George gathers for American History Night

Soup potluck, video presentation portrays Washington as 'reluctant leader'

GEORGE — The first American president never actually set foot in his namesake town.

But residents of George and the surrounding area will once again have the opportunity to gather and learn about him.

For the second year, American History Night will be held in George Community Hall once a month, beginning Nov. 29 with a soup potluck at 6 p.m., and a video presentation held at 7 p.m. History nights will also be held, at the same times, on Dec. 20, Jan. 24, Feb. 28 and March 28.

"We are very interested in early American history, and we just think that George, Wash., is a great place to learn or relearn some facts about early American history," explained Debby Kooy, who organized the event last year with fellow resident Linda Ferguson, after the two took a trip to Washington, D.C.

"We found we had a very loyal following," Kooy said, noting that 25 participants was considered a good turnout. "Not a big crowd, but they sure were attentive, interested and very eager to come back each time."

A new line-up of videos is in store for this go-round, including "The Man Who Would Not Be King" as an opener. Kooy called it a "very interesting" overview of George Washington's life, showing how there was a movement to make Washington king.

"He refused that, and resigned his military position after the war; he wanted to just retire," Kooy explained. "It wasn't until they said, 'We want you to be president' that he resigned himself to that. He was a reluctant leader, and that really endeared him to the hearts of his countrymen."

In December, Cave B Estate Winery winemaker Rusty Figgins will provide a video entitled "George Washington's Workshop," about the use of early American ales, Kooy previewed.

"Not too many people know this, but George Washington had a distillery at Mount Vernon," Kooy said. "He actually prospered better with the distillery than he did with his tobacco crop."

A soup potluck will again precede the films.

"People really enjoyed that," Kooy said, adding with a chuckle, "Some people enjoyed that more than the video."

If all someone knows about early American history is what he or she learned from the fourth grade, Kooy thinks it might be time for an update.

"It's not the boring old facts you think you remember," she said. "It helps us remember our roots as a nation, and it's still important."