07/08/2023
Thirteen years ago, on July 10th, 2010, Morehouse celebrated its 175th Anniversary. There was the Kids Fishing Derby, a Bake Sale and Craft Fair going on, a band was playing under the tent set up outside the Rec Center, and we had a Parade! It was a busy, but fun, day.
With that in mind, my artifact of the week, July 9th, 2023, is the display we have showing how a Pioneer Woman did laundry, and there were some convenience items, like the washstand to put everything up higher so she could save her back for scrubbing; and a wringer to save strength in her hands for hanging and ironing. Notice that there should be a 2nd Tub, one would have been filled with the soapy wash water, the other with clean rinse water. The ringer would have been clamped to the rinse tub. After washing, scrubbing on the washboard, rinsing and ringing, she would have had to hang the clothes on a line in the sun in summer, perhaps around the hot cookstove in winter. Then she'd have her irons (usually two at a time, sometimes three if she was lucky enough) heating up on said cookstove ready to press out the wrinkles. What a hot, tiring job, especially on a day like today, 87⁰F! I hope she had cool water handy to drink, maybe even iced tea or lemonade.
Considering we're talking about Pioneer Women, the book I'm featuring this week is The Outdoor Girls at the Hostess House or Doing Their Best for the Soldiers by Laura Lee Hope. Recognize that author? She's also authored "The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale," "The Moving Picture Girls," "The Bobbsey Twins," "Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue," "Six Little Bunkers at Grandma Bell's," Etc. She was a busy lady!
More details if you click on the pictures. Have a wonderful week!