Provo neighborhood opens up for Colonial Days
PROVO — Dress a few volunteers in Colonial regalia, grab a few muskets and flintlock pistols, and you have a setting that harks back to the founding of America.
Crandall Museum's Colonial Days Celebration opened with musket fire and a cannon shot Thursday morning, then moved into a grand march of a handful of costumed re-enactors who included drummers and a Colonial military guard.
Provo "royalty," Mayor Lewis Billings and Utah County commissioners, also were in the march — some, including Billings, in Colonial attire.
A Colonial village has been set up in a residential area behind the museum. For the past four years, neighbors have opened their yards to thousands of patrons celebrating the founding of the nation and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Last year, some 18,000 people attended the event, which continues from 10 a.m. to dusk Friday and Saturday at 275 E. Center.
Benjamin Muhlstein, founder of The Quintilian School of Oratory, in Overton, Nev., re-enacted a Patrick Henry speech Thursday, ending with the famed words, "Give me liberty, or give me death."
Meanwhile, volunteer Jim Watkins offered tours of the museum, while Wallace Saling, who works at the museum, volunteered at the Benjamin Franklin printing-press-replica booth, where visitors can purchase a copy of the Declaration of Independence.
At another booth, Gary Tom, a native Paiute Indian dressed in official regalia, played one of his flutes and gave a historical lecture.
The event also remembers the founding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a display of how the Book of Mormon was printed, along with entertainment recalling the movement west and the settling of Utah.
"We're sensitive to every group," project director Dann Hone said.
E-MAIL: rodger@desnews.com
Comments
- Afghan vows to keep out corruption 10:35 a.m.
- Anti-Taliban mayor killed in Pakistan 10:27 a.m.
- Dalai Lama visits town near Tibet 10:26 a.m.
- Some saw trouble ahead for Hasan 10:21 a.m.
- China pledges funds, aid to Africa 10:20 a.m.
- 40 dead in El Salvador flooding 10:19 a.m.
- Dixie campus briefs 1:10 a.m.
- Westminster campus briefs 1:09 a.m.
- UVU campus briefs 1:07 a.m.
- Utah Utes campus briefs 1:07 a.m.
- Gay advocates trek to LDS office
207 - Dirk does dirty work in Dallas
190 - Lobo suspended
173 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
137 - Speed has never been BYU's game
136 - House passes health care bill
133 - RSL rallies to advance
102 - Thousands protest health bill
100 - Provo company innovating engines
98 - BYU cuts Women's Research Institute
87
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
NASA's Stardust probe continues to bring new knowledge about the nature...
Execution won the game? How about playing a patsy vs. playing a TCU? It's...
The second team was in (skill players at least) after with about half of the...
I think the defensive coaches were at the beach. That was the worst defense...
help a child who does not ask for the help, but it is clearly seen that help...
Props to the Cougs, but where is this kind of effort and execution when it...
It is very sad that these hearty people who have spent their lives living off...
Yes, the trillions we've spent on war have made many U.S. war suppliers and...
Someone has to pay for it. There is voluntary charity, that provvided by...
Here's an interesting statistic I came upon recently: Evangelical Christians...
It was disgraceful. Hope that the ref and the 2 linesman get suspended as...



You can be the first to comment on this story.