Not only are we historians and living historians, but we are also "environmental historians": an environmental historian "studies the relationship between the natural world and human history. They examine how people have interacted with the environment, and how the environment has shaped human societies."
So here we have another day spent at the cabin in the 1770s - this year being 1775 for us.
To be a part of living history is a privilege that I cherish; I would like to think that those of us in this reenacting community are making a good attempt to do honor to those of the past in all of its many forms. We are continuously learning - researching - so we can do our best to bring the words we read to life.
And that can be a very difficult thing to do.
But we're trying.
By the way, there was a major historic improvement made to an important part of the cabin - see if you notice in the photos below...
~American Spring 1775~
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| Our annual Larissa "selfie" |
Why this title?
Well, we had heard rumors of a great outbreak between our fellow colonists and the King's Men - a falling out---a bit of a row. You see, we left Boston back in 1770 after the Bloody Massacre. We did not feel safe nor did we feel comfort. So we left...we headed southwest to western Connecticut.
Before all of this excitement, we always considered ourselves British subjects.
Now...?
Well, now, I suppose, after the alarm of April 19th - only a few weeks ago - we consider ourselves American, just as Patrick Henry stated in September of last year at the first session of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. That's when he stated, "The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders, are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American.”
And what an American spring it is!
Yet even with all of the excitement, it is still planting season.
...
Let’s imagine a spring morning back in May 1775:
“Asenath awoke, startled. Had she overslept and not heeded her father's call? She jumped out of bed on to the strip of rag carpet laid on the cold floor. The sun was just rising and a cool, northwest breeze was blowing on this early spring morning. The well-sweep creaked in the breeze, and a whiff of the smoke of the kitchen fire, pouring out of the chimney, blew up to the loft. The past week of housecleaning had been a busy one, for she and her younger sister, Talitha, had cleaned the dooryard and the entry as well as the back room and the loft bedroom.
Their mother, Anna, was ill and the housework was up to the two girls.
“Daughter,” called Samuel, her father, from the foot of the stairs, “the day comes on apace, and it promises a clear sky for your cleaning. Grandmother is tending your mother, and Isiah and I will need the porridge hot when we come back from foddering.”
A glowing bed of red-hot coals burned on the hearth, streaks of sunlight glanced through the windows, and touched the course cloth on the dinner table. Soft reflections shone from the porringers hanging on the dresser; a sunbeam flecked with bright light touched the brass candlesticks which were set near the hearth.
All winter the family had gathered closely at the fireplace and, in its warm coziness, Asenath had spun on the spinning wheel, darned mittens, and knitted stockings.
Stairing at the hearth was a reminder of that cozy time.
But with an air of spring about, the cabin was opened up once again.”
The above was modified from the book A Day In a Colonial Home by Della R. Prescott~
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| Twenty eight days spent living in this colonial cabin (so far). |
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| A new hearth! Much more accurate than the gigantic stone hearth that was there previously! Larissa approved~ |
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| Larissa was the first to use it---and rightfully so, with her hearth-cooking skills history (over 25 years)~ |
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| Did you know that in the 18th century asparagus was also known as 'sparrow grass' "? |
In the 18th century, asparagus was both a prized food and a medicinal herb. It was known for its diuretic properties, believed to purify the blood, and was a necessary part of a garden.
Asparagus was grown in gardens at Monticello as well as in Williamsburg.
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| Fresh asparagus! In the 18th century, bundling asparagus before cooking was likely done to make it easier to handle and retrieve the asparagus from the boiling water. Bundles also ensured that the asparagus cooked more evenly and that the stalks remained intact during cooking. |
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| Onion pie, made from a Hannah Glass recipe from the mid-18th century! |
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| Larissa's historic cooking skills are right up there with those who lived in the past! And the new hearth looks amazing! |
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| The food was so good! I love that our food is cooked right there on the hearth! Note the toaster: it is an actual 18th century toaster I found and purchased. I also see the onion pie, ham, and, in the pot, asparagus! We also had bean soup, too! |
While Larissa was making our fine spring meal,...
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| Patty and Charlotte planned out the kitchen garden. |
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| Charlotte tied the poles together for the green beans to climb. |
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| Patty and Charlotte took advantage of this beautiful early spring May day~~~ |
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| Charlotte watered the "salat" she planted inside the waddle she made last year---that still stands~. She is using the ceramic watering jug. |
I learned that the colonials would have planted a few items in boxes inside their homes while still in the winter to get a head start on their vegetables, so seeing transplants such as this is historically correct.
