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8/16/2012 - West Side Leader
     

By Kathleen Folkerth

Music of the Civil War era will be performed from the porch of the Perkins Stone Mansion during the Aug. 25 event there.

Photo courtesy of Chet Walker

WEST AKRON — The Summit County Historical Society (SCHS) is continuing to mark the 150th anniversary of Civil War events with a special free day of activities.

Civil War re-enactors from the 29th Ohio Volunteer Infantry will be at the Perkins Stone Mansion with an encampment.

Photo courtesy of Denny Reiser

The commemorative event will take place Aug. 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Perkins Stone Mansion, 550 Copley Road.

Leianne Neff Heppner, executive director of the SCHS, said interest in the Civil War, which took place from 1861 to 1865, is still high after many historical groups began marking the 150th anniversary of the era a year ago.

She added it’s been a great way to help history come alive for local residents.

“It’s interesting because a lot of people thought after last year it would be done, but then when we explain that it lasted until 1865, you can almost see the wheels turning,” she said. “We’ve partnered with the Ohio Historical Society, which is highlighting this whole commemoration.”

The day will include a Civil War encampment on the northern side of the property with members of the 29th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. They will have tents set up and perform drills as visitors look on, Heppner said.

From 1:30 to 3 p.m., Mount Vernon-based band Elixir will perform music from the period on the front porch of the mansion. Heppner said visitors can bring blankets and lawn chairs, as well as picnic food.

The site also will feature hot dogs and popcorn for sale, she added.

Also during the day, admission is free to the exhibit The Story of Two Generals: Alvin C. Voris and the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862. It tells the stories of Akron native Voris and a Union military raid in Georgia in which a train was hijacked in an attempt to damage rail lines in the South. The exhibit will remain on display through November.

Heppner said the historical society plans to continue hosting these free summer events through 2015. Response to Civil War history events has been positive, she added.

“Part of it is the mystique, and I say that because the more you read about it, the more you want to know,” she said.

Heppner added that technology also has added to the way people can understand and experience history.

“People can dig into it more, and the more you can connect something to yourself, the more interest you’ll have in it,” she said.

For more information, call 330-535-1120 or go to www.summithistory.org.

     

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