Dean Bowman makes ice cream out a old-fashioned ice cream maker at Lauer Historical Farm Sunday afternoon.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA — Roughly 175-200 people Sunday afternoon took advantage of the beautiful weather to relax and enjoy their afternoon sitting at outdoor tables in the shade eating ice cream at Lauer Historical Farm’s 1940’s Ice Cream Social.
Dean Bowman, a volunteer, operated the hand crank, as elementary-school-aged kids watched.
Many of them never knew ice cream could be made at home and were not familiar with the concept of cooking from scratch.
The homemade, delicious confection that was served was the result of a process that produced about a quart and a half of “cooked” (French custard-style) ice cream:
Heat five cups of whole milk and four cups of sugar on the stove for about three to four minutes until it thickens, then add the eggs and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, four to five cups heavy of whipping cream and vanilla are added, giving it a creamy, custard-like texture. The mixture is added to the ice cream maker’s cylinder, with ice around it, salt added to make the ice “super cold,” and then add more ice. As the mixture spins, it is getting cold at the same time. After about a half-hour of churning with the hand crank, the ice cream is done and can be served with a variety of ice cream toppings.
“It’s fun to show people history,” said Chris Fetzer, volunteer coordinator for Johnny Appleseed Park Lauer Historical Farm. “I like to show people what it was like in a simpler time.”
Beth Theisen, a naturalist with the park district, welcomed visitors at the door and provided a brief introduction to the history of the site.
The public was next invited to tour the home in an “open house”-style event, where they could wander at their leisure. To help answer questions about the historical items, Fetzer was in the kitchen, and two volunteers were positioned in other rooms. Items included a 1943 upright AM radio, a bedroom with a crib and a 1947 sewing machine, a 1915 stove, a wall telephone without a dial that was used to connect to an operator who would then transfer the caller to the destination phone.
With all of the everyday articles people would have used in the farmhouse, Fetzer said that the most common comment from adults after touring the home is, “I feel like I’m at my grandma’s.”
The Lauer Historical Farm, located at 800 Roush Road in Lima, sits on 65.3 acres with facilities that can be reserved for events like graduation parties and weddings, including a barn and pergola. The farmhouse, which can also be reserved, was originally built in the 1870s and remodeled, so that it is today the only 1940s depression-era historical house and farm preserved in Ohio.
Their next major events to be held at the site are the Johny Appleseed Metro Park District’s Apple Festival in September (which as of this year is now moved to Lauer Historical Farm) and one of Ohio’s largest Civil War reenactments from October 14 through October 16.
Individuals interested in volunteering should contact Chris Fetzer with any questions at [email protected] and complete an online form at https://www.jampd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/vol_enrollment_form__fillable_.pdf .
