Ever see an original Jack o’lantern carved from a turnip or a wreath made from the hair of dead ancestors? The 4th grade class of Chester Elementary School (CES) was able to see just that and more during its Halloween visit to the Chester Historical Society Museum at the Mill.

Twenty-seven students walked down to the museum on the sunny fall day where they met Museum Programs and Exhibition Chairs Keith Dauer and Sandy Senior-Dauer, who is also vice-president of the Chester Historical Society. After a picnic lunch on the back porch overlooking the waterfall, the students were split into three groups for tours of the museum.

“Fourth grade is a big change,” said CES 4th grade teacher Hilary Clark. “It’s the first time the kids don’t do the Halloween parade. We’re trying to do something fun, hear some scary stories, and at the same time learn some more about the town.

The tours took students from the founding of Chester through the present day, and were led by knowledgeable volunteers. Not only did students learn about the many ways in which the mill building had been used in the past, but they saw a collection of well preserved artifacts that provided a window into what daily life was like in their town over many different points in history.

The permanent exhibit provided moments for students to find connections between their lives and the past, from street names to shared hobbies, and even shock that only men could vote in the 1860 election. Continuing on the theme that shared interests and common goals are what make a community strong, students found more connections to their lives and interests in the temporary exhibit that features the many groups and organization that have thrived in Chester from the past through the present, such as Rotary International, the Fife and Drum Corps, and Boy and Girl Scouts.

“I think the kids enjoyed it,” said Senior-Dauer. “They connected to the things that fascinated them, such as the voter roll and the barber chair and spittoon. I think they like sitting by the waterfall, having a picnic. It is always a new experience, and the things they observe are really funny. We get as much out of it as they do.”

After the tours, museum volunteer Jacqueline Stack talked about the history of Halloween and of Jack o’lanterns, followed by some spooky stories about the Flying Dutchman, a haunted house, and a haunted hand coming out of a closet. The stories received two rounds of applause.

“We talked a lot about traditions,” said Stack about the tour and the following discussion. “We talked about how and why people join groups and tend to stay in groups with people similar to them, and why people do what they do. We saw that in the past, people tended to have the same wants and needs that we have today.

“I think this experience, especially for those who live in town, increases people’s appreciation, recognition, and connection to history,” continued Stack. “We see that the town’s growth was an evolutionary process. You have to know where you come from to have a sense of history and appreciation for a place.”