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Entertainment Mansfield Ducimer Club 
Our first musical group performing on Saturday afternoon was the Mansfield Ducimer Club. Last year Debbie Gwirtz played the dulcimer in the schoolhouse for OFD and got lots of pleasing comments. When we asked her to play again this year, she said she would do better than that; she would ask the group that she performs with to come and play for us. They agreed and we are very happy they did. They played selections we all knew, but their intrepretations were unique and the effects they achieved were outstanding. 
The group makes use of the mountain dulcimers as well as the hammered dulcimer. Their musical styles included folk, gospel, classical and blues. The addition of the bowed saw produces an almost mystical quality to their selections. Thank you so much to all the members of the Mansfield Dulcimer Club! (We apolgize for only having one picture of the group. If anyone has additional pictures, please contact us and we'll post them.) Buckeye Country Cloggers 
The Sunday afternoon musical entertainment began with the Buckeye Country Cloggers. Paul and Ruth Williams learned to clog in North Carolina in the 1970s. They loved it so much that they decided to demonstrate and teach clogging to those in this area. As the years passed, the group grew and they were requested to perform in local events. They have been performing at fairs, festivals, and rest homes for over 20 years. 
On Sunday afternoon a dozen cloggers arrived and brought with them their own dancing platform. After assembling it they began a high energy performance that pleased all that were lucky enough to be present. 
Toes were tapping and hands clapping as the group seemed to be constantly increasing their tempo and energy level. Smiles were everywhere and no one wanted to see their performance end. We would like to thank Paul and Ruth Williams and the Buckeye Country Cloggers for their performance. You gave us a memorable afternoon ! Mansfield Liederkranz (Children's and Youth Groups) 
Morton School, like many one room schools in the Richland County area, was established in the midst of German settlements. In many ways it was the center of this early community as it served to educate and to help pass on many of the customs and traditions of this heritage. To honor this German heritage, the Mansfield Liederkranz German folk dance groups for children and youth performed at OFD 2004. 
It was planned for the Children's (Kinder) group to perform the traditional "Maypole Dance". However, the weather was not cooperative and the dancing was moved to the stage dance area that was kindly supplied by the Buckeye Country Cloggers. The children performed many traditional dances in costume. As you can see in the above photos, the costumes and the children were both beautiful. 
The Youth (Jugend) group also wore matching costumes and performed traditional dances with much enthusiasm and grace. The audience truly appreciated the music, the dance, and the traditions that were displayed by both of these talented groups. Thank you to the Mansfield Liederkranz, Karin Studer, and all those associated, who helped make this performance possible. We loved your program ! Native American Dance & Storytelling 
Annette Smith and her daughter Halla are descendants of the Choctaw and Cherokee Indian tribes. Annette is a gifted storyteller who keeps alive the early oral traditions of her heritage by telling stories related to the Indians and tribes of early Richland County. She explained their dress and the significance of the beadwork. Halla performed the "Jingle Dance" which is part of the dance of the Ojibway tribe of Minnesota, and the Anishnabe tribe of Ontario, Canada. It is performed traditionally at powwows. 
The intricate "Jingle Dance" costume was described by Annette prior to her daughter's performance. We are hoping that Annette and Halla will return for OFD 2005 and relate some of their stories of the Native American and early settlers in this part of Ohio. Historical Personalities 
Martha Washington During the school year when Morton School is operating as a One Room School House in the 1915-1920 era, the visiting students are often surprised by a visit from a historical personality from the past. One of these surprise visitors has been Martha Washington. She tells the story of her life with her husband George. The students love to hear the story straight from Martha. We were privileged to have Martha arrive on a weekend and visit with those in attendance at OFD. Martha shared her stories and the Washington family photo album that she carries with her. She answered questions about her life with George and described the kind of husband he was. She also included facts about his public life as commander of the Colonial Army during the American Revolutionary War and his serving as the first President of the new United States of America. 
Our audience was as fascinated with Martha as the students who haved attended Morton Schoolhouse. (Martha Washington is really the multi-talented Lynn Cross of Shelby.) Lynn has also created several more characters for the enjoyment (and educational benefit) of the visitng students, (and those who are fortunate enough to watch her artistry). Thank you, Lynn, for all that you do !
Here's Johnny !
Johnny Appleseed There's been many stories told of John Chapman who roamed the country side during the settlement of Ohio and her neighboring states. On OFD weekend, Johnny Appleseed arrived as he might have in the past, in his barefeet, and carrying a bag of what was assumed to be apple seeds. He mingled with the crowd and until he located the childrens's area where he spent a great deal of time talking with all the children who had been playing games and constructing crafts. Soon he made his appearance at the stage area and spoke with our visitors and answered their many questions concerning his life. His talk included anecdotes and humorous memories of the early settlers and their Native American neighbors. 
It was near the end of his talk that we learned the contents of his bag as he began passing out wooden tokens to the children in attendance. The token was a free pass to the "Johnny Appleseed" historical drama that was soon to open near Mifflin, Ohio. Johnny was a real crowd pleaser and we hope that many who received the tokens were encouraged to later attend the Mifflin performance. Jim Stoner of Shelby has played the part of "Johnny" for many years and appears on the current advertising literature for the Mifflin Outdoor Historical Drama. Jim appeared through the help of Jeremy Harrison of the Johnny Appleseed Outdoor Historical Drama. Thank you all !! CALLIOPE 
We had visited the Richland County Fairgrounds for the Buckeye Iron Will Tractor Show the weekend prior to Morton OFD 2004, and heard a memorable sound. It was reminiscent of the sounds of a circus or the midway at the State Fair. After making inquires, we discovered it to be the recent completed creation of Chuck Friend. Chuck accepted our invitation to be a part of our festival on the condition that the weather be suitable to transport the calliope. The weather finally cooperated and on Sunday afternoon, Chuck and Jean, his wife, and their calliope arrived. They suggested that we position him well away from the stage area and we soon discovered why. The area was soon filled with music and that seemed to give an extra spring to the step as people were drawn to it. Chuck's wife played a wide range of music and each selection seemed to sound just right when played on their creation. In the years ahead, the Friends plan to travel to events such as our's to share their unique musical entertainment. Chuck and Jean, thank you for bringing your jewel to Morton OFD 2004. We appreciate the cxtra effort you made on such short notice. (If anyone took pictures of the Friend's Calliope, please consider adding them to this page.)