QUINCY - Basin residents got hands on with history over the weekend during the Quincy Valley Historical Society's Harvest Festival.

About 300 people visited the Reiman-Simmons House Saturday to get a glimpse of what life was like in the early 1900s, Karen Murray, of the historical society, said.

They spent the day churning butter, making apple cider on a cast-iron press and even doing laundry by hand, she said.

"We're teaching visitors what life was like in 1904, what people back then had to do every day," Murray said.

This is the twelfth year the historical society has hosted the event, she said. It's their way of helping residents connect with the people who first settled into Quincy, Murray said.

Although the town now has grocery stores and other modern conveniences, it's important to know what people did before Quincy was built up, she said.

Lynne Snyder, another historical society volunteer, said the best part about the Harvest Festival is getting to teach kids about what life was like for the town's early families.

"It's a hands-on way to teach the kids, and it sticks with them," she said.

While most kids express more interest in the stations where they get something to eat or drink, like the apple cider station or the fry bread station, they still enjoy the other demonstrations, Snyder said.

She said she's always surprised at how many kids want to try their hand at washing laundry using a washtub and scrub board.

"They love the laundry station, they're always fascinated with it," Snyder said.

Murray said the event is also a good way to get people to visit the Reiman-Simmons House.

"The house itself is a museum," she said. "We have a lot of antique items that are actually from the early families."

Upstairs is a dress, and the sewing machine that made it, that was worn by someone in the Simmons family, Murray said.

The town's first church was also moved to the property and sits next to the house.

"It's just a great family place," she said. "No matter where we're from, people in our families did live like this once."