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| I, too, helped with planting and preparation in the kitchen garden. I couldn't do nearly as much as last year due to my lower back, but I did what I could for as long as I could. |
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| Filled the bucket with creek water, then filled the watering jug from the bucket. What---you think we use a hose?? lol |
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| Patty is planting green beans and lima beans |
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| Patty and Charlotte work well together in caring for our kitchen garden, but Patty & I plan to come out throughout the summer as we did last year for weeding. Plus, in a couple weeks, we'll be planting pumpkins! |
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| A team effort - like a well-oiled machine, we all work together to ensure success. |
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| Our minister joined us for the day, for we were celebrating Rogation Sunday a bit early. Norm may not be an ordained minister, but he is truly a man of God and has a deep knowledge of the Bible. For living history, he researches 18th century preachers and learns of the way they conducted themselves as well as seeks out and studies the prayers of the period, of which many were writtrn down and survived all of these generations. |
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| Norm does such a great job in his presentation. He also researches the holidays of the time, of which were all pretty much religious in nature. |
For shame.
So we are very happy to have a man of faith, such as Norm, with us.
Some of the finest, most down-to-earth people I know are living historians. The lifeskills knowledge to be had is astounding.
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| Tony stopped in for a visit to let us know he had been inducted into the (SAR) - Sons of the American Revolution. |
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| Our 18th century table setting. |
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| Always give thanks to God before eating such a bountiful feast! |
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| This is Larissa's plate of food, but we all pretty much had the same: Asparagus on toast, beets, onion pie, ham, cheese. I tried my asparagus on toast, and, well, it was okay, but I ended up eating the vegetable separately (with my hands!) and putting preserves on my toast instead. |
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| This dinner we had was so delicious! Imagine if this were actually May 1775---we would have gone for months without fresh vegetables. What a treat this would have been - and what a treat it was for us! |
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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. Now we hear there was a bit of a ruckus in a couple of towns near Boston, where colonists and the King's Regulars had gone against each other. I am so glad we moved when we did - for we just want to just raise our crops and live peacefully. |
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.
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| Our kitchen garden was being blessed by our minister. |
Our springtime in 1775 at the cabin took place on Saturday May 10. The following day was Sunday May 13 - a day we celebrated Rogation Sunday.
In the 18th and into the 19th centuries, this was the day when farmers looked to their land and crops and prayed for a bountiful harvest. On this day the clergyman and his flock walked through the village and out into the farm fields to bless the planted ground.
However, Rogation Sunday is normally celebrated on the 5th Sunday after Easter, but Easter was later than normal this year so we celebrated a couple weeks early, and in this way we could also take part in Jackson County's Free Museum Day.
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| Patty & Charlotte did a fine day's work. Many thanks must go to Waterloo for allowing useage of land to have a period kitchen garden. |
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| I very much enjoy the idea that we are researching and celebrating the old special holidays such as Rogation Sunday. |
Jeff Pavlik, from Old World Bread, worked in the bake house making...old world bread!
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| "I presented an 1830’s recipe for white bread and then finished my experiments on ryeinjun, thirded and mixed breads with various combinations of rye, corn, and wheat." |
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| The bake oven in the Bake House |
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| Jeff used a scale to weigh the bread. Bread scale making was driven by several factors, including government regulations, commercialization, and the changing tastes of consumers. |
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| Baking bread in the bake oven in the bake house! |
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| In the 1830s, bakehouses were typically small, family-run establishments where bread, pastries, and sometimes other baked goods were produced and sold. They were essential for providing daily bread and other baked goods to local communities. |
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| The good Doctor Bloodsworth was there, showing off his collection of children's toys. |
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| 18th century toys and games. |
When we are out there living history, there are folks who call what we do reenacting...pretending...
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.
And not afraid to live history.
These travel-through-time excursions are best ever events. And that's because events such as these are only as good as the people who take part. I feel I "work" with the best~
Until next time, see you in time.
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
~To read about our 2025 winter & Candlemas day - please click HERE
Including today, that makes 28 days spent in the good old colony days!
By the way, I simply cannot thank enough 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 visit the past with my cabin cohorts of Patty (who just happens to be my wife), Larissa, Charlotte, Norm, and Jackie, for, without them, none of this would even happen.
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| America's 250 is here! It was wonderful telling the many visitors about the semiquincentennial! |
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