Three businesses portraying Civil War era sutlers will return to Tawawa Park this weekend. They
include K & K Mercantile, Rocking Horse Toys & Games, and Amazon Dry Goods. All three have
attended previous events.
Amazon Dry Goods has been in business for more than three decades. They offer historic clothing patterns, shoes, books, collars and much, much more. Kevin and Samantha Hickle, themselves reenactors for more than 30 years, appreciate the value of quality historic goods. So when they learned Amazon Dry Goods was for sale, they purchased it in 2011, and haven’t looked back. They moved the business from Davenport, Iowa to Osgood, Indiana. Their warehouse is currently located in a historic home built in 1822. They also own the Amazon Drygoods Collars and Cuffs business, which was a partnership between Janet Burgess and Eric Brookhart. They purchased the old presses, dies, etc. from the Gibson Lee Collar Company, the successor to The Reversible Collar Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their collar press is one of the original Reversible Collar Company’s presses from the 1860’s.They look forward to returning to Sidney, and serving visitors to the event.
Located in Enon, Ohio, K & K Mercantile handles quality Civil War reproduction items. They feature ladies wear, civilian and military men’s wear, and a variety of specialty items from the era.
K & K Mercantile also provides a selection of gently or never worn used items, including clothing, gear, uniforms, and accoutrements. If you have a limited budget and are looking to get started in reenacting, they can assist you. Whether you are looking for blankets and ground cloths, canteens, footware, leather goods, tinware and cookware, homespun goods, tents, haversacks or any other items, you can find them at K & K Mercantile. Kathy and Kieth Crager invite you to stop by their tent.
Kay Dodge’s love of antique toys began when she was 12 years old. Her grandparents gave her a late 19 th century china doll for Christmas. Old toys and dolls have continued to fascinate her. About 20 years ago, she began doing school programs focusing on her love of toys and American history. She would talk to students about the toys and games that children played with from Colonial times until the end of the 19 th century.
Her search for antique and vintage toys intensified. The only problem was the kids could not play with her old toys. She began searching for sources of high quality reproductions made in the USA. Soon teachers and parents wanted to know where to get them. She opened Rocking Horse Toys & Games and as they say, ‘the rest is history’. Now she has all of those fabulous toys in one place along with unique antique and vintage toys for the collector. She invites visitors to the park to stop by her tent and play awhile!
“All of the sutlers were at our event in 2018,” Shelby County Historical Society Director Tilda Phlipot stated. “I can speak first-hand about the quality of the merchandise they sell.”
“As our event matures, we’ve enjoyed building relationships with different groups within the reenacting community,” Mike Barhorst stated. Barhorst serves as chair of the Civil War Living History Weekend Planning Committee. “It has been a pleasure to work with this group of sutlers, and I certainly welcome them back. Unlike the sutlers of the Civil War era, they do not mark their merchandise up 300%!”
Mike Barhorst’s newest article on Sutlers is now published on our website! – Read the history of the American Civil War Sutler HERE.