A Visit to The Historical Pinecrest Village - Part 3

I hope you have enjoyed reading all about life in the olden days in part one and two of the three part series on the Historical Pinecrest Village.  I want to thank everyone who has been visiting and taking the time to leave such warmhearted comments.  I am grateful to know that there are many others who also appreciate history and enjoy these articles.  This post will be the remaining tour of the village.  So hitch up your horses and wagon to the old hitching post and lets continue our stroll.

If you happen to be visiting The Little Yellow Corner Store for the first time and would like to begin the tour through the village from the start, just click on the following links to view part 1 and 2:  A Visit to the Historical Pinecrest Village - Part 1 and A Visit to the Historical Pinecrest Village - Part 2.

So, after wandering through most of the village, I am certain old-time patrons worked up enough of a thirst to want to stop by and linger a bit at the Old Saloon.   (Unfortunately, at the present time, it is not a working saloon, so cold beer is not available.)  Surprisingly enough, the building (pictured above) which was built in 1866 as a home for the German immigrant, Edward Fritzi, not only houses the saloon on the first floor but also includes the doctor and dentist offices upstairs from the saloon.

Perhaps a visit to the saloon located downstairs from the dentist was necessary before any dental work was done?

Various wagons and farm equipment can be seen on the grounds of Pinecrest Village.  When not in use, some are stored away in the building pictured in the background in the photo below.

Being among an abundance of farmers and their beautiful farms, the local blacksmith and woodworker would have had plenty of business.  The building once served as a granary and farm storage, but was converted to the Blacksmithing and Wagonwork Shop when moved to Pinecrest Village in 1976.  The tools in the shop were donated by the Anton Witt family from Manitowoc Rapids, Wisconsin who owned a blacksmith business in 1909.

On some occasions, a blacksmith at the shop, which is still fully operational, gives demonstrations on how some of the work was done long ago.

Need your high-top shoe repaired?  Come to the Harness and Shoe Shop.  This building was once a meat market in Valders, Wisconsin and was built around 1900.  The shop owner could serve customers with the repair of their shoes or boots and could also serve the numerous hard-working, four-legged, cherished friends known as horses with the needed saddles and harnesses too.

The last attraction on this walk through the village is the Collins Depot.  The Depot was built in 1896 and served passengers until the mid-1930s and carried freight until 1950. 

If you are a big fan of the Little House on the Prairie series like I am, you might think about visiting Pinecrest Village during their July month long Little House on the Prairie celebration for the event, Vintage Baseball on July 30, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.   It is a wonderful opportunity to meet Dean Butler who played Almanzo Wilder from the Little House on the Prairie series.  In the past, the village had the pleasure of hosting Alison Arngrim who played Nellie Olson. (Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children age 5-17.  Children under age 5 is free.)

Come visit the past.