Historical Tidbit Thursdays - The Comanches - Clothing - #TidbitThursday

Howdy!

Welcome back to our weekly blog - Historical Tidbit Thursdays!

This week I'm jumping back into our lessons on the Comanche people and today we'll take a look at their articles of clothing.



Warriors - normally only wore a breechclout (or loincloth) and moccasins. They might wear leggings painted blue and decorated with beads, the same with their moccasins or booties. For ceremonial purposes, they would wear a decorated buckskin shirt.

Women - wore long, full, fringed and decorated buckskin skirts and shirts.

Young girls - were naked except breechclouts (or loincloths).

Buffalo robes and fur hats were worn in winter to protect against the cold.

Source:
Comanches: The Destruction of a People by T.R.Fehrenbach; ISBN#0-306-80586-3


Photo Credit: By Elbridge Ayer Burbank(Life time: 1858-1949) - Original publication: 1897-U.S.AImmediate source: http://www.harvard-diggins.org/Burbank/Years/1897/1897_Chosequah.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26312263

Western Word of the Week - Stack-yard - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesday

Howdy!

Welcome to our Weekly Western Word of the Day...or, as I affectionately call it, Western Wednesdays!

Stack-yard - this is where piles of fresh hay was stacked (for use in the winter when there wasn't any grass for grazing)

Hay was also stored in straw-sheds.

Source:
Cowboy Lingo by Ramon F. Adams; ISBN#0-618-08349-9

Western Travel - Heritage Farmstead Museum (Part Thirteen) - Plano, Texas - #TravelTuesday

Welcome to my weekly column #TravelTuesday featuring places I've discovered during my research trips or just wandering around in historical areas. I hope you enjoy my discoveries.

Last week we stopped in the downstairs kitchen of the Farrell-Wilson House. Today we're going into the Dining Room.


Next to the Kitchen is the Dining Room. The dinner setting changes throughout the year/seasons. This photograph from the Heritage Farmstead museum features the more formal dinner settings.


When I visited, they had the unique pressed pattern glass (also known as Depression Glass for the era it was produced). Note the highchair in the back corner (with the glass of milk).


A mannequin wearing sack dress and white apron. Note the electric globe lights overhead.


Along the wall is the china cabinet that is filled with antique Chelsea Blue Grape semi-porcelain dinnerware from the early 1900s and a few pieces of other blue-white china.


A blurry photograph of the corner fireplace and mantel clock.

Learn more by checking out the official site - www.heritagefarmstead.org/

boy's Heritage Farmstead Museum Physical Address: 1900 West 15th Street, Plano, Texas 75075 Phone Number: 972-881-0140 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-4:30pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission: $3.00 per person (ages 3 and up) + $4 for tour of house

Photo Credit of Staged Boy's Bedroom - https://www.heritagefarmstead.org

Historical Tidbit Thursdays - Texas Weather - Hail - #TidbitThursday

Howdy!

Welcome to Historical Tidbit Thursdays. This week I'm veering off the normal historical path to investigate Texas weather, something that often plays a role in my stories.



Parts of Texas are plagued by hail storms which can cause lots of damage. In April 2016, San Antonio endured one of the costliest storm in recorded Texas history - up to $1.4 Billion in claims, which beat the previous record of $1.1 Billion in Fort Worth in May 1995. A lot of these storms just pop up with little warning.

How does hail form? During thunderstorms, updrafts (air currents from below) move upward to meet super-cooled water droplets. Technically there are 2 methods to form hail or hailstones (Wet and Dry Growth), but to keep it simple for this post, we'll just focus on Wet Growth. For Wet Growth, a small ice nucleus will form and as water droplets hit it, they get frozen to it and start forming a ball. As this ball gets heavier, it starts to fall gaining momentum and speed. It's possible for the ball to keep getting looped up through this system to add more layers of ice.

The largest hail stone ever recorded was in South Dakota - 8 inches diameter - on July 23, 2010.

For Texas, the largest recorded was 6 inches diameter - on June 12, 2010 in Moore County.

Typical hailstone sizes: Pea (1/4" diameter), Marble (1/2" diameter), Dime (3/4" diameter), Quarter (1" diameter), Golf Ball (1 3/4" diameter), Baseball (2 3/4" diameter), and Softball (4 1/2" diameter)

An interesting side-note about a town named Hail, Texas:
Between 1845 and 1850, a wagon train settled in an area of today's Fannin County. They built a school house, a church, then a grocery store, and in 1894 they acquired a post office. The people wanted to name the town Clarksville, after one of the founding couples, Elijah and Nancy Clark, but that name already existed in Texas. So the town's people wrote suggestions down and Elijah drew one from a hat - Hail (so named because of all the hail storms in this area).
Interested in learning more about Hail, Texas? Check out this site: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hrh05

References:
https://www.wunderground.com/prepare/hail
https://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/article/San-Antonio-hail-storm-1-4-billion-in-losses-7269460.php

Photo Credit: http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/living_wx/hail/index.html

Western Word of the Week - Snortin-Post - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesday

Howdy!

