History and Geography of Ohio (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 Excerpt: ...outer edge by strong posts formed a bedstead, while hemlock boughs served for the mattress. It was not a soft one, but there was a popular frontier saying that "a hard day's work makes a soft bed." The kitchen, which was also the living room, was the most cheerful and homelike room in the house. Its most attractive feature was the kitchen fireplace. In all the early houses immense chimneys were built, usually of stone, and whole logs could be burned on the andirons within the spacious fireplace. Sometimes there were seats within the chimney on either side, where the entire family could sit and watch the sparks fly up the chimney. The primitive method of roasting was to suspend the joint of meat in front of the fire by a cord tied to a peg in the ceiling; from time to time, the housewife or one of the children would twist the string so as to turn the roast around. The houses were lighted at night by means of tallow candles made at home iri tin or pewter molds. During the day, light came in through the windows which were covered in early days with oiled paper, afterwards with panes of glass. The cabin floor was sanded. The furniture was made of rough slabs of wood. From this you can readily see that the many comforts and conveniences of the modern home which we enjoy today were entirely unknown to the pioneers. They knew no such things as the modern furnace, the modern piano and the still more modern phonograph, or similar comforts and conveniences. Problem II. How agriculture in Ohio was influenced by the older regions from which the settlers came The settlers in this Ohio country came from New England, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and New Jersey. Whole families migrated together for protection and company. They brought with them their customs...