Fourteen sets of eyes peered into the pan of boiled onion, carrot and and potato skins as Anne Gray explained why pioneers used the concoction.

&uot;The pioneers didn’t have egg dye like we do, so they learned that there were things in nature that they could use to make their dyes,&uot; Gray told participants Thursday at Historic Jefferson College’s &uot;Pioneer Week – The Way It Was,&uot; a yearly educational program the college opens to children age 8 to 12. Each morning the group of children gathered from 9 a.m. to noon to learn how they did things in the &uot;good old days.&uot;

This week’s activities range from planting sunflowers to weaving on a loom and quilting to more masculine endeavors.

&uot;I liked how we made musket balls yesterday out of melted lead,&uot; said Braxton Gray, 10.

&uot;Yea, but I liked the axe throwing the best,&uot; Ben Conn, 11, added.

Thursday, as they entered the hall of one of the colleges dormitories, they were met by &uot;Poppa&uot; Dave Aldridge, who volunteered to teach bread making.

&uot;Y’all washed your hands, now, didn’t you?&uot; he asked the group before allowing them to partake first hand in making honey whole wheat bread.

&uot;Smells pretty good,&uot; said Mariana Barilas, 8, as she took her turn stirring the mixture.

In the next room, Orilla Joseph, another volunteer, summoned the group to partake of another treat – making butter with a churn.

&uot;This was my mother’s churn,&uot; Joseph said. &uot;I’m 66 years old, and it’s a lot older than me.&uot;

As each child took a turn with the crank atop the glass jar, she explained that the pioneer boys and girls did butter churning as part of their everyday chores.

&uot;They sat and watched the butter churn for fun,&uot; she said. &uot;They didn’t have a television or Nintendo.&uot;