History Books University: Here's Where I Received MY Degree

It's been a while since I wrote about my more recent book acquisitions.  Most of my historical resources come from my books,  though I do use the internet as well.  When I do historical research on-line,  I usually try to look at where the writer found his or her information,  and if it's from a book,  then perhaps try to find that book for myself.  Oftentimes I'll look at bibliographies of those books as well.  I suppose in that way I'm getting to the root of the subject at hand.  If I can,  I try to get multiple books on the same subject,  for I enjoy reading different takes and angles,  which allows me to have a deeper understanding.  Oftentimes,  the different authors may have information in their books not found elsewhere.  For instance,  I have nearly twenty books on taverns alone,  and each one as different as its author.  But mostly I get books on the parts of history I am most interested - - daily life.

So I'd like to present a few of the books that I received in 2024,  and even a couple I purchased from previous years that I have rediscovered in my collection.

I hope this may entice you to check a few out for yourselves.

Our First Civil War:  Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution by H.W.  Brands -

More of the background
of the Revolutionary War

My son bought me this book for my birthday,  and he told me that once he picked it up  (he had his own copy),  he could not put it down.  He told me it read like a novel.

You know what?
He was right!  It is an excellently written book,  bringing the Revolutionary War period to life,  beginning with its roots during the French & Indian War,  giving the reader a well-covered idea of the whys and wherefores of its causes.  In fact,  the book tends to look deeper into the background rather than simply repeat the major events.  If you're looking for another description of the Battle of Lexington & Concord,  you won't find it here.  Oh,  to be sure,  what happened on that fateful date of April 19,  1775 is here.  but author Brands gives the reader the letters and thoughts from the  (at the time)  background  players such as Washington,  Adams,  and Franklin rather than the battles themselves.  It,  more or less,  fleshes out the occurrences,  allowing for a more unique perspective.
"What causes people to forsake their country and take arms against it?  What prompts their neighbors,  hardly distinguishable in station or success,  to defend that country against the rebels?   That is the question H. W.  Brands answers in his powerful new history of the American Revolution."

Everything you ever wanted to know
about flax but were afraid to ask~

The Big Book of Flax:  A Compendium of Facts,  Art,  Lore,  Projects,  and Song -  by Christian and Johannes Zinzendorf

The title sounds like a children's book,  but it really is a very comprehensive look at this historical plant.  I began getting into and understanding the importance of flax's role in not only American history,  but in world history,  quite a while back when I saw Roy,  former Daggett House presenter,  processing the flax for it to be spun into linen thread,  eventually to become cloth or fabric or even candle wicking.  And that was all before I purchased this book.  I,  too,  have also been processing flax in the same 18th century manner that Roy did,  so why do I need a book such as this?
To have for research purposes.  I process flax for demonstrations and get quite a few questions,  and every-so-often they catch me with a question I can't answer.  This book should rectify that situation.

"With 414 images,  this comprehensive book dates back thousands of years,  from how flax was cultivated in the Middle East and Europe,  its beginnings in America,  to its use in the twenty-first century.  Guidelines for planting,  harvesting,  breaking,  spinning,  weaving,  and other processes  (are)  provided."

Time to get a-reading!

A Revolution in Eating: How the Quest for Food Shaped America (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History) by James McWilliams 

Food is  history.

"James E.  McWilliams presents a colorful and spirited tour of culinary attitudes,  tastes,  and techniques throughout colonial America."

It's only somewhat in recent times that people are realizing that food is history;  perhaps that thought came with the memories we hold of the foods our parents and grandparents made when we were much younger,  spurring reminisces of our youths - grandma's cake,  grandpa's soup.  Sometimes just the smells of certain foods can mentally take one back decades in time.  Food historians have taken a different route to the past,  the road to understanding what our ancestors of long ago - and even pioneers,  founding fathers,  and simple family farmers - may have partaken in  (including drink).  It's through books like this that we understand the taste  (literally)  of peoples past.  I remember being thought of as a smart-aleck because I asked a teacher in class what did people from long ago eat for breakfast  (my classmates laughed at the question).  But I really wanted to know.  Unfortunately,  I was told to sit in the hall because he thought I was  "acting smart."  

Well,  it's books like what we have here where I can find my answers - most of the time.  This particular book is more of a history of food in America and,  like the title interjects,  "How the Quest for Food Shaped America."

"Confronted by strange new animals,  plants,  and landscapes,  settlers in the colonies and West Indies found new ways to produce food.  Integrating their British and European tastes with the demands and bounty of the rugged American environment,  early Americans developed a range of regional cuisines.  From the kitchen tables of typical Puritan families to Iroquois longhouses in the backcountry and slave kitchens on southern plantations,  McWilliams portrays the grand variety and inventiveness that characterized colonial cuisine."

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall - 

I ordered multiple copies for my elementary school-age grandkids.

If you read my blog here and follow my historical exploits of candle making,  working on the shaving horse,  processing flax  (only to be spun on a spinning wheel),  among other period activities,  then you may see this book was written about me and my family!

Well...sort of...

 I wish I had such a book
when I was a child.

It is simple but wonderful reading for the
children who hunger for history.

Could this be my wife,  Patty,  spinning flax into linen?
She does do it,  you know.

Could this be me,  working the shaving horse?

Yes,  we make candles and grow flax - and,  
yes again,  we also make linen from the flax.

But rather than pack it all into an ox-cart, 
we pack it all into a van  lol.
We have no ox-cart,  nor an ox!

