PAULDING – John Paulding Historical Society will host a general meeting and special program at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 27. The meeting is open to all.
The guest speaker for the evening will be Ian Ferguson, who will portray famed Revolutionary War hero John Paulding.
John Paulding was a 22-year-old militiaman in New York, part of General Washington’s ragtag forces during the Revolutionary War. Sergeant Paulding, along with Isaac Van Wart and David Williams, captured the British spy John Andre on Sept. 23, 1780, and kept him from delivering key military information from Benedict Arnold to the British army.
Ohio’s Paulding, Williams and Van Wert counties were named to honor the three young patriots who helped save the war.
Ferguson also will talk about the vital role spruce beer played in the Revolutionary War.
As a Revolutionary soldier, John Paulding would have been given the standard rations at the time. Spruce beer was an important part of a soldier’s diet. It helped fight scurvy. Rich in vitamin C, those in the new world began brewing beer with spruce branches and buds. It was easy to make using common ingredients found in the northern colonies. When revolution broke out, spruce beer was “drafted” into the war effort on both sides.
At the meeting, guests (age 21 or older) will be able to sample some spruce beer Ferguson has brewed. The authentic recipe, made of fresh spruce tips, maple syrup, yeast and water, is very similar to something John Paulding would have consumed.
The museum is located at 600 Fairground Drive in Paulding, across from the county fairgrounds.
Admission is free. Refreshments will be served after the meeting.
For those who have never visited the museum, this is a perfect opportunity to learn about the organization and see some of the amazing artifacts in the museum’s collection.
Any updates or notices will be posted on the historical society’s Facebook page at facebook.com/jphsmuseum.