Welcome to our Weekly Western Word of the Day...or, as I affectionately call it, Western Wednesdays!

Snortin'-Post - the hitching post or rack in front of a building to which a horse was hitched or tied.

Also called "hitchin' bar"

Source:
Cowboy Lingo by Ramon F. Adams; ISBN#0-618-08349-9

Western Travel - Heritage Farmstead Museum (Part Twelve) - Plano, Texas - #TravelTuesday

Welcome to my weekly column #TravelTuesday featuring places I've discovered during my research trips or just wandering around in historical areas. I hope you enjoy my discoveries.

Last week we stopped in the downstairs Master Bedroom/Sewing Room of the Farrell-Wilson House. Today we're heading back to the kitchen.


Staged photo of the Kitchen in the very back of the house.


When you step into the kitchen from the main hallway, immediately to your right sits the giant cast iron stove with metal exhaust pipe (just out of view on the right). There was a "warming oven" built in. We were informed that during the summer, cooking was most likely done outside due to the extreme heat and fire danger conditions inside. You can see the wide range of cast iron enamelware pots and different metal utensils.


A close-up of the stove top - note the steam vent on the enamel-ware pot. There's also an iron that would be heating on the stove. Since this was a wealthy family, they probably had a servant to wash and iron the clothes and a cook to make the food.


Another close-up of the items on the stove. Take a look at that interesting "Bake-o-Meter" porcelain thermometer. Right in the middle of the back is the exhaust vent pipe.


The built-in kitchen sink was installed about 1905 (along with other indoor plumbing features which we'll see later).


Right above the sink are the electric wires that were installed after 1915. At this time, people believed that wires inside the walls would overheat and cause fires so they had them installed on top of the walls.


The prep table complete with typical period tools and foods. Note the food pantry or pie safe in the back and the baby high chair to the right.


Another pantry storage cabinet and food prep station.


A very rarely seen artifact - the sign for the milk delivery (the amount pertains to their current needs). It's not often you find those hanging in windows so this is a nice treasure indeed! The stairs lead up to the small second story office (with the saddles and game table).

Learn more by checking out the official site - www.heritagefarmstead.org/

boy's Heritage Farmstead Museum Physical Address: 1900 West 15th Street, Plano, Texas 75075 Phone Number: 972-881-0140 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-4:30pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission: $3.00 per person (ages 3 and up) + $4 for tour of house

Photo Credit of Staged Boy's Bedroom - https://www.heritagefarmstead.org

Historical Tidbit Thursdays - The Oregon Trail - Diseases and Disasters - #TidbitThursday

Howdy!

Welcome to Historical Tidbit Thursdays. The next few weeks I'm veering off my normal Texas History research path to dive deep into the Oregon Trail and share my research with you! Hope you enjoy!

Wagons required a lot of maintenance to make the 2000 mile journey. Every day the wheels must be greased with lard from buffalo or other animals.

Before crossing a river, emigrants used long poles to test for quicksand and they would plant them into the ground where it was safe to cross. Some people would tar their wagons to make them more buoyant.

Cholera was a deadly disease whose symptoms included diarrhea, stomach and leg cramps, and vomiting. Emigrants would try to cure it with calomel, laudanum (yes - believe it or not and many history stories include addiction to this "cure"), or mint tea.

Indians and probably many other unscrupulous people would steal horses and/or oxen (and resell them). Wagons were circled around animals at night to keep them penned in and guarded.

Traders burned acres of grassland to force emigrants to sell starving cattle or milk cows cheap and then they would turn around and resell them at high prices.

Oxen and cattle could succumb to Alkali poisoning if they drank alkaline water. Symptoms included swelling of stomach and chest, cough, and death. One cure was to pour grease or water-flour mixture down their throats.

Oregon did not recognize the land-claims of African Americans.

Source:
How to Get Rich on the Oregon Trail by Tod Olson; ISBN#978-1-4263-0413-2

Western Word of the Week - Trap Corral - #WesternWordoftheWeek

Howdy!

Welcome to our Weekly Western Word of the Day...or, as I affectionately call it, Western Wednesdays!

Trap corral - corral used for capturing wild horses.

Source:
Cowboy Lingo by Ramon F. Adams; ISBN#0-618-08349-9

Western Travel - Heritage Farmstead Museum (Part Eleven) - Plano, Texas - #TravelTuesday

Welcome to my weekly column #TravelTuesday featuring places I've discovered during my research trips or just wandering around in historical areas. I hope you enjoy my discoveries.

