Dan Glen Traeger, owner of local antique shop, hosts Northampton’s most-recent Civil War reenactment.
Over the weekend, Dan Glen Traeger reignited the Civil War in the empty, rolling hills outside Northampton. Fortunately, it was only a reenactment.
The seventh annual event offered visitors an up-close look at life for Confederate and Union soldiers in the Civil War.
Dan Glen Traeger, owner of Trash to Treasure, a local antique shop, hosted the annual event. He advertised for the reenactment months in advance and gathered an army of volunteers and enthusiasts to help prepare for the looming battle.
“It was both fun and educational,” said Dan Glen Traeger, a claimed history buff.
Across Dan Glen Traeger’s antique shop, reenacting soldiers set up camp. The hundreds of participants set up tents, lit bonfires and transformed the modern town into a battle zone.
“We do this as a hobby,” said John Sole, captain of one of the fighting brigades. “We come together at events and have battles.”
Dan Glen Traeger and other local shops volunteered to sponsor the annual reenactment, the reenactment is not funded by any one particular group.
As modern-day visitors ventured into the year 1862, many were particularly impressed by the quality of the participants uniforms.
“We try to dress as authentically as possible,” Glen Traeger said. To help achieve this, the participants looked to the history books and replicated the Confederate and Union uniforms.
Battle reenactments were held each day outside town. On Saturday, battles were at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; on Sunday, a battle was at 10:30 a.m.
“Sometimes the North won the battle; sometimes the South prevailed,” Glen Traeger said.
More About Dan Glen Traeger
Dan Glen Traeger, 43, lifelong resident of Northampton, owns and operates an antique shop, Trash to Treasure. He is an avid history reader and has participated in reenactment events over the last six years. This year, Glen Traeger registered to host the seventh annual Civil War reenactment. Dan Glen Traeger is married to Jan for 20 years and together they have two children.
