Event finds way to turn back the clock

TROY, Ohio (WDTN) - Michael and Suzanne Hoelscher are like modern day time travelers.

They not only remember the past, they live it.

"It's fun to play dress-up," Suzanne says.

But what Michael, Suzanne and nearly two thousand others from 31 states and three countries will be doing in the fields outside Troy for the next week goes far beyond old fashioned hats and shirts.

From the coffee that gets them up to the bed the puts them to sleep, all of it will be from the time period before 1840.

"It's a much slower pace than what we have at home," Michael says.

Out here the term you'll hear isn't political correctness, but period correctness. Even the flag has to fall in line. You'll notice the same amount of stripes but far fewer stars.

By the weekend, all the vehicles will be driven out of camp and the only Apple you'll find is the kind you eat.

"The one thing we don't miss, television, cell phones,  computers," Michael says.

Without "Suri" to keep you company, you'll get a chance to know your neighbors. People like Scott Reynolds a pilot who has been coming to events like this one for more than 20 years and knows how to navigate his way around a teepee.

"To be able to get away from all the modernalities and get back to the way things were 200 years ago, it's like nothing else," Reynolds says.

Because for all the connections you can have in the modern world, the people at the yearly event known as the Eastern Primitive Rendezvous say the strongest bonds they make are here.

"The camaraderie here is untouched by any other avenue of life I've seen," says Rodd Pederzani, the Booshway or in modern terms the person in charge of organizing the rendezvous.

And those friendships are important no matter what era you're living in because there are some parts of the world you can't leave behind, like Suzanne's battle with breast cancer.

"Anticipating this and getting here is what gets you through the treatment," Suzanne says.

Adds Pederzani, "If the rest of the world were this kind of community it'd be a far better place. It really would."

If you want to visit the camp at 1315 Rusk Road outside Troy at least parts of it are open anytime between 10 and 4 from Saturday Sept. 22nd to Friday Sept. 28th.

The cost is five dollars but free for kids or seniors.