Silas Goodrich was not having a good day.

A catfish bit his hand and sweat from the 100-degree heat was dripping under his Army uniform.

Famed explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark waited anxiously nearby at the fork of the Kansas and Missouri rivers for him to catch a meal for their hungry crew.

He dunked his arms into the muddy water.

A semi truck whizzed past.

The 19th century fisherman disappeared.

Rolland Love was back.

The Overland Park resident spends many of his days transitioning into Goodrich, the expert fisherman who followed along on Lewis and Clark’s journey through the American West.

It is, after all, his hobby.

“I really feel that I could be the possible reincarnation of Silas Goodrich,” Love said. “I’ve loved to fish since I was a kid in the Ozarks. I feel an attachment to him.”

The retired businessman performs as Goodrich for retirement centers, civic clubs, Campfire girls, libraries and churches.

Impressed audiences revel in the firsthand perspective Love brings to the educational experience — he passes around 19th century maps of Lewis and Clark’s journey, animal furs and a catfish.

“Rolland tells you everything you don’t learn elsewhere — what it’s like to deal with Indians, how to get food and what to use for warmth in the winter,” said Paula Simons, activity director at Aberdeen Village Retirement Center in Olathe. “It’s such a neat story and amazing to think that they didn’t have roads and highways and trails back then. He makes you realize how difficult it was to survive.”

Love’s passion for the historical figure was born in 2004, when he was asked to portray Goodrich in a 100-year anniversary re-enactment of the Lewis and Clark journey.

Six months ago, he decided to continue the re-enactment on his own.

“I locked my grandkids in a room, so they couldn’t get out and were forced to listen to my show,” said Love, with a laugh. “But they are both Lewis and Clark fans, so they were very into it. When I saw that they liked it, I realized ‘if I can fool them, I can fool other people.’ ”

His success in less than a year has surprised him and opened up several doors.

The historian — who is also an author — would like to create a video of his presentation for schools. He would also like to participate in more impromptu performances, where he surprises business meetings and conventions with his character.

Simons hopes to bring back Love for a different kind of lesson: writing.

She thinks the actor and author would help make her residents enthusiastic about writing their life stories.

“He (Love) has a wonderful sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye,” Simons said. “Listening to him go into such detail helps get you into the spirit as well. He is a very intelligent man who gets down to the level of every person and connects with them.”

The article above was found on Google and was published originally on The Kansas City Star