Trammels: A pioneer cook’s best friend
Discover the history of iron trammels, the adjustable pot hooks early Ohio settlers used to control hearth heat and master open-fire cooking.
Some trivia about trivets
Early Ohio cooks relied on iron trivets to control heat over open fires. These tools evolved from simple cookware to ornate cast-iron household staples.
Furnishing the fireplace was the domain of the blacksmith
Early settlers relied on andirons and pokers for efficient fires and cooking. Blacksmiths turned these tools into folk art, crafting imaginative designs.
Cauldrons, kettles and pots were the greatest necessities for settlement
From homesteading survival to WWII scrap drives, the iron kettle, a humble pot with countless vital uses, shaped early life in the Ohio country.
With the coming of winter, pioneering activities moved to the great indoors
Discover how Ohio pioneers built fireplaces and chimneys that were both the heart of the home and a vital tool for survival through harsh frontier winters.
Hunting deer and foxes was the stuff of legend for settlers
Major Gen. David Sloane Stanley’s memoirs offer vivid stories of hunting fox, deer and more in 1800s Wayne County, capturing pioneer life in Ohio.
Whether raccoon, groundhog or weasel, it was still meat on the table for hunters
Frontier life meant hunting raccoons, groundhogs and weasels. Major General David Sloane Stanley’s memoirs reveal the challenges of pioneer hunts in Ohio.
Recollections and observations on hunting in the Ohio Country
From squirrel hunts to rabbit pot pies, pioneer life in Ohio meant hunting not for sport, but survival — with skill, dogs and a trusty Kentucky rifle.
Settlers worked up big appetites, but what did they put on their plates?
Discover what early settlers really ate—and how Winslow Homer’s art shaped a myth about life on the American frontier.
Numerous pioneer craftsmen turned out holders for candles
Candleholders on the frontier of the Ohio country could be as plain or as fancy as the local craftsmen had the ability and tools to make them.
