Tag Archives: Daisy Adams

Memories Recalled (1946)

25 Monday May 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek, Poetry, Spottswood

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This poem, dedicated to their father, appears at the end of the history. It is dated March 15, 1946.

There by the road stands our dear old home

Where once we did dwell.

With Mother and Dad we would roam

O’er our homestead we loved so well.

We would sit by the fire on a winter night

Talking happy and gay.

Sometimes Dad would read while the fire burns bright,

The Bible, and then, he would pray

That God would watch over his loved ones dear

And our neighbors all around.

We would feel God’s presence near

As we knelt in that circle round.

Mother was a favorite of us all.

Dad loved her very dear.

We did love to hear her call

When the evening time was near.

She could soothe away our worries and frowns

And make us want to smile.

Oh, how I wish we could now sit down

With Mother and Dad for a while.

On January tenth, nineteen and thirty-nine,

I shall never forget that day,

God called our mother, leaving us behind

To worry along on life’s way.

God needed another angel fair

To live in His heavenly domain,

So He took our mother, with her love so rare,

To dwell in that home of fame.

We sure loved our dear old dad,

Though he ruled us with a vim.

He was the best friend we ever had

And we thought the world of him.

I shall never forget that Saturday night,

As the clock was striking nine,

As we sat around the fireside bright

Dad left us behind.

It was on December 16, 1944,

While our friends were standing around,

We had done all we could and could do no more.

The Death Angel of the Lord came down.

He took the breath from our darling dad,

And Dad will suffer no more,

But our hearts will always be lonesome and sad

Until we meet on that golden shore.

The Life of Pioneers 12

18 Monday May 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This final part of the history includes information regarding sugar-making.

So the time of year for sugar making has arrived. You see, the sugar and syrup supplied on the farm came from big sugar maple trees. This operation began usually in the early spring and lasted about 30 days. First the trees had to be tapped. To do this a large 2 inch auger was used to bore holes at a 45 degree angle downward in the tree or if no auger was available deep cup like notches were cut in the trees with an ax. Then a small auger was used to bore holes slanting upward into the holes made by boring with larger auger or ax. Now a little hollow piece of wood called a spline was needed. To get this elder bushes were used. A piece about a foot long with the ___ removed forming a pipe. This was driven up ___ in the small holes in the tree. he spline extended out from the tree far enough to reach buckets or troughs. The juice from the trees poured out through the splines into the troughs. The troughs were made by cutting down a buckeye or basswood tree about 16 inches in diameter and sawing in block about 3 feet long. These blocks were splint in halves and each half or the flat side chopped or dug out as it was called. A foot adz was used for this operation. These troughs, which held at least 5 gallons were placed under the splines in trees to catch the sap or juice. They usually had 75 to 100 trees tapped. Several large kettles were set in rock and clay furnaces. Also the molasses pan was used, too. The sugar water or juice from the trees was carried and poured in these kettles and the evaporator pan. Fires were built and it was boiled in to syrup and sugar. Boy, this took a lot of work and long hours. I’ve heard Granny tell many times about sugar making time. I have eaten some of this sugar and syrup and it was sure good. Even if the old pioneer lived a hard life I’ll say one thing: He sure had better food than we have now.

The Life of Pioneers 11

22 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek, Timber

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding timbering and rafting.

Now the timbering began. The men and boys would go into the forest and cut and saw down big trees. They would cut off the limbs and top the logs off, then peel all the bark off. Now the logs were slipped down the hills into the branch or valley. The next step was to get the logs to the creek. So this was done by hauling with teams of mules, horses, or oxen. Most folks done their hauling with a big ox team. The ox team consisted of from 4 to 8 yoke of oxen. A yoke was a heavy piece of wood carved and shaped to fit the necks of the steers. It was about 5 feet long and had two curved bows on each end called ox bows. They were put up around the oxen’s neck and through holes in the yoke and held in the yoke by a piece of wood called a key. A steeple of iron was installed in the center of the yoke used for hooking the chain and coupling the teams together. Now after the team was driven up and turned around in front of a log, a long chain called a draft chain was hitched around the log or a pair of “grabs” driven in the log and the chain hitched to them.

So the big ox driver cracked his whip and away the trek began toward the creek bank which was where the logs were hauled till enough logs were banked, as it was called, to make a raft when it rained and the creek arose up big enough to float the logs. They were rolled in the creek with cant hooks or log ______.

The logs were floated down near the river and caught by a device called a boom. Here the logs were placed side by side and end to end. Then poles were nailed to the logs by chain dogs. A chain dog was two wedge-shaped pieces of iron fastened together with a chain about one foot long. These wedge-shaped irons were driven into the logs, holding them to the poles.

