POLSON — Over at the Miracle of America Museum on Saturday afternoon it was time for Live History Days, an annual event, where members from the community reenact professions from the past. This allows visitors the opportunity to  explore what life was like in a different time.  There was something for everyone from a live old-fashioned working train to blacksmith and quilting demonstrations. 

Outside of the general store Helen Hoyt one of these demonstrators,  is busy at work, showing visitors how to spin wool on a spinning wheel. Hoyt, who is a member of the Mission Valley Spinners Guild said,  “this is my first time coming to Live History Days, but someone comes from the guild every year.” There were also demonstrations on quilting and weaving.

Head over to the lumberyards and you meet demonstrator Dick Schieke, of Polson. Schieke is a regular at History Days by now – this being his third year.  He is busy giving demonstrations to Tayre, Tasker and Kiana Brown of Charlo on how to carve a wood mallard. Tayre and Tasker even get their own wood carved mallard to take home. Schieke describes how mallard making is not really a necessity in today’s world and that much like other professions of the past is mostly just done as a hobby.  

The charming one-room school house is full of students. At the head of the classroom is Anna Young of Polson, who is starting eighth grade next year. But for this weekend she is school teacher to the likes of  Brooke Harding, 5, of Buckeye, Arizona. Visitors get to sit at old wooden school desks and listen as Anna reads stories. Anna, says, “ I’m not too interested in history, just kind of volunteering.”  

Speaking with the founder of the museum, Gil Mangels, about what is new this year from previous Live History Days. He said, “ well, there is the motorcycle sidecar”, which, has been taking kids non-stop around the museum grounds.  “People always like the 106 recoilless gun. “ A 106 recoilless gun on a Vietnam-era mule that has been converted to shoot tennis balls. As Brody Brown, 5, of Polson put it when asked how he liked shooting “it was good.” Which was how just about everyone described their time at Live History Days, - as a good ol’ time.