Kids "live" 19th-century history in Eagle Harbor Children learn to make looms and weave a sample in the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse Assistant Lightkeeper's Cottage on July 17, during the Barn Loom program, sponsored by the Keweenaw County Historical Society. The hands-on activity is one of three "Living History Adventures" supervised by trained adult museum staff from the community. Adults helping here are, clockwise from left foreground, Monica Sochay, Marcia Mason (standing, center), Mary Lou Lenz and an unidentified helper. (Photo by Pat Ryan of Eagle Harbor)  EAGLE HARBOR ’Äì History comes alive on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in July and August for children participating in the ’ÄúLiving History Adventures’Äù programs, sponsored by the Keweenaw County Historical Society in Eagle Harbor.   The programs involve children in role-playing activities with the guidance of trained museum staff. Geared to children ages seven to 14, the ’Äúadventures’Äù include hands-on art projects. Each of three programs is offered on three different dates. The remaining dates are July 19, 24, 26 and 31; August 2 and 7.   Eunice Kowalski of Mohawk, who directed the re-assembly of this barn loom, helps Nick Pender learn about the traditional art of weaving during the July 17 Barn Loom program in the Assistant Lightkeeper's Cottage next to the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse. (Photo by Pat Ryan of Eagle Harbor)  The Eagle Harbor Lighthouse is the 1875 setting for the Barn Loom program, in which children will participate in weaving a rag rug on an original barn loom and will make a small loom and weave their own sample rugs.   Peter Van Pelt, president of the Keweenaw County Historical Society, said Eunice Kowalski of Mohawk, an experienced rug weaver, directed the re-assembly of the barn loom, which dates from W.P.A. days in the 30s.   ’ÄúIt was an attempt to keep alive a local craft ’Äì one of the W.P.A. projects for employing people during the Depression,’Äù Van Pelt said.   Eagle Harbor summer resident Marcia Mason is working on the weaving project, which will be held again on July 25 and on August 7.   Real children have the opportunity to mingle with these mannequins in Eagle Harbor's historic Rathbone Schoolhouse, thanks to "Living History Adventures," sponsored by the Keweenaw County Historical Society this summer. (Photo by Michele Anderson) In the second program, children play the roles of children attending Eagle Harbor’Äôs Rathbone Schoolhouse in 1863, when the Civil War was raging and the copper mining boom was in full swing. Joanne Bollinger, another Eagle Harbor summer resident, is leading the schoolhouse program. She has done a similar program in a Chicago suburban community. Using chalk and charcoal, children will make rubbings of the oldtime materials to create textured drawings. The schoolhouse program began July 12 and will be held again on July 24 and August 2.   The program titled ’Äú1845 with John St. John’Äù will take place on July 19 and 31 at the Eagle Harbor House, the only remaining log house from 1845 in Eagle Harbor. Mark Spreitzer, who also spends summers in Eagle Harbor, plays the role of John St. John, who tells the children how his friend Douglass Houghton was drowned off the Keweenaw shore that very day. The children will make models of the village as it was in 1845.   ’ÄúMark gives a very realistic impression of 1845,’Äù Van Pelt noted.   Van Pelt credits his wife, Patricia Van Pelt, with putting the programs together for the children.   ’ÄúPatricia ’Ķ is very pleased with the fact that adults in the community are participating in running the programs for the children,’Äù Peter added.   Mary Lou Lenz, a resident of Minnesota and Eagle Harbor, is directing the programs this summer. The cost of each session is $5. Call (906) 289-4930 or visit the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse for information and registration.   In addition to Keweenaw County Historical Society sponsorship, the "Living History Adventures" have received support from Keweenaw Krayons/Keweenaw Arts Alive; from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner of the National Endowment for the Arts; and from community donors, including International Paper, Upper Peninsula Power Company, U.P. Engineers and Architects, Clarence and Yvonne Fisher, Eagle River Inn and Fitzgerald Restaurant, ABC 5&28 and Tu-Mar Broadcasting.                                                               ’Äì Michele Anderson                                                                   July 17, 2001