Yes,  this book comes highly recommended if you want to teach your youngsters about daily life in 18th and 19th century America.

A look at the Revolution's
first months.

American Spring: Lexington,  Concord,  and the Road to Revolution by Walter T.  Borneman- 

I'm not certain how many books I have of 1775,  but each one tends to give me new insight.  And American Spring is  "a vibrant look at the American Revolution's first months."

Beginning on January 1st,  1775 and going through July of that same year,  this book covers just about everything of that period,  including one of my favorite events which occurred on February 26  (click HERE),  covering Paul Revere's Ride,  the battles at Lexington & Concord and Bunker/Breed's Hill.  And through it all author Walter R.  Borneman focuses on,  in novel form,  John Hancock,  Samuel Adams,  Mercy Otis Warren,  Benjamin Franklin,  and Patrick Henry,  as well as  "the ordinary Americans caught up in the Revolution."

I love the manner in which
these new history books are
being written.

American Rebels:  How the Hancock,  Adams,  and Quincy Families Fanned the Flames of Revolution - by Nina Sankovitch 

I very much enjoy the way the modern history subjects are written more like historically accurate novels rather than the desert-dry academic tomes of days gone by.  Writers today tend to keep history books lighter than the dragged down,  overly-long books that cannot hold an interest for more than a page or two.  As Publisher's Weekly wrote in their review of this book:  "Sankovitch leavens her deeply researched account with wit,  and presents a perspective and entertaining portrait of life in colonial Boston.  Revolutionary War buffs will savor this thoughful addition to popular histories of the period." 

In reading this book you do get to know the Hancock,  Adams,  and Quincy Families a bit more intimately.

This book is very
informative.

Colonial and Early American Lighting by Arthur H.  Hayward - 

I collect lighting apparatus.  Most are actual antiques from the 18th and 19th centuries,  but I have a few wonderfully done replications.  Either way,  I use them,  meaning that,  yes,  there is oil in the oil lamps and candle drippings on the candle sticks.  And when I do my living history excursions,  I like to be accurate.  That's where this book comes in.  It covers lighting from the early grease lamp days through candles through 19th century oil lamps,  though the main emphasis is on the Colonial era,  which is fine by me. I also use this book to solve debates.  I enjoyed examples of how lighting related to ordinary life in those days past.

By the way,  many of the lighting devices pictured in this book are from the collection of The Henry Ford  (museum and Greenfield Village).

Lexington and Concord in Color (Profiles of America Series) - photography by Samuel Chamberlain and text by Stewart Beach 

A colorful history lesson

As of this writing,  I have not been to Massachusetts.  But,  Good Lord willing,  I do hope to go in the near future.

This book does give more of a history than just April 19,  1775 - the Battles of Lexington & Concord.  Its text gives us a little history of both city's development from their founding.  

I believe this book was first published for the Bicentennial in the mid-1970s.  Before that,  most books had black & white pictures - this was in full color.  There are the pages that have the Hancock-Clarke House,  the Munroe Tavern,  The Hill Burying Ground,  The Old Manse,  and pictures of the Patriot's Day reenactments.  It's not a thick book - under a hundred pages - but an enjoyable read.  Each photo of a historic scene has a page filled with history alongside.  So for one like me who has never been,  it's wonderful!  

The American Cider Book~

The American Cider Book - Over the years I have become a sort of apple aficionado,  and this book is a welcome addition to my library.  "(It)  does more than tell you how to make cider"  (which I pretty much already know);  "it gives a fascinating capsule history of the world's second-oldest beverage.  Replete with diverting facts,  it follows cider through American history,  legend,  and folklore..."

This 132 page book just about covers it all for me.

~History of apples and cider

~History of cider making

~Best apples for cider making

~Cider presses

I love reading these old diaries.
They bring the past to life!

The Diary of Matthew Patten of Bedford, N.H.: From Seventeen Hundred Fifty-four to Seventeen Hundred Eighty-eight - 

A diary is exactly what this book is.  If daily life of a farmer in the mid-18th century doesn't hold any excitement or interest for you,  then you will probably not care for this book and will find it tedious and boring.  For me personally,  I find that journals and diaries tend to place the reader right there,  back in time as life was being lived.  And since I am into 18th century farming,  this is wonderful primary source material.  For example,  on August 3,  1754 he notated that  "Got in my rye and finished pulling flax."  I,  too,  pulled flax that I grew - planted in May  (as diarist Patten did)  and pulled in August.  Also of interest is that he mentions as if in passing around July 20,  1776:  "a Declaration for Independence"  among purchasing items such as tobacco and a  "rub ball"  for his breeches  (not sure what a rub ball is).

It can be a tough read,  for everything tends to run together.  So it has to be read at a slow and steady pace.  I tend to take notes when reading such diaries  (and journals).  My one complaint is that the publishers should have notated better the separation between years.

Yep---traveling through time!

Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer

"I wrote  (this)  Time Traveler's Guide in order to suggest we do not always need to describe the past objectively and distantly.  In that book I tried to bring the Medieval period closer to the reader,  describing what you would find if you could visit fourteenth century England.  Where would you stay?  What might you wear?  What would you eat?  How should you greet people?  Given that we know so much about the period,  it stands to reason that the historian should be able to answer such questions.  There are limits,  of course:  the historian cannot break through the evidence barrier and actually recreate the past..."

I really can't add anything to the author's own description.  This is the sort of book I live for.

Mr.  Mortimer does a fine job indeed!

