crocheted corn named Cornelia, but I call her Corney. Corn was a very important crop for Native Americans, which was practically what they lived off.
Petroglyphs & Museum
Above: The lights flash on the petroglyphs
When everybody got there, we went to the building that protects the petroglyphs. Once inside the building, there was a museum with Native American artifacts. Inside, I saw Cherokee clothing & jewelry. I also saw a couple of Native American weapons, a bow & arrow, a blow dart gun, and a spear. There was a separate area that housed the petroglyphs. When you first walk in, it is very dark. There was a giant rock that we could barely see the outlines of the petroglyphs on. Everyone was just walking around in the dark until someone spotted a bright red button. Once the button was pushed, a deep voice rang out through the darkness and multi-colored lights started dancing on the rock. With every flash of the colored lights, a new petroglyph became visible. Outside, there was a raised sand bin with spatulas for digging, too. This was a really fun thing to do with all the kids on our field trip. We found a few crystals too!
Below:The indan stuff
Mill
Below:Hagood mill marker
After the petroglyphs, we went to another building called the mill. It was built by a nineteen-year-old! Once we got inside, I saw a couple of gears that was hooked together by a rope that went to the ceiling. There was a whole platform with a window that you could look out to see the waterwheel turning. Out of the window, you could also see where they built a bridge to re-direct the water to the wheel. It wasn’t hooked up that day, but if they connected the rope to the waterwheel, it would make the gears turn to crush the corn and make grits! The man who built the mill had to work with the blacksmith to make the wheel. They hand carved the molds in wood in small sections and had to pour melted metal into them. The original wooden molds are on display and painted silver so it is easier to identify in the mill.
Blacksmith
Above: A hinge that the blacksmith made.
Closer to the end of our trip, we walked on a little trail to explore the area. We heard the sound of a hammer hitting metal. We went to see what it was and met a local blacksmith. He was making candlestick holders for hand-dipped candles. We asked what else he could make, and he said, “I can make my own nails.” He then showed us how to make them! He also has classes you can sign up for on the website. You have to be twelve years old or older to attend. He also did revolutionary and civil war reenactments and made his own tools and clothes.
Sign of the Beaver and Native American Life vs European Settlers/Colonial Life
We also all read a book called The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare. It is about a little boy named Matt, who was a part of the American Colonies and moved into the wilderness of Main. He was left alone to protect his house and met a young Indian boy named Attean. They both learned very crucial information about each other’s culture. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars because the story starts out a little slow, but if you keep reading it gets really good!