The Mansker's Station Frontier Life Center at the Moss-Wright Park in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, is more than just a rough re-construction of an 18th century stockaded frontier fort. It is a living museum, accurate in every detail. This is where the exciting days of the 18th century come to life in the Colonial Fair Encampment at Mansker's Station. This was the site of a "station", or fortified post, founded by a German immigrant named Kasper Mansker, one of the adventurous Long Hunters who traveled across the Appalachian Mountains from the eastern settlements. Mansker's Station was one of the most important on the Tennessee frontier, providing food, shelter and protection for settlers and travelers. Andrew Jackson once stayed at Mansker's Station.
Visitors today can see men in tri-cornered hats and knee britches splitting logs and doing carpentry and blacksmith work. Women in full length dresses do the cooking and washing over open fires, and weave their own cloth. The place is crammed with men, women, children, horses, cows, pigs and chickens, just as it would have been in pioneer times. The Frontier Life Center is authentically crowded, noisy and smelly. This fair is guaranteed to be authentic. All costumes, tools and accessories must be approved by a qualified historical consultant. When you see such interactions as a trading session between Natives and settlers, or women getting together to talk about life on the frontier, you are seeing things as close to the reality of the times as the Center can get. If you like, you can even buy some goods at Traders' Row. This is a fun and educational place for the whole family.