Gardening - not farming.

Archaeology and the Colonial Gardener by Audrey Noel Hume

My copy is more like a 90 page pamphlet.  I'm not sure if it is available in actual book form.  No problem,  though,  because it is well researched and released through the Colonial Williamsburg Archaeological Series  (more in the series is listed on the back of the book).

As stated in the preface:
"More than forty years of archaeological excavating in Williamsburg have provided much valuable information to the people concerned with the authenticity of its restoration.

All of the photographed objects were excavated in Williamsburg and its vicinity or relate to pieces found here..."
It covers such subjects as fences and walls,  steps and walks,  watering pots,  urns,  flowerpots,  plants and plantings,  garden homes and arbors,  and just a wealth of information more.  It's looking at gardening from evidence found beneath the ground.  Like so many others in my collection,  it gives us a unique perspective on the subject,  not often found elsewhere.

American Towns: An Interpretive History by David J. Russo 

I found this explanation/review to be what I would like to write,  so,  direct from Amazon,  here you are:

You want details?
This book has it - well done!

"For the vast majority of Americans who lived in rural settings from the seventeenth to the late nineteenth century,  the small town provided the most important context for their lives.  The town was a focal point and trade center chiefly for farmers but also for fishermen,  loggers,  miners,  and even industrial workers as long as industrial production depended upon waterpower.  Rural Americans needed community,  and towns filled their economic,  political,  social,  and cultural needs.  David Russo’s history of these communities is a unique and engaging work of history,  an overview of the founding,  development,  and varieties of life of American towns from earliest colonial times to the present.  His chronicle is wide-ranging in its description but specific in its illustrations of how towns came into existence,  grew or declined,  gave way to larger urban areas,  and finally have reappeared in idealized forms that provide Americans with nostalgia for a past that most of them did not even experience.  The most important aspects of real towns,  Mr. Russo observes,  is their past,  their history.  With a vast knowledge of the field and a deft use of illustrative facts,  he re-creates the universal experience of the small town―its intimacy,  its neighborliness,  and human scale as well as intolerance,  narrow-mindedness,  and tendency to exclusivity.  American Towns is a richly informed book that fills a large gap in the history of the United States.  With 50 black-and-white photographs and drawings."

I will add that this book covers holiday celebrations,  agriculture,  social life,  leisure life,  and just a myriad of other subjects.  It's not a book I will sit down and read front to back,  but will,  instead,  seek out certain subjects of particular interest at any given time.

Handbook of Connecticut Agriculture by T S Gold - 

A gem of a book!

"Published in 1914,  this book provides a detailed overview of agriculture in Connecticut,  including crops,  livestock,  soils,  and farming practices.  Written by Theodore Sedgwick  (TS)  Gold,  a professor of agriculture at the Connecticut Agricultural College,  this book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history and development of agriculture in Connecticut."

This book was gifted to me by a former Master Presenter of the Daggett Farm House now located inside historic Greenfield Village.  Since the Daggett House was originally built in Connecticut in the early 1750s,  she studied such books to help her to understand her job working inside the house that much better.  This is why she was at the top of her game - she took her job seriously and dug deeper to gain even more knowledge.

Why didn't she just simply only state what was in her official guidebook?  It would have been so much easier.
Because many visitors to Greenfield Village are repeat visitors,  often coming going to the Village weekly,  or bi-weekly,  or monthly,  and even sometimes daily,  and it's to these folks she could go the extra mile.  Plus she could apply what she learned to her actions,  for presenters there don't  (or at least shouldn't)  sit on their duffs and speak blandly as if a college professor.  It's books like this that can help the presenter and the living historian improve and accent their experiences and presentations. 

Daily colonial life -
written in 1900.

Colonial Days & Ways as Gathered From Family Papers by Helen Evertson Smith

"With the gathering of relics to make suitable exhibits at the centennial celebration of our national independence,  there came a general awakening of interest in all things pertaining to the history of our Revolutionary War and of the few years preceding it. 

For this reason,  the smallest traces of our national beginnings should be sought for...Every old record,  every homely detail,  every scrap of old furniture,  every bit of home handicraft,  above all,  every familiar old letter or diary or expense-book,  should be treasured..."

This was originally published in the year 1900,  but don't let its antiquity fool you:  it is filled with daily colonial life information and generalities rarely seen elsewhere,  such as what a colonial wedding was like,  information on church and a pioneer pastor,  life on an early colonial manor - in fact,  daily life in various homes  (including a Connecticut home and a Huguenot home),  also a bit on Huguenots,   candles and candle dipping,  slavery,  spinning,  a 1779 Thanksgiving...

This is a facsimile of the original 125 year old print.

"But Ken,"  you say,  "we've learned so much more since this book was printed!"

My response to that is to look at bibliographies of many of the current history books,  and you will find these ancient books listed nearly every time.

More history not often
spoken about.

The Brittle Thread of Life: Backcountry People Make a Place for Themselves in Early America by Mark Carlson Williams

"The colonists who settled the backcountry in 18th century New England were recruited from the social fringe,  people who were desperate for land,  autonomy,  and respectability,  and who were willing to make a hard living in a rugged environment.  In The Brittle Thread of Life we get to know these people as individuals."

"A deeply researched,  vivid,  and absorbing account of the...independent people of New England's backcountry and their place in the history of the region and the nation."

