Today, Mr. Ford took my brothers and I out to the St. Louis History Museum to see an exhibit on George Washington.
The exhibit told the story of Washington from his upbringing, to surveying, to the French and Indian War, the Battle of Monongahela and Fort Necessity.
It’s hard to describe what a treat it was to tour an exhibit on one fathers in the founding era of our nation - with the historian and antiquarian, Mr. Ford! He knows so much about the writings of the time and about the founders, that several people were subtly following Mr. Ford as he gave us an impromptu history tour.
This incredible diorama shows the house and the surrounding buildings of Mt. Vernon
I liked how a significant portion of the exhibit was dedicated to the estate of Mt. Vernon. George Washington's role in the military and politics really overshadowed his role as an agricultural innovator and businesses man. He originally had been growing tobacco, but found it unprofitable, so he experimented with over 60 different kinds of crops. He also built a new grist mill that ground corn meal and flour.
Cutaway showing how the gristmill operated
This shows how the exterior of the Mt. Vernon home were designed to look like stone.
1) Boards were cut and beveled to resemble stone blocks
2) A ship’s varnished was applied to seal the wood
3) The first coat of white paint is applied
4) Finish coat of paint is applied and thrown sand is applied
After the War of Independence, the rule of the new country was really George Washington’s if he’d wanted it, but instead he went back home to enjoy the benefits of the very thing he had been fighting for.
Being sworn in as the first President of the United States
Incidentally, this exhibit probably had the most-depth information on Washington’s teeth (or lack of them.) They had several of his dentures and had a timeline of Washington’s dental history.
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