The birthday celebration for Thomas Jefferson at Natural Bridge State Park Saturday featured multiple activity stations and displays. This display was set up by W&L politics professor Brian Alexander, who recently published a book on Jefferson’s “A Manual of Parliamentary Practice” that has been used by Congress since its publication in 1801. (all photos by Stephanie Mikels Blevins)
AT LEFT, Maurine Houser talks about how the saltpeter cave, across the bridge behind her, contributed to gunpowder production. ABOVE, Wendy Orrison walks with Dean Ferguson, a long time supporter of the park who came dressed in period clothes to answer questions about Jefferson and his ownership of the Natural Bridge. Orrison is member of the Friends of Natural Bridge State Park and coordinated all of the activities.
Ryan Alexander directs visitors in quill writing at the quill writing/money activity station Saturday.
At the spy station. Brenda Ratcliff and Joe Palermo explain how messages had to be sent in code. Grigg Mullen made a version of the Jefferson wheel (in foreground) so that people could see and understand how to send an encrypted message.