(Author)  "Mark Williams’  microhistorical approach gives voice to the settlers,  proprietors,  and officials of the small colonial settlements that became Granby,  Connecticut,  and Ashfield,  Massachusetts.  These people―often disrespectful,  disorderly,  presumptuous,  insistent,  and defiant―were drawn to the ideology of the Revolution in the 1760s and 1770s that stressed equality,  independence,  and property rights."

Another great history book written in a novel way.

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A most terrific book!

Farmer Boy - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I've owned this book for years,  so it's not new to me.  But I know there will be some who may question why I have such a book as this on this list,  but my only response is to say,  "Read it!"  

"Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest.  In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored.  Time for fun comes when the jolly tin peddler visits,  or best of all,  when the fair comes to town."  It also covers spring planting,  animal care,  and even Christmas celebrations.

It is,  to me,  perhaps the finest book of 19th century farm life anyone can read - even adults!  It takes the reader seasonally through a year of daily farm life in the mid-19th century,  of which much of the information can easily apply to 18th century farming practices as well.  I can't say enough good about this book.

Sometimes books geared toward kids can be better than those for adults!  This is one such book.

Michigan Haunts~

Michigan Haunts:  Public Places Eerie Spaces - 

Any book where I and my blog get credit is good in my,  um,  book!  

"What spirits lurk at Henry Ford's Greenfield Village?"  

Years ago I wrote a blog post about the hauntings of Greenfield Village.  I interviewed former employees to get such tales,  and it became one of my most popular blog posts;  it's called Ghosts of Greenfield Village  (click HERE).  Well,  the author of this book asked if some of my stories from my post could be used.   I responded in the affirmative,  and,  well,  here we are!  

I very much enjoyed reading this book.  I think my favorite story here is about the  "New Hudson Inn" - Michigan's oldest tavern still a tavern in its original location - I was not aware of it,  so I did go and visit.  Great food and great stories!  Click the name to take you to where my post about it is.

It was very cool to have my Passion for the Past blog mentioned in a book.
A New York Times best seller at that!
Okay---not really...but still~

Now---about the title of this post:  "Here's Where I Received MY Degree."

In March of 2022,  I was honored - truly honored - by the Sons of the American Revolution  (SAR)  to receive their Bronze Medal.  The local SAT chapter President,  Chris White,  had this to say:

"The Bronze Good Citizenship Medal is designed to recognize an individual who has made an important contribution to the community.  Ken Giorlando has been a living historian for almost 20 years.  (He)  actively writes multiple history-based blogs including Passion for the Past...and Greenfield Village Open-Air Museum.  He also maintains the Friends of Greenfield Village Facebook page.

Throughout the year you may run into Ken at Greenfield Village,  Mill Race Village,  Historic Fort Wayne,  Cass River Encampment in Frankenmuth,  Colonial Kensington,  or many other places around the Midwest.

We first met Ken at Colonial Days at Historic Fort Wayne back in 2018 and have been following his exploits around the Midwest since then.  Along with Larissa Fleishman,  they hone their first-person skills as 18th century farmers.  Their Year in the Life of a Colonial Farm  (presentation)  was the highlight of our 2019 annual meeting,  and we look forward to their presentation today along with Bob Stark.

In recognition of Ken's ongoing efforts to keep history alive in our community,  the Detroit Metro Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution is very pleased and honored to present him with the SAR Bronze Good Citizenship Medal."

I then was presented with the Bronze Medal along with the certificate.

President Chris White and myself.
Do I look proud?
I certainly am!!
You can have your history degree - this means so much more!
I mean...this is from the Sons of the American Revolution!

"I would like to thank God,  my mom,  and the many,  many books I have and read."

My historical interests,  as regular readers know,  tend to mostly run in America's colonial and early Republic up through the Civil War,  though I will touch on 20th century here and there,  but it's mostly pre-20th century history that I center on.  

So,  aside from the books I have listed in today's post,  here are other Passion For the Past postings on some of the other books in my collection.

And I have many more than what you will see - - - - 

The Wonderful World of Eric Sloane:  An American Historian & Patriot -

Looking at Their World Through Their Eyes

History According To Time-Life:  More Books from Ken's Personal Library - 

History Books of the 18th Century:  Recent Acquisitions for my Library - 

"Museum in a Book"  Books Put History at Your Fingertips - 

Books:  Researching the 18th Century - 

Baby,  It's Cold Outside!  (Winter Reading) - 

The Cabin Faced West:  Historic Children's Author Jean Fritz Dead at 101 Years of Age - My Personal Tribute - 

History Books - 

Until next time,  see you in time.

...........................................

Colonial Winter Cabin: Celebrating Candlemas & Spending Time in 1775

Could we survive Colonial America?

If we at the cabin suddenly found ourselves literally transported to 1775  (for that's our living history year this year),  would we/could we survive?

That was a discussion we had.

Many reenactors I know have a high self-regard and will not hesitate to state matter-of-factly,  "Oh,  I most certainly could!"

Of course,  I could say the same thing,  knowing I'll never have to truly actually find out.  I mean,  I do know quite a bit about life during that time,  but could I,  in effect,  live it...everyday...for years,  non-stop?  

I suppose if I had a wife from that period who knew the ins & outs of daily life  (for she actually was living it),  with her caring for me,  I would say I would have a fair chance at another decade or two,  for my physical shape at this point,  and given my age,  finding myself transported to the past without help would be extremely difficult for me,  I'm sure.  Now,  if I were 30 or 40 years younger,  I believe I could give it a good go and have a much better chance,  and quite possibly succeed...even on my own.  

But me---now at my age and physical shape---?  

"Could we survive Colonial America"  is one of the main questions that gives us a reason that we - myself,  Larissa,  Norm,  Charlotte  (in addition to Jackie & Patty) - attempt these cabin experiences and experiments;  we're 21st century people  (born in the 20th century)  so with these cabin excursions,  we're giving it a try as best as we can to have a sort of awareness...an exposure...to Colonial life in a way we may never encounter elsewhere.  We may not actually be transported to the past,  but living at the cabin the way we do,  one day at a time,  is probably as close as we'll ever get...and thus we are having past experiences to a varied extent.

And that means a lot and keeps us happy.

But that's why I do it - and I imagine my cohorts probably feel the same.

So,  with that being said:

~Welcome to the colonial frontier cabin 1775~

.     .     .

Let me begin by telling you it was a cold day,  this February 1st,  with highs topping off only in the 20s.  The previous day saw an all-day rain-fall - a cold,  hard rain that created a very dank and overcast atmosphere.  Then by early evening,  the temperatures began their downward turn to become bitter cold,  and the rain turned to snow,  while the rain-soaked ground had turned to ice.

On cabin day I had a bit of a drive ahead of me,  meeting at Charlotte's and then all riding the journey from there together  (Norm did choose to ride separately,  though on his own accord).  Some questioned on whether or not we would even take on the adventure to drive in the slick,  slippery mess that had occurred the night before.

But we would-and we did.  We do take our living history seriously.

Luckily the roads were not nearly as bad as they could have been,  for the expressway was mostly ice free.

Time to travel back in time!

The attitude we take is to try not to diminish the past - we try to keep it real as best we can.  I mean,  here we are in mid-winter and generally the temperatures continue to remind us of the season.  Now,  we do have the opportunity to have an electric heater set up inside the log home if we desire to do so,  but that would diminish all we stand for as living historians.  Yes,  one was used during our Christmas presentation there,  but that was more for the visitors.  Aside from Christmas,  when we are out at the cabin,  the last thing I want is to have a heater there to take all we strive to accomplish away.  So we spent our day experiencing an 18th century frontier winter,  with snow covering the ground and temps to keep it from melting.

Heater-less.

And we had a wonderful time~

Our beeswax candle and Betty Lamp -
Both lit for Candlemas.

Every February 2nd  we celebrate Groundhog Day.  However,  Europeans and many of the American colonists in earlier centuries celebrated the Candlemas holiday that same day.  

So how are the two celebrations intertwined?

Long ago the celebration of Candlemas was a very religious occasion.  The name Candlemas comes to us from England and refers to the custom of  blessing and distributing candles in procession before the celebration of Holy Mass.  And since many Christians consider Jesus as the  “light of the world,”  it is fitting that candles are blessed on this day and that a candle-lit procession precedes the religious service.  It speaks of this in a book that I have in my personal library called  Observations on Popular Antiquities,  Chiefly Illustrating the Origins of our Vulgar Customs,  Ceremonies and Superstitions by Henry Ellis and John Brand  (copywrite 1815).

Candlemas occurs at a period between the December solstice and the March equinox,  marking the 40th day after Christmas;  many people traditionally noted that time of the year as winter’s  “halfway point”  while waiting for the spring,  and celebrated the annual triumph of light/spring over darkness/winter.  It was the day when the blessing of  the year’s supply of candles would take place,  for candles blessed on this day were thought to be among the most powerful  "religious protectors"  available to ordinary folk in those days of old. 

Norm:  the man who portrays our 18th century minister.
As far as I'm concerned,  he not only  "portrays"  our minister, 
but he is our minister!  He knows his Bible...and the ancient prayers.
He takes it all to heart.
So when he blesses our candles,  I believe they are truly blessed.

Preaching is an act of faith and obedience to Jesus,  not a task that requires formal credentials.  A license is not required to preach in a church - no federal,  state,  or local government determines any licensing or certification requirements for church leaders.  However,  some religious bodies may have educational and experiential requirements for their church leaders. 

And this is why I do consider Norm to be our preacher and include him as such.

Artificial light in the 18th century was truly a luxury.  People were used to working by daylight while indoors,  so lighting a candle when the sun was up was rare.  It was customary for folks to move from room to room to get the most out of the day's light.  This was generally due to the lengthy candle-making process.  According to one of the chandlers I spoke to at Colonial Williamsburg,  a typical middle class home in the 1750's could go through nearly 500 to 700 candles a year.  And that may even be a conservative amount for some.  Then again,  it could be much more liberal an amount out on the frontier,  with far less amounts lit.

Norm researches his prayers,  digging deep into history to find what would have
been said 250 years ago.

18th century homes were as self-sufficient as they could be and those who lived in them did their best to produce as many things needful to life as they could,  and this did include candles.  As part of their domestic work,  colonial women usually were the ones who carried the entire candle-making process from start to finish,  though many times the children,  and even the men when available,  would help out as well.

This is where I come in - I'm one of those men who will carry on the candle dipping.  I do enjoy my artificial light.

We did not make candles on this day as we've done before,  but I brought numerous
 that we dipped last fall to be blessed.  Perhaps I'll dip more come spring.

Now,  making candles only during the months of fall wasn't a hard and fast rule,  as notations in the diary of Martha Ballard shows us:

March 16,  1787

Clear.  mr Jonston & wife & Son Left here for home.  mr Ballard gone to Capt Sualls.  Jon gone to Joseph Fairbankss for hay.  Sally Peirce here,  mrss Chamln,  Savage, Bolton,  [Vinc]  Savage & Sally Webb also.  I made 6 Dos Candles.  have been at home. 

November 5,  1787

Clear & pleast.  I Came from mr Fosters.  we made 25 Dozn of Candles.  mrs Voce here.  Hannah is not So well as usual,  I was Calld about mid night to go See Wilm  Whites wife.  I was very unwell.  Seth Williams after me to See his wife also in travil.  mrs White Safe Delivrd of a Son by ye asistance of Moses Whites wife before I arivd.  I was Exceeding Sick while gone. 

April 10,  1788

Clear.  I have been at home;  made 20 dz of Candles.  Hannah washt.  mr Ballard been at mr Pollards on Business. 

April 12,  1788

Clear.  Hannah is much Better.  Betsy Chever here.  I have made 28 doz of Candles; 6-1/2 lb of the tallow,  Cyruss.  mr Gillbreath Came here;  is unwell.  Theophelus & James Burton here also. 

Have you kept track of how many candles Mrs. Ballard made in this thirteen month period?  79 dozen,  equaling to a total of 948!

Now,  according to the wonderful book,  Our Own Snug Fireside,  Elizabeth Fuller made sixteen dozen candles in December 1790,  and another eighteen dozen the following March,  equaling to 408 candles,  while Ruth Bascom made twenty four dozen on George Washington's birthday in 1812,  which comes to 288 candles.

Yep,  the 500 to 700 average mentioned earlier looks to be spot on.

As you can see,  candles and artificial light were of great importance to many who could either afford to purchase them from a chandler or make them.  This is one of the reasons why Candlemas was a celebrated holiday.

If you are interested in hearing our minister give his Candlemas prayer,  click the You Tube link below:

Candlemas celebrants lit candles and held them during parts of the church service,  then brought them home.  They believed the lit candles protected the home during storms,  warded off evil,   and comforted the sick.

Pancakes a-frying on the spider skillet
on the hearth.

As I continued to research this ancient Candlemas Festival,  I learned that February 2nd is also a day for pancakes!

Yes,  pancakes!

And that,  too,  goes back to ancient times.

The round shape of the pancake,  as well as its golden color,  are a representation of the sun and the return to light,  considered to be the coronation of spring.  'Twas a tribute to the days getting longer and lighter,  to the cycle of the seasons,  and the announcement of spring itself.  Pagan in origin,  but as so many of our ancient holidays,  has blended with Christianity,  for another explanation is that eating pancakes for many became a traditional way to use up dairy products before lent,  and by the year 1100 AD,  became part of Shrove Tuesday  (now called Fat Tuesday).   It is also called Mardi Gras.  Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday.

For those with a sweet tooth,  Candlemas is also a chance to eat pancakes with maple syrup,  which is how we at the cabin celebrated again this year.  By the way,  from what I've read,  the first recorded mention of pancakes dates back to ancient Greece,  around 600 B.C.

So!  Why is it called a pancake?

Well,  because of how it is made.  A pancake is a thin,  flat cake that's made by pouring batter into a pan—hence its name—and then flipping it so that both sides are cooked.

So guess what we did on February 1st?

A bit of smoke from the hearth found its way into the room,  creating a pretty cool atmosphere with the sunshine streaking in through the window.

The winter sun coming through the cabin window.

In those days,  glass was expensive and many cabins,  if they had windows at all,  may have used alternatives such as greased paper or cow horn - just something to let light through - though,  yes,  glass could have/would have been used as well.  However,  there were shutters to help keep out the cold.

So,  noting the streaks of sunshine,  we decided to take advantage:

Norm~

Larissa~

Charlotte~

Yep---that's me!

Here we have my good friends Charlotte,  Norm,  Larissa,  and then there I am:
the Winter 1775 Cabin Crew!
And winter it was!  On with our cloaks and head coverings to help keep us warm.
And this is indoors!
The Little Ice Age indeed!

There is a beauty about winter,  with the ground covered in snow.  In the city it covers up the blemishes.  In the country,  it adds to nature's beauty.  I do enjoy the winter,  and the allowance of this event makes wintertime even more splendid---yes,  even with the cold.

Looking out the cabin window we see an icy,  crunchy snow...
The 18th century saw the tail-end of what is now known as  “The Little Ice Age,”  a period lasting from the years 1300 to about 1850.  It was during this time the world saw much harsher winters than the previous and following centuries,  and many well-documented winter storms capable of dropping three feet of snow over a matter of hours.  

With these intense winters came not only the need to keep warm in the home but to find an easy way to travel for individuals without sleighs or wagons capable of handling the snow. 

Keep in mind that this was in a time before video games,  home computers or cell phones,  internet,  Facebook,  Instagram,  Twitter (X),  You Tube,  Tic Toc,  I-Tunes,  Amazon,  or streaming services.  And no automobiles,  movies,  telephones,  or even photographs.   And if one runs out of food,  there are no local Circle K,  CVS,  or Rite Aid party stores available.  Yet family's made due.

By the way,  contrary to popular belief,  colonials did  enjoy life,  as we do in our day.
There are few things that drive me crazier than hearing some uninformed
nincompoop stating that people in those old days were miserable.
Like Americans today,  the greater majority of colonists were quite happy.
How do I know this?
Reason and research.

I/we very much enjoy celebrating the old holidays.  Before I got into reenacting,  I'd never heard of Candlemas  (aside from the Swedish heavy metal band from the 1980s).  And it seems like only recently I've been hearing about churches - mostly Catholic - celebrating this ancient ritual.  No matter,  for I think it's great that this holiday is returning.

Charlotte took on the task of preparing and cooking our peas porridge.  

The smoking ham will soon be in the pot.

Larissa looks on as Charlotte prepares our peas-porridge by cutting up the ham.

Charlotte gathered wood

Running a kitchen and cooking on the hearth really did require a staggering range of skills,  which our ladies learned,  including chopping kindling,  keeping a fire burning indefinitely,  knowing which wood was best for baking or frying,  cosseting  (caring for)  bread yeast,  adjusting  'burners'  of coals on a hearth and gauging the temperature of a bake oven.  Not done by us yet,  but you never know is plucking feathers from fowl,  butchering animals large and small,  brewing beer,  and making cheese.  In fact,  the colonial cook,  like Larissa & Charlotte,  would have to begin their work by  "building a good-sized fire on the hearth,  but once the logs had burned to coals,  the embers were moved around,  and carefully selected pieces of wood would be added to produce different kinds of heat,  often having several small fires going at once.  Piles of live embers on the hearth were like burners on a stove;  a gridiron set over a pile of coals could be used for broiling;  a pan set over coals on a trivet could be used for frying;  and coals could be piled over and under a Dutch oven for baking."  

(The was taken directly from the book America's Kitchens by Nancy Carlisle and Melinda Talbot Nasardinov).

Cooking on the hearth - the center of the colonial home - has been thoroughly 

romanticized,  and yet it remains an art that few today have experienced.

While the food cooked,  we sat near the fire to warm ourselves.

If we were actual colonists from 1775,  I highly doubt we would spend much time doing this,  for there was always work to be done;   I know I most likely would have been doing some sort of physical labor such as chopping wood - you can never have enough wood - or perhaps repairing broken tools. 

A bit different from a forced-air furnace~
No...I'm not sleeping - I'm resting my eyes!

However,  none of us were used to spending all of our waking hours in such frigid temperatures,  and,  I hate to sound like a broken record,  but at this time my back will not allow me to do too much physical labor  (yes,  I am going to physical therapy...),  so we spent some of our time a-waiting for the food to cook,  thawing ourselves out - - mostly stopping our feet from being in such pain.

And it worked!
Within minutes we were toasty...and so were our toes.

Now,  that being said,  there are plenty of journals and diaries from the period citing exactly how 18th century folk dealt with the cold,  including wearing layers of clothing and winter cloaks while indoors:

Charlotte's becoming an old pro at hearth cooking~

The easiest cooking technique was to make a one-pot meal in an iron pot hanging above the fire.  "It was very popular to cook meals in this manner,  using simple ingredients that required little attention,  such as meat and vegetables boiled together in a single pot,  maybe including a starchy pudding tied in a piece of cloth."

Look at the steam coming from the boiling pot!

Here is Amelia Simmons'  American
Cookery cookbook from 1796.

And inside we have an original
receipt for Rice Pudding~

But we did not have any starchy pudding,  such as rice pudding.

Now,  that doesn't mean we won't ever give it a try - - just not this time.

(From Webster):  "Most of us know the difference between a recipe and a receipt.  We think of recipe as the yellowed,  typewritten card that your grandmother hands down to you that shows how she made your favorite chocolate chip cookies,  and receipt as the 22-foot-long strip of paper and coupons that spits out of the register when you buy a pack of gum at the drug store.  

Recipes are basically instructions;  receipts are a record of what has been received as part of a transaction.  Both recipe and receipt derive from  'recipere',  the Latin verb meaning  "to receive or take,"

But there was a time when receipt was used for what we now call a recipe.

Receipt is the older word,  turning up in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales  (1392),  where it referred to a medicinal preparation.  

The form recipe is the Latin imperative,  and its original use,  a couple hundred years after receipt,  was not in cooking instructions but in prescriptions.  Eventually that word got abbreviated to an R with a line though the leg,  which we later would render in print as Rx.

The sense of receipt that we know today—that of a statement documenting the receiving of money or goods—began in the 16th century,  and by the 17th century,  both words were referring to cooking instructions. 

While recipe is the preferred word for that meaning today,  the memory of being handed down  “a receipt for cookies”  does get handed down—like a beloved recipe—from older generations."

The ladies always do an amazing job creating authentic colonial-era meals!

Larissa prepared pancakes~
Over the years here at the cabin,  we've learned so much about a variety of
things,  including foods of the past.  Larissa has been preparing and cooking
historical food for 25 years now,  whether over the 18th century hearth
at the Daggett House or on a mid-19th century cast-iron stove at Firestone
Farm.  She is definitely our go-to girl for period food!

Larissa once said to me that to cook on a hearth,  "You really have to plan things because you need enough space,  cookware,  and coals and heat."

Frying the pancakes up on the spider skillet~

The colonial women who spent their time in the kitchen were nothing short of culinary geniuses.  I include the ladies here at the cabin in that  "club".  Thank you.

One of the things that has noticeably changed in recent times is how much actual time is spent cooking meals at home today by modern folks.  With  "innovations"  such as microwaves,  frozen and pre-packaged foods,  and fast food restaurants,  the time and energy spent doing this oh-so-important job is nowhere near what our ancestors did for food preparation.

Pride in cooking seems to have gone out the window as well.

But not for our cabin ladies.

Methinks the porridge is ready!

