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Time to cultivate a bond with the past Jim Craven / Mail Tribune Old-fashioned toys, such as this hoop and stick, are part of the appeal of the historic Hanley Farm outside Jacksonville. Nicholas Bowland, 6, of Ashland, was one of the visitors who helped the Southern Oregon Historical Society celebrate the opening of the living farm and museum Saturday. Hanley Farm open house gives young and old a taste of history By Jessica Smith Step through the white gates along Hanley Road and you�ll find a world seemingly forgotten by Grandfather Time. Draft horses work the fields and clucking chickens wander the grounds of the 19th-century Hanley Farm, preserved for 21st century guests. "People have always had a strong tie to the land, but the structures of society are moving us away from that," said Dawna Curler, a Southern Oregon Historical Society programs coordinator. "Sites like this can help maintain those bonds." Saturday morning, the historical society welcomed the public to the first open house at the Hanley Farm, now a living museum. Guests are welcome again Sunday. "We want to give people an appreciation for the agricultural lifestyle and the rich heritage it lent to Southern Oregon," Curler said. The farm dates from 1852, when it was settled by the pioneering Clinton and Welton families. The Hanleys purchased the land in 1857 and built the graceful two-story house in 1875. The farm was run by women for almost a century, the last of whom, Mary Hanley, died in 1986, leaving the farm to the historical society. SOHS has wanted to open the 37-acre site to the public for years. Although visitors were allowed to make arrangements for tours, the historical society could not permit public access to the farm because of county land use regulations on farm land. That all changed last summer, when Gov. John Kitzhaber signed a bill initiated by the society that allows museums on land zoned exclusively for farm use, such as the Hanley site. "The site is really pretty wonderful," said SOHS Executive Director Brad Linder. "It�s still a working farm. We�re growing a variety of vegetables, from squash to eggplant, and hay. It�s going to be fun." Hand-cranked ice cream, horseshoe tossing and mule-packing demonstrations brought the farm to life Saturday. "It�s great," said 5-year-old Wes Melendez, of Medford, checking to see whose horseshoe got closest to the stake. "There�s good games here and I like that." Jakob Shockey, a 9-year-old junior docent for the historical society, said he�s glad he gets to share the farm with others. "I like old stuff and I�m glad this place is still going and it�s not run down," he said. Summertime activities, however, will be limited to Saturday hours. Wool dyeing, basket weaving and candle- and soap-making are just a few of the demonstrations planned. There are also plans for a quilting bee, a pow wow and vintage baseball game � old-fashioned equipment will be used and 1860s rules applied. Friday and Sunday hours can be spent strolling around the grounds and checking out the barn, one of the oldest in Jackson County, the Hanley house, the windmill and water tower and the greenhouse and garden. There�s also a trail that winds around a portion of the property and an archaeological pit where evidence of a 2,100-year-old stone hearth was found. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA