musket and cannonfire: lakeshore museum hosts war of 1812 reenactment
with tents staked and campfires burning, settlers worke...
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young warriors. abby warnock, left, a summer student at fort malden national historic site, shows young visitors easton campbell, 6, and mason campbell, 9, how to be british soldiers on saturday, may 24, 2025, at the maidstone bicentennial museum's 'essex county in the war of 1812' event.
julie kotsis
/
windsor star
visitors to the maidstone bicentennial museum on the weekend stepped back in time to 1812, when voyageurs cleaned deer skins while indigenous warriors and british solders fended off american invaders.
the 15th annual ‘essex county in the war of 1812’ event in lakeshore saw costumed re-enactors from fort malden national historic site, provincial marine amherstburg, maidstone voyageur corps, kentucky militia, earl of moira and a royal scot set up camp on the grounds of the museum.
with tents staked and campfires burning, settlers worked alongside indigenous people on day-to-day chores, while militia recruits trained on muskets nearby.
re-enactors shoot their muskets on saturday at the maidstone bicentennial museum’s war of 1812 event.
julie kotsis
/
windsor star
re-enactors prepare to shoot a cannon on saturday, may 24, 2025, during the maidstone bicentennial museum’s ‘essex county in the war of 1812’ event.
julie kotsis
/
windsor star
“if you go from camp to camp … you have everything you need to know about life in 1812,” said curator victoria beaulieu.
“the gardens, the cannons, there’s the period cooking. it’s how they lived and how they fought and it’s just basically a camp that educates everybody on that period in 1812 in essex county.”
there were demonstrations of historic weapons, period cooking, textile and weaving, blacksmithing, rope making, hide tanning, mini militia — and the highlight of the day — the musket and cannon firings.
josh bombardier, dressed as a voyageur, demonstrates fleshing, the cleaning of a deer hide, at the war of 1812 camp at the maidstone bicentennial museum in lakeshore.
julie kotsis
/
windsor star
charity hope, dressed as a voyageur, demonstrates finger weaving at the weekend maidstone bicentennial museum’s ‘essex county in the war of 1812’ event.
julie kotsis
/
windsor star
“it’s an annual event and it is a fundraiser for the museum,” beaulieu said. “but it’s an important part of the education aspect, sharing the history.”
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the museum’s garden has more than 70 plant species, including those used for indigenous medicines and some endangered species, beaulieu said.
bicentennial museum and gardens
the museum and gardens, located at 1093 puce rd. in lakeshore, are open to the public tuesdays to fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through the summer months.
admission is by donation. guided tours are available for a fee.
forward, march! abby warnock, left, a summer student at fort malden national historic site, shows young visitors easton campbell, 6, and mason campbell, 9, how to be british soldiers on saturday, may 24, 2025, at the maidstone bicentennial museum’s ‘essex county in the war of 1812’ event. julie kotsis/windsor star
julie kotsis
/
windsor star
alex dale, left, a fort malden national historic site visitor experience team leader, warns visitors to expect loud bangs when re-enactors shoot their muskets at saturday’s ‘essex county in the war of 1812’ event.
julie kotsis
/
windsor star
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