The Oberlin Heritage Center is presenting its family-friendly Root Beer & Yesteryear from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 3, according to a news release.
This free community event will take place on the Heritage Center grounds, behind the Monroe House at 73½ S. Professor St., so that everyone can enjoy a safe afternoon full of fun activities, the release said.
Social distancing is required and masks are requested when not enjoying refreshments, according to the release.
Organizers want guests to attend and enjoy the root beer floats and popcorn.
They also want those in attendance to stay for the historic games in front of the Little Red Schoolhouse; listen to demonstrations of an 1895 Edison Cylinder and 1917 Victor Talking Machine (both working phonographs) by Heritage Center trustee Fr. Brian Wilbert; have your photo taken in a 1923 Model T (weather permitting); meet Powhatan Beaty, who fought at the Battle of New Market Heights during the Civil War as a member of the 5th United States Colored Troops (and who will be portrayed and interpreted by Howard Carter), according to the release.
Patron also can enjoy the sweet sounds of the Front Porch Swatters (Dave Lengyel on mandolin, Ron Hause on lead guitar, Ralph Ballard on rhythm guitar, Katie Galt on fiddle, Nick Malakar on bass, and Clyde Hohn on dobro) throughout the afternoon, the release said.
Why celebrate the arrival of fall with root beer?
There’s a historic—and very Oberlin-esque— connection.
Chemistry Professor Frank Jewett, the namesake of the house now located at 73 S. Professor St., was a founding member of the Anti-Saloon League and brewed his own root beer as a refreshing alternative to alcoholic beverages, according to the release.
However, in 1897, Jewett was taken to task when he “created consternation by a report that root beer made by him and permitted to stand for three weeks showed an alcoholic content of 3.3 percent,” the release said.
An unexpected outcome, and one that was most certainly not in keeping with Oberlin’s temperate ways, according to the release.
