Conner Prairie President Ellen M. Rosenthal and I, Tim Crumrin, director, experience delivery, recently attended a meeting to discuss the initial planning for Indiana's bicentennial of statehood in 2016. It brought to mind that many understand that Conner Prairie is one of the longest-occupied and documented sites in the state. But, that it has a long history of presenting history is not so well known.

The first effort came in 1927 with the placement of a stone marker celebrating William Conner's settlement, which served as the host for the committee that chose the site of Indianapolis as the future state capital. The stone still stands just to the right of the welcome center main entrance.

More importantly, 2010 marks the 75th anniversary of an event that foreshadowed an element of modern Conner Prairie. On May 17, 1935 Eli Lilly opened the grounds to host a history pageant. Three scenes were re-enacted: the signing of the Treaty of St. Mary's in 1818, which led to the removal of the Lenape Indians from Indiana, the first trial in Hamilton County, which was for illegally selling liquor and the choosing of the state capital.

To modern eyes, these scenes before "a capacity crowd on the hillside of a natural amphitheatre," today's Lenape Camp and symphony areas, seem quaint and almost laughable. The costumes ranged from coonskin caps to Victorian frock coats (see photo). The language veered from the melodramatic to the frankly racist. The overall attitude was unabashed celebration of an almost mythological past.

But its true importance is that 75 years ago, those involved were trying to make history come alive. It was interactive and participatory, as when a hat was passed to help pay the fine of the defendant convicted of selling liquor illegally. They were following Eli Lilly's goal to "[not] merely create a museum, but... to give to future generations historical understanding not to be found in books. What their eyes see they will never forget."

In essence, that is the cornerstone upon which Conner Prairie is built.

I love my job! I've been saying that ever since my mentor and former supervisor Ericka Mason moved to Michigan to get married and vouched that I could run the historic clothing department here at Conner Prairie. Thank you, Ericka, and thank you, Tim Crumrin (director, experience delivery) and Dan Freas (vice president, guest experience), for believing her.

I didn't major in history or fashion design. So, how did I end up running historic clothing at Conner Prairie? It started with my kids! I majored in office administration and worked as secretary at a university, a church and a construction company, but I'm a crafter by nature. I chose to homeschool my children, and that's how I met the people who dress up in historic clothes and entertain children and adults into being interested in history - through field trips.

We were all fascinated with the idea of living history and turned to the best place in the area (and in the country, I later learned), Conner Prairie, to see if there was a way for kids to volunteer. There was, and my kids became youth volunteers/interpreters. I decided I'd rather volunteer in the costume room than make the commute twice a day. Then, I became a part-time interpreter, and two years later, when the seamstress left, I was offered her job (which I had often said would be perfect for me).

I was right - it is perfect for me. What makes clothing coordinator a perfect fit? It's multi-faceted! I have to confess that I am mildly ADD (but not hyperactive). Consistency has always been my downfall, and I'm easily distracted. There are so many different things to do here that if I can't think about "this" any more, I can jump up and do "that" until my brain is ready to tackle "this" again.

What do I get to do here? I get to keep track of all the reproduction historic clothing that we keep on hand for our interpreters' use, including washing and mending (with help, fortunately). I get to help interpreters and youth interpreters design clothing that fits their personality while being historically accurate. I get to design new patterns! I get to buy fabric! I get to research historic garments and how they were used and look at lots of great pictures of them, as well as the actual garments. And since I'm the sewing maven, I get to sew try-on clothing for Discovery Station and the 1859 Balloon Voyage area, as well as a few costumes like the Gingerbread Man.

I love my job!