Do you love the winter and all its fun outdoor activities? If you do, you have something in common with the Macculloch family and the community living in Morristown in the early nineteenth century.
On February 9, 1825, Louisa Macculloch wrote to her son Francis saying “The delightful sleighing we have had has set every one crazy.” In her letter she is most likely referring to a horse driven sleigh, but just like today, there were people who loved the crispness of the winter air and the beauty of an untouched blanket of snow. MHHM has an early wooden sled and ice skates enjoyed by children over 100 years ago.
Listen to The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear. This story follows a boy on an adventure with his sled, Boggan, short for toboggan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzeDXGhPaM8
The toboggan, a long wooden sled, was designed for light powder snow. The toboggan was created by the Inuit people who constructed the sled from larch or birch wood. The word toboggan comes from the Mi’kmaq word, “tobokun”.
For examples of ice skates throughout the centuries visit: https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/history-ice-skates/
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Age / Level: 1, Primary, Elementary, Middle