Wednesday, May 14, 2008

A Pioneer Home

An original log cabin - part of the Old Aurora Colony Museum complex - gives an idea of early life in our area.My dear mother and I enjoyed touring the little cabin and we often commented about how different their lives were from ours today.
The Steinbach cabin was built in 1875 to house George and Katherine Steinbach and their five children. The cabin was originally built on the bank of the Willamette River, about four miles north of Aurora. It is built with cedar logs and chinked with mud and straw. The Steinbachs lived in the cabin for seven years. It is one of three surviving cabins from the colony. The pieces of furniture within the cabin are original colonial artifacts, a portion of which were used by the Steinbachs.
The kitchen 'sink'. . .
A stove used by the lady of the house. . .
Kitchen storage and. . .
Useful gadgets and serving pieces give a glimpse of life in a pioneer kitchen.
Fredrick Miley, Mrs. Steinbach’s father, came to live with the family at a later time. To accommodate his needs, a lean-to addition with a separate entrance was added. This turned the cabin into what we now call a duplex. (You can see the addition and 'Grandpa's' entrance in the first picture above.) Originally there was a wall at the back of his room that separated his living quarters from the rest of the family. In that wall was a door that allowed him to enter and join the family in the main cabin. The wall has been removed to allow more efficient tours of cabin. A lovely old bed is displayed in 'Grandpa's room'.

A little wood stove kept 'Grandpa' warm. A washstand. . . And chamberpots under the bed. . .Provide all the comforts of home.

It is hard to imagine the challenges and struggles faced within the walls of this little pioneer home. No matter how hard their lives were, I'm sure there was laughter and singing. And the joyful voices of children. Sweet children. What more could a family ask?

12 comments:

  1. I'd love to visit this little town of Aurora. Thank you for offering a glimpse into the history and people from long ago. :o)

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  2. Don't we take our beautiful homes for granted sometimes? Goodness, I am sure they were thankful for what they had back then, but those dark walls would be hard to live with!

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  3. Thank you for yet another delightful tour. Aurora reminds me somewhat of the village of Hermitage in western PA. I visited there many times as a child. From the looks of things, I have everything necessary for a "modern" bathroom - the pitcher, bowl, wash stand and chamber pot! Oh, the things we take for granted!

    Blessings!

    Liz

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  4. Oh I love to tour those old houses...I like to go with my grandchildren and watch their faces when they discover how people used to live...
    thanks for the tour...
    Mimi

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  5. Well, first let me say that your mother is lovely.

    And second, I am so enjoying you sharing your adventures. Very strong and brave people came before us to create this wonderful country we have. I think it is so important that we remember and honor.

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  6. You have some very interesting subjects lately. I've been super busy and I'm behind with my blog reading and replies. I'll try to catch up this weekend!

    Katherine

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  7. I just "discovered" your blog through "Southern Hospitality". Your photos are wonderful and I so enjoyed the tour you presented on this post and an earlier one. I look forward to "catching up" on your previous entries.

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  8. What a delightful tour! Love that pic of your mother, it makes me happy to see her smiling face....

    Many blessings to you and yours...

    Hugs

    Cielo

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  9. This was a great post! I adore visiting places like that, and imagining myself living in those old times.

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  10. Adrienne...this is the type of day, J and I enjoy so much. What a wonderful place to visit. Thank you!

    Pat

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  11. Oh what a wonderful pioneer kitchen! It reminds me of Little House on the Prairie and I just think that life was perfect back then :) Though I'm sure those dear women would give eye teeth for some of our conveniences!

    Hugs,
    Dena

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  12. Thank you for sharing your visit to Aurora, lovely little cabin, we are so lucky to have the luxuries we often take for granted in our times.

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I am grateful that you stopped by to visit me. Your kind and gracious comments are appreciated and treasured.