The Jersey County Victorian Festival
Special Features
Jerseyville, Illinois

Labor Day Weekend
September 1 - September 3, 2012

Stage Coach Robbery

Documented family history states that Jesse and Frank James were frequent visitors to Hazel Dell and were provided supplies by the sympathetic Colonel Fulkerson, a Confederate officer during the Civil War, and that they camped by D’Arcy’s Branch while they were in the area on "banking business." The James Gang rides again daily at 12 noon in a stagecoach robbery reenactment followed by a gun safety demonstration.

Duel of Honor 

By 1804, dueling had become an American fixture.  Some of America’s most important citizens defended their honor on the dueling grounds.  Dueling was the preferred way to defend one’s honor, or even to commit murder.  A jilted lover need only wait for a rival’s insult, or even manufacture one.  He was then free to challenge and kill the rival without condemnation.  By the time of the Civil War dueling was on the decline.  If America were to become a truly civilized nation, the publicly sanctioned bloodshed would have to end.

A Duel of Honor will be reenacted daily at the Jersey County Victorian Festival at approximately 1 p.m. and carried out under the “Code Duello Guidelines of 1777.”  The weapons of choice will be 1845 Henry LePage dueling pistols. May bravery and righteousness reign over this historical reenactment.

Ride a Stage Coach, an old fashioned Surrey, and visit Civil War era sutlers. During the Civil War era sutlers were peddlers who would follow the armies selling goods and food. Today's sutlers are vendors who set up tents at Living History events and specialize in selling replica items from the Civil War era. Whether you’re a participant looking to add some more gear or a visitor looking for a unique item, a visit to these merchant’s tents will offer a treasure trove of unique items including period clothing, cookware, military paraphernalia, and books that are hard to find anywhere else.

Fresh fish sandwiches, pork steaks, homemade root beer, and freshly squeezed Lemon Shake-ups are just some of the large variety of food and refreshments available on the grounds. Once your selection is made, you will want take to take advantage of the large shade trees covering the patio and enjoy the musical entertainment and other sights and sounds of the Festival. Vendors will again have a variety of items for sale. Antiques, arts, and crafts are located on the grounds around the Mansion, the Museum Building and throughout the Festival grounds.