Country Doctor Museum brings “History Alive!” on Oct. 17

A daylong celebration at the oldest museum in the nation dedicated to the history of rural health care will be held Saturday, October 17.

From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. the Country Doctor Museum will host its fifth annual “History Alive!” – a family-friendly event that offers visitors a glimpse into the past.  Free activities will include museum tours and horse-drawn carriage rides from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Civil War re-enactors from the 1^st North Carolina Field Hospital, dressed in period costumes, will re-enact the treatment of soldiers on a Civil War battlefield and discuss medical treatments and instruments of that era.

Traditional bluegrass music will be provided by The Hushpuppies and a variety of food, and arts and crafts vendors will be present.

The Rocky Mount Children’s Museum and Science Center, Sylvan Heights Bird Park, Pope House Museum, Imagination Station Science and History Museum, Aurora Fossil Museum and Tobacco Farm Life Museum will also offer free activities and exhibits.

The Country Doctor Museum showcases more than 5,000 medical artifacts and volumes of historic texts relevant to the practice of medicine between the late 18^th century and the first half of the 20^th century.  Nursing, pharmaceuticals and home remedies are also included.

The museum, located at 6642 Peele Road in Bailey, is managed as part of the History Collections of Laupus Library at East Carolina University.

For more information, call 252-235-4165 or visit www.countrydoctormuseum.org.