Visitors who braved 95-degree heat Saturday got an authentic look into life in 1862 during Home Front Day at the Historical Village.

Organizer Marty Shaw and other Strongsville Historical Society volunteers spent more than a year planning the event, which brought authentic Civil War re-enactors to town with an army camp, period clothing, weapons and actors portraying a variety of people from the era.

Shaw said the Historical Society wanted to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

"Strongsville has an important history as a stop in the underground railroad," Shaw said. "We wanted to see if we could bring 1862 to life."

About 75 local volunteers joined re-enactors from the 29th Ohio Volunteer Infantry for the event, which included tours of the 26 Civil War tombs in the Strongsville Cemetery and actors from Strongsville Community Theatre re-enacting some of the city's founding families.

The re-enactors also staged some battles to try to bring the Civil War to life for visitors.

"I wanted people to see the realism -- what it was like for the soldiers to go into battle, hear what the muskets sounded like," Shaw said.