By Amanda Pevey
Elmore/Autauga News
WETUMPKA – The 28th annual Alabama Frontier Days were held November 1-4 at Fort Toulouse/Fort Jackson in Elmore County.
The EAN tagged along with some fourth-grade students from Airport Road Intermediate as they explored the living history of the 1700s -1800s during Frontier Days. There were weapon demonstrations, cannon firings, magicians, acrobats, storytelling, Indian dances, and period music for all to hear. There was a variety of delicious foods and craft vendors. Those vendors created wooden toys, games, dolls, jewelry, and beautiful musical instruments as well. This is one of the largest and most authentic living history events in Alabama!
According to Wikipedia: Fort Toulouse (Muscogee: Franca choka chula), also called Fort des Alibamons and Fort Toulouse des Alibamons, is a historic fort near the city of Wetumpka, Alabama, United States, that is now maintained by the Alabama Historical Commission. The French founded the fort in 1717, naming it for Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse. In order to counter the growing influence of the British colonies of Georgia and Carolina, the government of French Louisiana erected a fort on the eastern border of the Louisiana Colony in what is now the state of Alabama.
The fort was also referred to as the Post of the Alabama, named after the Alabama tribe of Upper Creek Indians, who resided just below the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers on the upper reaches of the Alabama River.
“The Alabama Frontier Days is a four-day educational event designed to teach fourth grade students about the state’s colonial frontier life,” said John Gurner, Site Director for Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson Park.
He said the annual event’s historical timeline spans 1700 to 1820 in order to capture the variety of life skills that existed as the state transitioned from frontier to statehood in the early nineteenth-century.
“Over the years, the event has grown in both the number of demonstrators and types of demonstrations our historical interpreters provide. This year, our Friday program saw over 2,000 people and our Saturday looked really good. This year we brought in a wheelwright to demonstrate a unique trade of the period, as well as several musicians for the War of 1812 period.
Gurner said this event is an educational gem that compliments traditional classroom teaching with hands-on experiences and true sensory immersion.
“An event like this takes a small army of dedicated volunteers to carry out. The site is administered by the Alabama Historical Commission, and after two decades of putting this event on, in conjunction with the Friends of the Forts support group, we have the logistics well sorted out. Overall, I say that the Alabama Frontier Days is a truly unique experience, and one that easily rivals anything one would find in the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast. We as Alabamians should feel proud of having such a unique event held within our borders.”
Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson Park is located at 2521 West Fort Toulouse Road in Wetumpka. For more information, please call 334-567-3002. You can also visit their Facebook page at: www.Facebook.com/FortToulouseFortJackson
The official website is https://fttoulousejackson.org/
If you missed this year’s event, make plans for next year to attend Alabama Frontier Days Nov. 6-9 2024
