Harvest Festival entertains, raises money for historic restoration

Donations help to raise between $450 and $500 dollars for Reiman-Simmons House

QUINCY — History came alive Saturday at the third annual Harvest Festival where families listened to bluegrass tunes, fed their appetites on dutch oven cooking and learned about the life of early pioneers.

"There were definitely more families this year and it was wonderful to teach them about local history," said Harriet Weber, Quincy Valley Historical Society public events coordinator.

Other highlights included the weather, which remained rain-free up through the first part of the afternoon.

Bob Ottmar, with the Columbia Basin Dutch Oven Society, had his chuck wagon pulled out to make biscuits and stew and said he was glad it hadn't rained yet.

And of course there were points of surprise and laughter throughout the day.

"People were surprised at how old the house is," Weber said of the 100-year-old Reiman-Simmons House. Weber thinks this is because it is so rare, especially in the western United States, to see well-preserved historic landmarks. They just don't exist like they do in the eastern part of the states, she said.

And on the lighter side, visitors got to milk a tame milk cow, and one family even took home a barn cat.

"You just don't see tame milk cows anymore and one man even came all the way from Wenatchee just to milk that cow," QVHS Treasurer David Weber said.

There was also a barn cat that someone had brought and by the end of the day a family had taken it home with them, Harriet said.

Children also had a chance to wash clothes on a scrub board with Mrs. Reiman, play a game of horshoes or ring taw, milk a cow and visit a recreation of the first General Store in Quincy. Marilyn Neavill took on the role of Reiman to interpret the life and time of one of the original owners of the historical home's, Katherine Reiman.

Adults also enjoyed the vintage automobiles on display in front of the Reiman-Simmons House.

Event-goer Gloria Ruffle said she remembers taking rides in some of the older cars as a small child.

During the day, donations helped to raise between $450 and $500 dollars to aid in the restoration of the Reiman-Simmons House.

"Next year we would like to bring more livestock, maybe even some sheep and goats," Harriet said.