Something sweet raises a nest egg for Panhandle Pioneer Settlement repairs

“I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream.”

That archaic ditty from the ‘50s somehow seemed perfectly fitting for an old-fashioned Ice Cream Social that is held annually (this year it took place on August 20), at the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement in Blountstown.

The social is a fund-raising event to bolster interest in the 18 buildings of historical significance that make up this ‘community’ from yesteryear.

After all, the settlemen’s owners, Willard and Linda Smith’s vision has always been to create a viable ‘attraction’ that would offer sustainable income to Calhoun County.

And what better way to get youngsters and their parents involved in the pioneer lifestyle - circa 1820 to

1940 – than to let them sample a few flavors of freshly-churned, downhome frozen confections?

The big scoop about this event – pun intended – was to generate much-needed dollars for ongoing repairs at the Settlement that are needed courtesy of October 2018’s Hurricane Michael.

“We’ve been going downhill since the hurricane and I don’t know what we’re going to do in a couple of years,” Willard told the attendees.

Nevertheless, not one to be glum, he expressed his gratitude to all the volunteers who provided the evening’s dairy delights.

“A lot of people went through a lot of trouble tonight and I really appreciate it,” Willard said.

At that point, guests were encouraged to try as many of the different ice creams as they liked.

Strawberry, vanilla, blueberry, toasted coconut, pineapple, piña colada, Butterfinger, chocolate, butter pecan, salted caramel and peach – regular and non-fat, for the lactose intolerant.

Ballots were provided for voting for the best ice cream varieties of the night.

The 1st place ribbon and $75 prize went to Nadene Bailey with her delicious butter pecan; the $50 for

2nd prize was awarded to Deborah Taylor for her cherry dessert; and Sue Price took 3rd place, plus $25, for everyone’s favorite sensation - chocolate.

Even ‘royalty’ appeared amongst the patrons at the social; sporting a jeweled crown, Olivia Adkins, Junior Miss Heritage South, was absolutely ‘loving all the ice cream’.

Her entourage included a pair of her ‘besties’.

“I came here to represent my hometown – Altha,” Adkins stated, strolling the Frink Gym in her ruby-red sash, alongside her girlfriends.

If you missed the Ice Cream Social, there are still plenty of opportunities to support the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement, as there are an assortment of events planned for the remaining months of 2022.

September 24 - Peanut Boil & Bluegrass - 5-8 p.m.

October 1 - Pancake Breakfast – 8-10 a.m.

October 15 - Pioneer Day and Goat Day, an all-day event.

November 26 - Syrup Making Day, all day at the settlement’s farm.

December 3 - Breakfast with Santa – 8-10 a.m.

December 3 - Old Fashioned Christmas following the Christmas Parade

December 1 - Santa’s Shop and Crafts

All times are in Central Time.

Like so many businesses and private folks of Calhoun County hit hard by the Cat 5 storm of 2018, Willard and Linda’s frontier village is still struggling to get back on its feet.

Volunteer Mavis Willis recalled, “My husband and I started here as work-campers right after Michael. So, we’ve seen it at its worst.”

Both the gymnasium, where the ice cream social was held, and the settlement’s Clubhouse lost rooftops. “Every building took some damage,” Mavis Willis explained, displaying a picture of the nearly-devastated Blacksmith barn.

Splintered wood from the shop’s exterior walls and forging implements were scattered across the surrounding lawns.

“We’ve been here off and on since then,” Willis went in to detail the ‘work-camper’ arrangement - volunteering a few hours a week in exchange for a place to stay on-site in their RV, with free sewer and

electricity hook-up.

“It’s a great program. We’d go home sometimes - to Syracuse, New York. But we loved it here so much, we [eventually] bought a house in Telogia.”

Just goes to show how the genuine hospitality of the South - specifically in the northwestern region of

Florida and the Panhandle - reels people in.

Or maybe it’s just the effervescent personality of Mr. Willard Smith…the way his eyes light up whenever he talks about the pioneer lifestyle and the community of restored buildings that make up his homestead.

Vickie Lillo - Gadsden County News Service

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