Walking back in time

You will find them on Civil War battlefields and at medieval banquets.

They show up at mountain-man rendezvouses and railroad camps. You'll see them at pioneer villages and historical farms. They spin wool. They tend forges. They drive wagons.

They are people for whom history is anything but dry and dead.

They are historical re-enactors, and Terrell Dougan is one of them. Dougan, who has appeared as Mary Fielding Smith as well as other pioneer women during celebrations at This Is the Place Heritage Park, loves the chance to make history come alive. "It is truly so fun," she says. "There is nothing more fun and exciting than walking back in time — and taking other people with you."

Dougan is one of a bunch of historical re-enactors who gathered for a conference recently at This Is the Place Heritage Park. It was co-sponsored by the American West Heritage Center in Wellsville and the National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier, Idaho.

The three living-history centers are largely staffed by volunteers, said Dave Sidwell, director of the American West Heritage Center and a conference organizer. "We wanted to have a fun event that would help them get training."

The main focus of this year's conference was customer service, showmanship and entertainment, said Sidwell, who is also a professor of theater at Utah State University. "A lot of these people already know their history. We want to help them reach out to visitors." He hopes the conference will become an annual event and that coming years will help the re-enactors hone their skills in other areas as well.

The conference started off with an old-fashioned dinner and dance on Friday night. Many of the participants came in historical attire and whirled around the schoolhouse to the music of the all-woman band Sassafras. They waltzed, did the Virginia reel and tried out some circle dances, all called by Gus Horn.

"I love history and I love to dance," said Horn, who has been calling old-fashioned dances for six or seven years now. "The old ones are a lot of fun, a lot different from what's being done now. Most people don't know these old dances, but there are some wonderful melodies."

On Saturday, storyteller Daniel Bishop talked about showmanship. "Most people associate history with sitting at a desk learning dates," he said, "and that leaves a bad taste in their mouths. The way to get them interested in history again is through stories."