As always,  we said a thankful grace for such a meal...and for this get-together.

Our meal of peas porridge,  pancakes,  bread,  cheese,  a few nuts,  and beets was as good a winter meal as anyone can have.  Oh,  and pure maple syrup as well!  Plus cider to wash it all down.

This food was so good - a perfect winter cabin meal!
When Larissa commented that this tasted just like the meals she makes when she works at the historic Daggett Farm House in Greenfield Village,  well,  that was the toppermost of the poppermost  ("top of the pops")  not only for me,  but I believe for all of us!
See?  Dreams can  come true!

Thanks to Ron for snatching my  "image maker"  and capturing the group shots of us enjoying our dinnertime meal!

There is no necessary  inside the cabin.
So it's a bit of a walk - - - - 

My thoughts for next year's winter excursion is to actually chop wood,  providing  (God willing)  that I am physically able.  That's the goal I'm working toward.

In the meantime...

Yet here is something I can  do - work the shaving horse!

As we have proven over the years here at the cabin,  we're not afraid to do actual work and get dirty and get our period clothing a bit mussed.

I hope to turn this into a handle of some sort--maybe an axe handle.

See that belly  (and how can you not?)~~~
Next year,  God willing,  I hope it to be much smaller!

I very much enjoy doing period activities while here,  and,  like last year,  we plan to do some gardening again.  It's funny,  but sometimes Patty and I will tell our modern friends that we're heading to the farm.  Now,  I know we are just gardening and not actually farming,  but that's okay---the spirit is there and willing...

Whenever we are together we try to take a group photo in front of the cabin.
Here we are on this February 1st day.
Thank you for joining us,  even if only through the pictures in this blog post.
I hope you enjoyed it.

Ian Mortimer is one of my favorite historical authors,  even though his era of study is the Medieval period.  Judging by the books he's written,  he and I tend to think of history along the same lines.  As he wrote in his  "Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England:"  I wrote my first Time Traveler's Guide in order to suggest we do not always need to describe the past objectively and distantly.  In that book I tried to bring the Medieval period closer to the reader,  describing what you would find if you could visit fourteenth century England.  Where would you stay?  What might you wear?  What would you eat?  How should you greet people?  Given that we know so much about the period,  it stands to reason that the historian should be able to answer such questions.  There are limits,  of course:  the historian cannot break through the evidence barrier and actually recreate the past...although we in the colonial cabin crew certainly do strive to recreate the past as best as we can,  not only physically,  but somewhat mentally as well.  But we all always know that we will soon be in our own 21st century lives,  with all of our modernisms that we are very used to having and using.  That is something that can't be helped,  for we are a product of and live in our modern time.  Oh!  But we do strive desperately hard to recreate a time of long ago - 250 years ago,  as has been our objective since our first cabin experience in the fall of 2020 when we reproduced the year 1770.

In the 21st century,  we are used to hearing a far more over-generalized view of  America's colonial times.  The problem is that our view of history diminishes the reality of the past.  We concentrate on historical events as something that has happened,  and in doing so we ignore it as a moment which,  at the time,  is happening. - Ian Mortimer  (with slight modification)~

Just as I fully disagree with presentism  (the practice of judging historical figures by the moral and ethical standards of the present day),  I also like and agree with Mortimer's criticisms of the  postmodernist approach to history (the dilution of historical accuracy in favor of diverse perspectives).  These are my thoughts as well.  You can take both presentism and postmodernist approaches to history and toss them out the door. 

So,  in this spirit,  I hope you enjoy what we do ~~~~~~~

Until next time,  see you in time.

Thank you to Larissa,  Norm,  Charlotte,  and Brian for the use of some of their photos.

There is a bear skin covering that's been at the cabin since we've been going
there.  It's used for show for school group tours,  mostly.  However,  we decided
to have a little fun with it.  Yes,  of course  that's Larissa!

To read and learn more about the early days of the February 2nd celebrations  (Candlemas & Groundhog Day),  please click HERE

How about our previous colonial life cabin excursions?

(remember - each year listed here we are representing 250 years earlier:

2020 = 1770

2021 = 1771

2022 = 1772

2023 = 1773

2024 = 1774

and now

2025 = 1775

~To read about our 2020 excursion - our first autumn at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 wintertime excursion at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 springtime excursion at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 summertime excursion at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 summer harvesting of the flax at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 autumn excursion - click HERE

~To read about our 2022 winter excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2022 spring excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2022 summer excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2022 autumn excursion at the cabin  (Pioneer Day) - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 winter excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 spring excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 late spring at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about the 2023 early summer - please click HERE

~To read about the 2023 mid-summer - please click HERE

~To read about the 2023 autumn Pioneer Day - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 Thanksgiving harvest celebration - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 Winter experience at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 spring excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 late spring with just Patty & I - click HERE 

~To read about our 2024 summer - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 mid-and-late-summer - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 mid-September - click HERE

~To read about our 2024 autumn Pioneer Day Celebration - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 Thanksgiving Harvest - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 Christmas at the Farm Cabin presentation - please click HERE

Including today,  that makes 27 days spent in the good old colony days!

By the way,  I simply cannot thank those special folk at the Waterloo Farm Museum for their allowance for us to have such experiences.

We are so honored.  And grateful.

I am also honored to live in the past with my cabin cohorts of Larissa,  Charlotte,  Norm,  and Jackie,  for,  without them,  none of this would even happen.

~~  ~~  ~~