Wooden water pipes were hard to make, but a boon to Ohio Country settlers
Paul Locher explores the fascinating history and labor-intensive craft of early wooden water pipes—a testament to pioneer ingenuity and infrastructure.
How the 1833 washboard patent changed early American laundry
The patenting of the washboard in 1833 inspired tinsmiths, potters, and wood turners across Ohio to craft early laundry devices. Explore the history of handmade washboards, possers, and the weekly frontier tradition of "Blue Monday."
Tinsmiths were self-taught craftsmen important to daily frontier living
A tinsmith was a vital craftsman in the development of a pioneer community. The items they made encompassed everything from kitchenwares to farming tools.
The wheat harvest: To winnow, grind and bag
After flailing the wheat, early Ohio settlers processed it into flour.
Dough Boxes: A much-kneaded item of pioneer Ohio country furniture
How did pioneers bake bread for large families? Columnist Paul Locher explores the history of the dough box—a distinctive piece of early American furniture used by settlers to knead and rise dough.
Conestoga wagons hauled possessions and dreams of early settlers
The Conestoga wagon was a sturdy, dependable vehicle that could handle the rugged and virtually non-existent trails to carry early settlers west.
Conestoga wagon was the Swiss Army knife of vehicles
The Conestoga wagon had many tools that helped families move westward in the 1800s. Paul Locher gives a detailed description of its most important features.
On the frontier, tallow candles were expensive to make and used sparingly
History writer Paul Locher delves into the expense of making tallow candles on the frontiers of Ohio Country in the 1800s.
Bringing out the broadaxe and hewing to the line
Once early settlers had felled, sectioned and de-barked trees, it was time for the hewing process to begin, which required a broadaxe and a marking axe.
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.
