History Programs

Do you ever wonder if Native Americans lived and worked where you live today?

Walk Back Through Time

Recommended for Fourth to Fifth Grade

Not intended for children under 9

  • learn about past and present land use
  • view a 100-year-old farm, noting changes caused by the addition of indoor plumbing, electricity, and central heat
  • note changes in farm equipment, methods of haymaking, and animal care over time
  • blaze a trail through woods (Great Wagon Road) to find a home site for Colonial settlers
  • observe period hunting and survival skills, including loading and firing a flintlock rifle
  • discuss Native American travel, work, and living areas at the river

Colonial Living

Visitors are immersed in 18th century life.

  • see a recreated Revolutionary War military tent
  • discuss open fire cooking
  • discover a variety of materials used for dishes and utensils
  • explore children's games
  • view clothing of the day and the changing terms over time
  • view fire starting before matches
  • discover the differences between rifles and muskets

program length varies due to ages/attention span of visitors

What does it mean to say "lock, stock and barrel"?

This phrase is frequently attributed to the colonial era where the parts of a flintlock musket were created separately and then put together to form your musket.

  • The lock, or flintlock is the firing mechanism and made out of metal.
  • The stock, which is the butt of the gun is made out of wood and had to be carved.
  • The barrel is a cylindrical object that goes the length of the musket from the lock to the end of the stock. These tubes had no groves inside and during firing the ball bounced around the barrel before coming out of the end. They were not as accurate as the grooved rifle barrel.

During the colonial era your gun was your life and it could cost an individual an entire years salary!

Woosley Farm has a unique experience provided by 10,000 years of history that we can track on the Yadkin River. We strive to provide hands on educational experiences with a continuing focus on authenticity. We encourage visitors to engage in critical thinking and make choices about farming and travel over the past 200 years. The farm is situated on a Native American treasure trove of artifacts as well as butting up to the Yadkin River. We discuss modes of travel as well as farming practices used over the past two centuries as well as during the time of the native population here in Forsyth County.