Health & Fitness
Old World Wisconsin gives SJV students view of life in the late 19th century
St. John Vianney 7th grade students went to Old World Wisconsin to get a taste of what life in Wisconsin was like in the late 19th century.
By K. Adamson
Think you’d win in a tug-of-war with a pair of oxen? Think an entire class of 7th graders would? The SJV 7th graders could tell you because they tried it. On Oct. 17, the students went to Old World Wisconsin to get a taste of what life in Wisconsin was like in the late 19th century.
Located in Eagle, WI, the historic site offers glimpses of daily life for European immigrants in this area around 1860-1890 such as Industrial Village, which features a black smith shop, a country store and wheel-making shed. The students also visited the German Farm Area where they helped knead bread, shaved wood and yes — played tug-of-war with a pair of oxen.
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It’s all part of bringing history to life for the students. "The children learned quite a bit about life during [that era] and had a lot of fun at the same time," according to Sue Schmitt, the students’ Social Studies teacher who accompanied them on the field trip.