The wheat harvest: To winnow, grind and bag
After flailing the wheat, early Ohio settlers processed it into flour.
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.
Preparing for construction was heavy, muddy work
Paul Locher details the special tools early settlers would have needed to start constructing buildings when settling in Ohio and Pennsylvania in the 1800s.
Making apple butter involved plenty of labor in preparation
Apple butter is forever linked with the German communities of the southeast Pennsylvania region, who brought the tradition with them when they crossed the mountains into the Ohio territory.
A toast to toasters and roasters: Breakfast with Ohio pioneers
Discover why early American coffee roasters and wrought-iron toasters are rare finds today. Columnist and early American artifacts collector Paul Locher takes a deep dive into the decorative motifs and functions of pioneer tools.
Lard, scrapple and cracklins complete the butchering job
Paul Locher pens a column about how early Ohio and Pennsylvania settlers would have produced lard, scrapple and cracklins to complete butchering a hog.
After the house raising, there was still plenty to do
Paul Locher continues the journey of early settlers in Ohio by detailing the work they did following a house raising in his latest An American Tale column.
Of schnitz and rye straw
Paul Locher outlines the use of rye straw to make baskets and store dried apple slices, schnitz, at homesteads in the early 1800s in Ohio Country.
Early settlers’ decisions could mean life or death
After arriving and establishing a campsite, settlers had to deal with a trio of priorities immediately — clearing land, planting crops and building shelter.
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.
