Last week we toured Grinter Place, a historical site in Kansas City, KS, to experience life in the 1850s at a ferry boat crossing. The Grinter family ran a ferry boat that carried travelers moving westward across the Kansas River. The Grinters also ran a trading post, which allowed them to build the large, beautiful home that is still present on the site.
Our visit began with a tour of the house. The house faces south, and has a lovely view towards the river.
When the Grinters lived in the house, there were not as many trees as today, so they had a clear view of the river. The house contains furniture and decorative items of the time period, giving visitors a sense of how the Grinter family lived. While in the house, we saw a cabinet that a traveler traded for passage across the river.
We then learned a bit about quilting and quilt blocks, and the kids had a chance to draw their own quilt blocks.
From there, the kids learned about making biscuits, made butter in a jar, and were able to sample the biscuits and the butter. Delicious!
We then headed outside to learn about washing day in the 1850s. All the kids took turns carrying the water buckets on a yoke to the well, practicing washing the clothes with lye soap using a washboard, and hanging the clothes on the line.
We had a great tour, and really appreciate the staff and volunteers welcoming us for our field trip. This is a site well worth the visit!
