Early Bird campers celebrate 50 years with a trip through Springville history

July 24, 2026

On Friday, July 17th, the Early Bird Adventure Campers traveled back in time during their tour of the Concord Mercantile Building and the Glen “Pop” Warner Museum.

The campers were fascinated by artifacts of yesteryear, including a working dial telephone, a dictionary more than a foot thick, and an original View-Master. They danced along with the player piano and even had the chance to put a real bucket yoke over their shoulders, just like children their age did on farms more than 100 years ago.

The Concord Historical Society invited the Early Bird campers as part of the childcare center’s 50th anniversary celebration. A large photo collage created by Madeline Brecker, granddaughter of Early Bird founder Pat Marcello, is on display at the Mercantile Building. Guests are welcome to enjoy pictures spanning Early Bird’s founding through the present. While there, visitors can share their favorite Early Bird memories in a memory book.

After their fun voyage to the past, the Early Bird campers returned to Early Bird and journaled about their favorite parts of the trip. Their drawings showed that many especially enjoyed the barn museum, where they saw a miniature barn, a large toy horse, and historical farm equipment that helped bring Springville history to life. Another favorite hands-on moment was using the dial telephone, as each camper had the chance to make a call. The campers then made plans to return to the museum as junior tour guides. Early Bird would like to thank the Concord Historical Society for a wonderful field trip.