Spring Colonial Cabin Excursion 1774

Researching and studying daily life history of the colonial period is what we do,  and bringing to life what we've learned is what we're all about.

I hope you enjoy this post as we continually try to keep upping our game by learning new things.

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Being that we are,  as of this writing,  in the merry month of May,  we had another wonderful seasonal day spent in the 1770s at the Waterloo Farm Cabin.  We were there for the annual Jackson County Free Museum Day event,  where folks could visit most of the county museums for free,  including Waterloo Farm Museum.  In fact,  a number of our visitors mentioned that they were going around to as many of the museums as they could!  Of course,  donations are always accepted,  and there are souvenirs to purchase and food to eat.

And a trip back in time:

Our springtime cabin crew~
For our backstory:  we moved from near Boston to the frontier of Connecticut to get away from all of the excitement of the Bloody Massacre and the Spilling of the Tea.  We want to just raise our crops.

What this day means to us is spring has sprung and it is time for planting!

Springtime truly is the season of rebirth,  and thoughts for the majority of the populace in 18th century America was the need to accomplish a successful growing season,  for in those long ago days,  Spring was considered a time for preparing for the rest of the year;  a time for a new beginning.  A time for leaving the winter darkness and cold behind to look toward sunny warmth and renewal...rebirth.  It would set the pace for the rest of the year.

Charlotte made a wattle for the garden.
A wattle is made by weaving flexible branches around upright
stakes to form,  in this case,  a sort of woven lattice-type fencing. 

Some folks may call what we do reenacting.

But we are not reenacting anything - we are actually living history and doing the work and chores of those who lived in the 1770s...getting our hands dirty,  perhaps a bit callused,  and,  yes,  our sometimes grass-stained,  dirt-stained,  ash-stained,  and sweat-stained clothing takes on the appearance that shows we're not afraid to work.

In fact,  you can see that the curly chips I shaved off the soon-to-be broom handle are not only all over the floor,  but all over my lap as well.

Dirt,  wood slivers,  and calluses...

I do very much enjoy speaking to the guests who come through.  Most are history people and actually have a curiosity about the past,  so they are not afraid to ask questions.

But let's had back out to the garden:

For the farmer's wife,  spring was her time to plan and prepare for the all-important kitchen garden.  The kitchen garden was where plants for use in the kitchen and homelife were planted and cultivated.  Though there would be vegetables,  herb seeds were among the first things to go into the ground.  Some herbs were even used for pesticides to deter flies,  fleas,  and moths.  And dill,  fennel,  rosemary,  tansey,  thyme,  sorrel,  and basil were considered to be essential to any colonial garden.

Alongside the herbs,  this is what many colonials planted in their kitchen gardens in April or May in the northern colonies,  as well as in the upper middle colonies,  and even in the settlements on the frontier Great Lakes region:  onions,  potatoes,  peas,  skirret,  lettuce,  leeks,  cabbage,  and asparagus.

Parsley,  skirret,  and sorrel were planted for use in salads  ("sallets")  as well as seasonings for meats that had been heavily salted for preservation.

Charlotte  (on the left)  and my wife Patty  (right)  spent most of the day out in the kitchen garden.  The two here planted pees,  a variety of green beans,  lettuce  (inside the wattle),  and spinach.  Patty & I plan to go back out to the cabin before month's end and plant pumpkins.  

One of the problems for us is not being able to spend a lot more time weeding in our cabin kitchen garden than we are able.  This is due to the fact that the cabin is so doggone far away from where we actually live.  To get to the cabin from my house is about an hour and a half drive.  I know that may not seem too far,  but with gas prices up and car wear & tear,  that drive will soon add up to a substantial amount.  So this year we have something worked out.

A couple of teepee garden trellises were also made.

There's a local lad who,  in exchange for a chunk of the kitchen garden to plant his own crops,  he will also weed our portion as well.  Hopefully it will work.

Pastor Gerring blessed the plants as he did last year.

It was in May when the patch of land for growing flax would be harrowed and sowed.  Flax was important in a number of ways,  including the spinning into linen after preparation,  as well as for making candle wicking.  And to help with a mental scene,  from the book A Day In a Colonial Home by Della R. Prescott:  “Daughter,  take this flagon  (a container for holding liquids)  of buttermilk up to the flax patch.  We saved this much in the churn.  ‘Tis ten o’clock and father and John must be hungry.  This drink will help them through the next hour.”

However,  we did not plant flax this year.

Next year for sure!

Watering plants in the 18th century was not done by a hose...
...or a sprinkler!  But a shoulder yoke & buckets filled with water.

The family that did not have time to plant a garden,  especially those out on the frontier,  faced a winter of intense hardship.  What was available for a family to eat in winter and spring depended on a wife's careful preservation of their excess produce.  And,  as so many of her time  (and even in our modern times),  she often worried over the threat of the damage a late frost could do during blooming season.

