The wheat harvest: To winnow, grind and bag
After flailing the wheat, early Ohio settlers processed it into flour.
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.
Ohio Country coffee pot design depended on your nationality
Antique collector and historian Paul Locher explores the cultural divide of Ohio’s frontier coffee pots. From New England’s lighthouse designs to the intricate Germanic punchwork, Locher details the craftsmanship of local tinsmiths and the distinct styles of early American settlers.
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.
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.
Maple sugaring put the exclamation point on winter work for pioneers
From sumac spiles to bobsleds, discover the traditional tools and annual rites of pioneer maple sugaring before the age of modern vacuum systems.
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.
Tin kitchens were once the greatest thing since sliced bread
The tin kitchen, also known as a reflector oven, had a demi-barreled shape with three sides, the remaining space being open to the fire.
Peach pit carving: The forgotten folk art of Ohio pioneers
Discover the history of peach pit carving, from its ancient Chinese roots to 19th-century American pioneers and the famous art of Albert William Gimbi, the Pennsylvania Peach Pit Carver.
Spiders and salamanders were denizens of early fireplaces
Explore early Ohio frontier kitchens, where nonstop fires, ash piles and iron “spiders” and “salamanders” shaped daily cooking and pioneer life.
