Celebrating June 18th as 'March to Victory Day' in Cranston
In 1987 volunteers from the Cranston Historical Society, lead by teacher Mrs. Alice Baxter opened the Joy Homestead to children from Cranston Schools to give them a hands on approach to sense a little of what children in 18th century Cranston would have had to endured just to survive.
First off the children would have had to know how to card and spin wool to make their own clothing. Clothing was hard to come by and would have been handed down.
Mayor Fung dropped by to learn about life at the Joy Homestead.
Once the wool was spun into thread it could be warped and put on the loom to be woven into cloth which would then be sewn into clothing.
No piece of cloth would be wasted. Scraps would be salvaged and made into rag rugs or braided rugs.
Cooking was an all day affair. Children learn about domestic chores as well as learning about cooking on the open fireplace.
Cub Scouts visit October 7th 2010
During the lifetime of the Joy Family, the young country was fighting for Independence from Great Britan. Many men and boys left their homes to become soldiers to fight for freedom.
Colonial Games, Toys, and Recreation
But it wasn't all hard work. There was time to enjoy a few moments with the hand fashioned toys and games that they might have carved from a few pieces of scrapwood.
A 3rd grade class from Cranston visiting the Joy Homestead
The Joy Homestead is the only house on the National Parks Heritage Trail, the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, in Cranston to be open to the public. This house was here when on June 18-19-20-21, more than 5000 soldiers of the French Army marched by on a 630 mile march to Yorktown, Virginia to help defeat the British for Independence.
