When you walk in the door of the Oneida Pioneer Museum you immediately feel the gaze of 75 of the first settlers in the Valley.  I think maybe the stoic scrutiny of these progenitors inspired their descendants to donate the portraits so we can all feel the judgment of our pioneer forefathers!  There are not many grins in the group. Their no-nonsense faces are a reminder to me that pioneering was serious business tied closely to survival.

And survive they did! They plowed fields with a horse, dug ditches with a shovel, tended gardens with a hoe and a bucket, mended machinery by hand, built homes from scratch, preserved food over a fire, made sure their neighbors were eating, and raised lots of livestock and children. Children were needed. The more you had, the more help you had. Things have changed a bit now days. We worry about saving enough for college educations and braces. We try to limit their screen time and sugar intake, while buying bikes, basketballs and tennis shoes to increase their physical activity. We may have lost sight of what’s most beneficial. Not saying I want to go back, I’d probably not last a week in their world, but they not only built our community they built strong people. 

I was examining those portraits recently and decided Ruth Ann Price Thomas has the kindest face on the wall. If I was to pick out one of the bunch to visit with, she would be the winner. I bet she made great cookies, too. Rueben Devere Williams, Evan George Jones, and Thomas D. Daniels all knew how to wear a hat. I’ve heard stories about Winnifred Lloyd Roberts Evans, and I’d love to know how she managed her home. There is a life with experience ready to inspire that goes with each face! 

The museum opens Memorial Weekend for the summer. Plan a visit with some of your posterity and get everyone to look into the eyes of our pioneers. You’ll find strength.

It’s a Good Life when you can appreciate those who made your life good!