Photo Courtesy of Mike Woodward
Mike Woodward founded and produced the Whiskey Flat Days reenactment encampment, since its origination in 2003.
He came into the Whiskey Flat Days planning meeting of the chamber Monday, November 25. He wanted to set to rest some rumors and speculation, and to get people up to date on his plans for the coming Whiskey Flat Days reenactment at the encampment, which now includes a different operational structure for the sake of Woodward’s own health and to lessen his stress.
Woodward said his team began to reenact back in 2003 when the chamber invited the reenactors to do a reenactment at the encampment.
“All of our reenactors are historians in their own right. They have a lot of experience, a lot of background.” Woodward said, “There’s one guy that is above us all in historic reenacting and historic knowledge of this valley and that is Chuck Barbee.
Before February the encampment was wiped out and volunteers rebuilt everything. Woodward had health issues due to the stress. Therefore others took over the encampment project and reenactment. Woodward said the reenactment was always his passion. He apologized for any procrastination in communication. He wanted to make sure he had everything sorted out before he came to chamber to guarantee his team would continue the reenactment and tell the board his plans.
Woodward guaranteed the Whiskey Flat reenactment would continue long term. He doesn’t want to manage the encampment reenactment any longer. Yet he wants to make sure that the dream continues until his dying breath. So he brought to the meeting his most loyal, long-term reenactors to assure the chamber they will help Woodward. He plans to have commanders for divisions because he can’t have one person manage everything.
Woodward said, his management structure for the encampment reenactment was built off of Fort Tejon military management structure, with battalion sections, with commanders of different divisions. He is making a more simplified director structure now, with help from others.
Francis Moore is the sheriff of everything. Moore said the team’s goal for the reenactment is to be part of Whiskey Flat Days. “We want to be a part of the greater event,” Moore said.
Perry Steinhoff is managing areas of the encampment
Bob Easterday has agreed to be the head director of the reenactment.
Chuck Barbee will be advising the reenactment on the authenticity of historical accuracy.
“I’m happy to contribute, to that, any way I can,” Barbee said.
Woodward said Barbee previously made the film, Wild West County. The documentary film about the old west history of California’s Southern Sierras and the Kern River Valley has been of particular interest to the Kern River Valley Historical Society.
The encampment reenactment has been under a five-year agreement with the chamber, which ends after this year’s Whiskey Flat Days. Woodward’s team hopes it will be able to renew the agreement for another five years. Woodward said, “I will never have to pick a wet log out of the river again.”