Last week we stopped in the upstairs girls' bedroom of the Farrell-Wilson House. Today we're heading back downstairs to the Master Bedroom/Sewing Room.


The doorway leads right into the large wooden bed covered with a beautifully detailed coverlet. In front of the bed is a settee propped with quilt rings/flowers. Next to the bed is a small, wooden baby crib. On the floor rests the chamber pot (for those pre-indoor-restroom days).


A better view of the baby crib which actually looks pretty small and easy to climb out of, so we have to assume toddlers didn't sleep in there. You can also see the long, sheer curtains.


Along the wall is the sewing table complete with bobbins and old-fashioned sewing machine, a pin cushion in the far back, and the woven cane chair.


A closer look at the sewing machine.


And the ever-popular sack dress on a thin-waist mannequin.


A close-up of the dresser top - note the makeup set and matching brush and the assorted hat pins.

Learn more by checking out the official site - www.heritagefarmstead.org/

boy's Heritage Farmstead Museum Physical Address: 1900 West 15th Street, Plano, Texas 75075 Phone Number: 972-881-0140 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-4:30pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission: $3.00 per person (ages 3 and up) + $4 for tour of house

Photo Credit of Staged Boy's Bedroom - https://www.heritagefarmstead.org

Historical Tidbit Thursdays - The Oregon Trail - More Costs for Things - #TidbitThursday

Howdy!

Welcome to Historical Tidbit Thursdays. The next few weeks I'm veering off my normal Texas History research path to dive deep into the Oregon Trail and share my research with you! Hope you enjoy!

This week I wanted to share some more of the estimated prices travelers faced during their journey. You can see as the travelers got further and further away from "civilization", the higher the cost of goods. An interesting note - local Missourian merchants sold goods at a higher price to emigrants than to the locals.

The ferry (controlled by the Sac and Fox Indians) to cross a river at Wolf Creek was $1 per wagon and $0.25 per animal. In general for ferry crossings, if there was a lot of rain and the water was deep/dangerous, the price would go up.

Running ferries was a profitable business, especially if the person controlled the only safe place to cross. One man on the Elkhorn River made up to $500 per day.

At Ash Hollow trading post, the cost for corn to feed cattle was $160 for 20 bushels. 200 lbs of flour was $50. Back in St. Joseph it was $0.15 per lb or $30 for 200 lbs.

At Fort Laramie trading post, a jar of lemon syrup (for flavoring) was $1.25. A bottle of ink was $0.30 (3 times the normal cost). Chewing tobacco ran for about $1.00 and up to $5.00 in Salt Lake City (originally costing $0.20).

Source:
How to Get Rich on the Oregon Trail by Tod Olson; ISBN#978-1-4263-0413-2

Western Word of the Week - Squeezer - #WesternWordoftheWeek

Howdy!

Welcome to our Weekly Western Word of the Day...or, as I affectionately call it, Western Wednesdays!

Squeezer - the narrow passage that connects one corral to another (usually from a bigger one to a smaller one at branding time)

Also called "branding-chute" or "snappin' turtle"

Source:
Cowboy Lingo by Ramon F. Adams; ISBN#0-618-08349-9

Western Travel - Heritage Farmstead Museum (Part Ten) - Plano, Texas - #TravelTuesday

Welcome to my weekly column #TravelTuesday featuring places I've discovered during my research trips or just wandering around in historical areas. I hope you enjoy my discoveries.

Last week we stopped in the upstairs boy's bedroom of the Farrell-Wilson House. Today we're visiting the girl's bedroom.


A girl's white metal frame bed sits in the corner surrounded by large pink and green floral-print wallpaper. Bright pink embroidered pillowcases and sheets complement the pink, purple and grey quilt and a porcelain doll rests on top (a fragile doll very much meant for play by an older child). In front of the bed is a small doll's chair and a wooden doll's crib. A mannequin wearing typical girl's clothing (muslin dress with large ribbons) stands in front of a dollhouse.


This photograph offers a better view of the mannequin (holding a carpet sweeper's handle). A ride-on horse blocks the entrance to the boys' room next door.


Here we can see the rug and younger child playing in front of the older girl's bed. Make note of the rose-patterned rug and the wooden puzzles.


The younger girl's bed complete with embroidered quilt and pillowcases made from sacks.


The Heritage Farmstead Museum's photograph of some of the girls' room toys propped up for display. Notice the ironing board (which wasn't on display in the bedroom itself) - definitely something for "playing house".

Learn more by checking out the official site - www.heritagefarmstead.org/

boy's Heritage Farmstead Museum Physical Address: 1900 West 15th Street, Plano, Texas 75075 Phone Number: 972-881-0140 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-4:30pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission: $3.00 per person (ages 3 and up) + $4 for tour of house

Photo Credit of Staged Boy's Bedroom - https://www.heritagefarmstead.org