The Old West You Say
Hey Beautiful People!! I wanted to share a cool place with you! This past Saturday, I went on a trip! Where, you ask? Well, let's travel back to the 19th century real quick! Close your eyes and image 19th century America, head down south through Muskogee Creek, round' the bend to the Historic Village, and into the Antebellum Period!
-Where on earth are you taking us, Jazz? Oh, don't worry, just relax and enjoy the ride!
Welcome to Historic Westville! This amazing place is full of history and amazing artifacts. They have staff and volunteers that dress the part too! During my visit, I learned about The Trail of Tears, the history of native Lower Muskogee Creek Indians, and about the Treaty of 1828 that sadly caused them to be sent from the Chattahoochee Valley! When I heard the guide tell the deep and disturbing details of the forcible removal of the indigenous people from their lands by the Europeans, It made me questions the sanctity of this country! As I kept going, I arrived in the Historic Village where I saw churches, a general store (where I learned some fascinating information), a basket weaving shop, a disturbing recreation of early 19th-century medical procedures. I saw a quilter and a mesmerizing woodshop full of hand-made tools, utensils, and serving dishes!
As we kept going, we arrived at the most regal part of the village, the Antebellum Period. We toured Richard McDonald's home (no relation), who, once he began making money, had 24 enslaved persons!! We saw slave quarters, separate kitchens, a cotton gin, and we got to experience what daily life was like for slaves. This part of our self-guided adventure was tough for me; being a Black woman in America and witnessing original slave quarters was quite a surreal experience. Because all of the materials were original (from the 19th century), walking on the same floors as my ancestors, touching the same items, and in a roundabout way, breathing the same air, gave me a chill and in a way a sense of fear and gratitude washed over me! It brought to life the horrible mistreatment of black people and how we are greater and stronger because of it!
Where is it you ask! Westville is located in Columbus GA just past Ft. Benning! If you are looking for something to do on a Saturday this is a good place to start! As a person, it teaches you about history and gives you a captivating way to experience the culture, as a person of color, it shakes you, makes you think, maybe even shed a tear of happiness! Either way it is an eye opening adventure for anyone and most certainly an adventure for the ages! I thoroughly enjoyed my time and am most thankful for those that came before me, that fought so hard to make my imperfect reality so much better than the truly horrendous reality of their time!
My Overall Experience: Overall, I enjoyed the adventure. I learned that each of the structures that create Historic Westville was an actual building that functioned as its respective entity in the 19th century. The structures were donated to Westville by members of the community or by those that owned them. I also learned that they (the buildings) come from all over the state of GA! This experience opened my eyes to the fascinating world of times before me and gave me a greater appreciation of my life and my ancestor's tenacity and strength.
