How my life as a Historical Reenactor began

My love for American History was born of the many trips I took with my Grandmother, family and Boy Scout troop as a youth to historic locations across our great Country. I was blessed in so many ways as a youth to be able to travel and learn about our history from people that had a love for it. My Grandmother Phyllis Starr always had the most interesting collection of historic books in her home and My Grandfather Les Hockley was a true Colorado Cowboy born and raised in Weld county Colorado. Both would have a deep influence on my love of history and the pursuit of learning I follow today.

In 1995 thru what some would call providence I gave up my hobby as a Paintball player. I had enjoyed many years of the sport and had some great adventures in New York, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Arizona and California participating in World Record Games, 24 hour scenario games, and even the opportunity to shoot it out with Rick Schroder, who is very good by the way, on a great paintball field in Arizona. But as God planned it was time to do something different with my weekends and money. My family and I attended the Festival of the West that year and I would later join Southwest Legends Gunfighters, a living history / reenactment group in Phoenix Arizona. James Davis, Tom Lowe and so many others help me to become the Western Living Historian I am today as part of Southwest Legends Gunfighters and it was a great start to what I do today.

I was also blessed with the opportunity to work with some amazing Men and ladies from the 1st Texas Lt Artillery also located in Arizona. With them I had the opportunity to work on and actually fire a fully functional Cannon. We even took a trip to Imperial Valley CA. where we fired Cannon Balls at a target 800 yards away. My father greatly enjoyed the trip out to the California desert to watch at the live fire event.

My family also participated with an organization called We Make History and their annual Heritage Festival where my wife portrayed a Prairie school teacher and my sons dressed the part in uniform and helped to teach and learn about the history of America.

Due to a change in my employment like so many others have faced these days, we moved from Arizona to Colorado in January 2011. Our family continues on with our adventures as a reenacting family here in Colorado and participate both at Four Mile Historic park in Denver and with the Vision Heirs, a Colonial American reenacting group. We greatly enjoy this new place we call home and look forward to the many adventures it holds for us. Thru this Blog I hope to be able to teach others about American History, promote reenacting in Colorado and to also have fun and make the most of the gift that I have been given. So keep an eye on my blog as I post some fun events online and write about the life and adventures of Ezra Hawkins, my alter ego and reenacting character as I explore the American West and work to keep the history of the American West alive for future generations.