Photo Gallery: Civil War Era Comes to Life

Visitors who braved 95-degree heat Saturday got an authentic look into life in 1862 during Home Front Day at the .

Organizer Marty Shaw and other Strongsville Historical Society volunteers spent more than a year planning the event, which brought authentic Civil War re-enactors to town with an army camp, period clothing, weapons and actors portraying a variety of people from the era.

Shaw said the Historical Society wanted to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

"Strongsville has an important history as a stop in the underground railroad," Shaw said. "We wanted to see if we could bring 1862 to life."

About 75 local volunteers joined re-enactors from the 29th Ohio Volunteer Infantry for the event, which included tours of the 26 Civil War tombs in the and actors from Strongsville Community Theatre re-enacting some of the city's founding families.

The re-enactors also staged some battles to try to bring the Civil War to life for visitors.

"I wanted people to see the realism -- what it was like for the soldiers to go into battle, hear what the muskets sounded like," Shaw said.