Our seasonal home.
Some of my very best time-travels have taken place inside!

God called men and women to perform particular tasks or work in this life:  women were invariably called to be housewives and mothers,  and men were called to specific work as farmers,  carpenters,  store owners,  coopers,  and so on.  Do not be angry at these words,  for this was the colonial thought process.  

(Italicized taken directly from the book,  "The American Farmer in the 18th Century" by Richard Bushman).

By definition,  the shaving horse is a simple foot-operated vice that allows you to hold a piece while having both hands free to work.  A shaving horse is relatively easy to build and extremely useful to anyone who uses hand tools to shape spindles for turning,  chair legs,  barrel staves,  shingles,  and the like.  Other typical usage of the shaving horse is to make a handle for an ax,  hammer,  shovel,  or broom,  for just some examples.  They are also used in other crafts as well.  'Twas a very important combination of vice and workbench - a tool for the farmer and wood worker.

So,  what do you suppose happened as I learned more about the shave horse and seen it in action?

I spent most of my day working at the shaving horse making a handle for a broom.
I did not bring my own shave horse this time - instead,  I used the one that belongs to Waterloo Farm Museum.  Much of my day was spent explaining the process to the many guests who came through.

I love the idea that I have been experiencing the chores and occupations of the past,  and it's been a dream come true.  It's my hope to continue in this manner and even expand.  

Here is Norm & myself with a few guys from the future:
Bob sitting next to Norm
Brian,  president of the Waterloo Farm Museum
and in the doorway we have Jim - volunteer.
Brian and Jim also reenact the mid-17th century period.

I appreciate Chuck and Roy from the Daggett House at Greenfield Village for feeding my historical interests.  These two men,  by doing the chores of the time,  allowed me to learn and,  therefore, accomplish the living history that I do.  My friend,  Larissa,  was also a guide,  and it was she who taught our cabin ladies about hearth cooking.

And we are so happy that she is a major part of our crew.
Larissa did not cook in the hearth this day,  and so was able
to spend more time speaking with visitors.

Due to extenuating circumstances,  there was no cooking on the hearth for this visit.  But there will be multiple summer visits as well as the couple we do in the fall.  Our fall harvest is perhaps my favorite.

As I've mentioned previously in other postings,  we don't do 1st person,  for it would come off too close to acting.  We simply keep our conversations focused on the time period in which we are representing.

And my wife enjoys spinning on her spinning wheel or,  as she does in the springtime,  digging the garden and planting.

This day,  May 11,  was our wedding anniversary.
I'm so glad we were able to spend it with friends doing what we love.

This day was not what we originally planned,  but Patty & I made a great day out of it by spending our time in 1774 at the Waterloo Cabin with awesome friends...and wearing my favorite clothing!

Both Patty and Charlotte did an impressive job on the kitchen garden.

Had this actually been 1774,  we would have been living out on the frontier since autumn 1770 - nearly four years - shortly after the Bloody Massacre On King Street in Boston,  meaning we would have been able to clear acres of land for crops.  So,  rather than working the shave horse as I did,  I more than likely would have been out plowing,  harrowing,  manuring,  sewing...but since that is not feasible for us---for me---I worked on other colonial-era projects.

I did no gardening this time around.
I will when Patty & I come back out to do a little more
planting in a few weeks,  for we're hoping to plant pumpkins.

As I hinted earlier,  my wife and I didn't plan to be at Waterloo Cabin this weekend.  We had made vacation plans that,  unfortunately,  due to family illness,  had to be cancelled.  Well,  postponed,  shall we say.  Family always comes first.

We are still wishing and hoping and thinking and praying that we will still be able to carry out our plans later this year.   But,  by participating at the cabin during the Jackson County Free Museum Day event,  we were able to salvage what could have been a wallowing-in-sadness-and-depression weekend.  It,  instead,  certainly was a bright spot.

We are not perfect,  but I believe we are heading down the right path.

God is good.

Until next time,  see you in time.

Thank you to Brian,  Charlotte,  and Norm for adding to the pictures taken!

I mentioned that we'd been out at the frontier cabin for four years - since 1770.  The following are the links to all of our cabin day experiences  (so far):

If you are interested in our other cabin excursions,  please click the links below:

To read about our 2020 autumn excursion 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 making candles at the cabin,  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 - Candlemas,  please click HERE

To read about our 2023 spring excursion at the cabin - Rogation Sunday,  please click HERE

To read about our 2023 late spring - more planting at the cabin  (& early farming history),  click HERE

To read about the 2023 early summer weeding at the cabin  (and a timeline event),  please click HERE

To read about the 2023 autumn Pioneer Day event we participated in,  please click HERE

To read about our 2023 Thanksgiving celebration in early November,  please click HERE

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

~And that brings us up to today's post.

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