August 25, 2014 Lincoln Daily News.com 2014 Art & Balloon Festival 137
1800’s crafts kept in practice
today at Postville Courthouse Festival
W
agon Wheel Weaving
- Kathleen Brumbaugh has
been a member of the educational organization
known as Lincoln’s Logan County Arts and
Craft Guild for the past eight years. She is experienced
in crocheting and is in her first year doing wagon wheel
weaving. Back in the 1800’s they would use wagon wheel
parts to form a loom to make rugs for their homes.
Story By BOBBIE SNYDER, with contributions by JAN YOUNGQUIST
Windsor Chairs
Bryan Stott has been making replica Windsor
chairs from the 1700’s for the past 12 years.
He is quite the craftsman because he has been
a woodworker all of his life. Bryan’s father,
Harold Lee Stott, had been a woodworker as
well and passed his knowledge on to Bryan
when he was very young. Harold had been
coming to the 1800’s Art and Craft Fair for
years until he passed away in 2007. This is
when Bryan kept the tradition going and has
continued to show the community his amazing
woodworking skills at the fair. The detail and
smooth lines are evident in his work. The
best part about his work is that everything is
done by hand. No fancy tools needed, just the
desire, pure talent and very hard work.
Coopering Demonstration
Charles Buie makes churn and wash buckets
out of Western Cedar, Cypress, Sassafras and
Aromatic Cedar, which is mainly used for
decorative buckets, not actual use.
Charles has been coming to the Art and Craft
Fair for about four or five years now and has
been in the Coopering business for the past 17
years. His hard work and passion for this is
obvious when you see the finished product.
The 1800’s Craft Fair coordinator, Nancy Saul,
has been involved with the event for about
the past 30 years. She stems from a long line
of crafters within her family and was always
fascinated with the Lincoln Logan County Arts
and Craft Guild. Saul is very knowledgeable
and always open to speaking with anyone
whom she comes into contact.
Saul said that for next year, the 1800’s Art
and Craft Festival will be combined with the
Railsplitter Festival instead of the Art and
Balloon Festival.
An idyllic setting on the large tree covered
Postville Courthouse grounds, the 1800’s
Art and Craft Festival offers a look back into
everyday life from the days of when Abraham
Lincoln first practiced law in Logan County.
Set on the very ground Lincoln walked and
talked, the historically accurate and diligently
re-created craftsmanship and activities
promise to be a wonderful event for all to
enjoy next year, and for many more years to
come.