Now the raft was made. A raft usually was about 20 feet wide and maybe 300 feet long. A gadget called an oar blade was put on each end of the raft. An oar blade was a board about 12 feet long, 12 inches wide, and 1/2 inch thick on one end and two inches thick on the other end. The thick end was nailed on a pole about four inches in diameter and 20 feet long. A ____ was driven in the end of a log on each end of raft. Then the pole blade had a hole drilled in it. Now it was placed on the peg in the log, making it swivel or work on a pivot. Two men run each raft. They had a large cable or rope about 100 feet long used for tying up the raft when they wanted to stop overnight.

Tying a raft up to a tree was a hard job and very dangerous. Many men were drowned at it. The raft was pushed or guided close to the bank of the river and one man would jump off and run along the river bank beside the raft and the other man on the raft would throw the end of the cable out to the man on the bank and he would put the raft around a big tree and tie the raft up. It took quick men who knew their job to do this type of work.

After tying up their raft, a buyer was found and he came and measured their logs and paid them and they walked back home, sometimes 100 miles. When the men got back home from the timber cruise, they paid off their debts and bought a few clothes, coffee, flour, salt, etc. And time marched on.

The Life of Pioneers 10

15 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding fall food preparation, the making of molasses, and hunting.

In the late summer and fall months, people were kept busy preparing and putting up or canning food for winter. Vegetables were pickled berries, picked and canned through the summer and fall. Corn and beans were pickled by cooking and putting in a big barrel. Salt was added and a good lid put on the barrel to keep out rats and insects. Boy, these were good in winter. Apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and plums were gathered and canned from the orchard, which had been set out earlier.

Now that good old molasses making took place. First, large stacks of wood were prepared and dried. Now the cane had to be cut and the blades pulled off or stripped and the heads cut off. Now a furnace built and an evaporator pan set on the furnace. A machine with cogs and wheels and a long crooked pole on top with a horse or mule pulling the pole round and round: this was called a cane mill. You see, as the mule went around the stalks of cane were put in between two or three big rollers set close together and the juice squeezed out of the stalks. The juice was caught in a big tub and then transferred to the big pan to be boiled into sorghum. I liked to lick sorghum from a paddle swiped through the molasses pan. Everybody had a good time at “lassy makin’ time,” even though it was hard work.

Cushaws, squashes and pumpkin were gathered into the cellar or crib. Corn gathering was done by pulling corn of the stalks some time it had been cut and shocked up. It was hauled into the crib with mules or horses or cattle.

Now that everything was gathered in, a little pleasure followed. Squirrel , rabbit, quail, pheasant, and coon and possum hunting was done by most all the pioneers. They obtained lots of their meat supply by hunting wild game. Some folks hunted animals for their skins, which were sold, bringing in a little cash.

The Life of Pioneers 9

12 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding industry, clearing of land, farming, and square dances.

The chief industries in those days were farming, raising stock, and timbering. Farming began with axes, saws, and mattocks all swinging. A good piece of land was chosen and clearing it began by chopping and sawing down all the trees on it. The trees had to be trimmed up. That was cutting off all the branches as limbs and putting them in big heaps or piles. The logs of the trees had to be sawed in lengths so they could be rolled together in piles for hauling. All small bushes were grubbed up and put on the brush piles. Clearing land was done mostly during winter months as soon as the land was cleared of all trees and brush and it piled up. Then began the burning of brush and logs. This usually took two or three days and it was hard work. After the burning off was completed, a nice big field or new ground as it was called was now the farmer’s pride. Planting began by sowing seed beds and planting vegetables. Corn was planted in late April or early May. Usually it was hoed two times, once when about 8 to 12 inches high and again when it was about 24 to 30 inches high. People in those days swapped work or had “corn hoeing.” Everybody for several miles around came to help at the workings or corn hoeing. The women came along, too. They usually had quilting parties and also helped with the cooking. Boy, they sure had plenty to eat at the big workings. They had chicken and dumplings, beans, bacon, onions, and corn dodger and lots of other eats from the farm. Everybody gathered around after the day’s work was over.

As soon as supper was over and the dishes washed and put away the beds were moved out of the room called the big house. Then the young men and young women began dancing. Square dancing was a thrilling experience. Some one who knew how called out the reels. The dancers then performed the instruction of the caller. A string band consisting of a fiddle, banjo, and sometimes a guitar furnished the music for the dance. They had refreshments of wine or liquor most all the men took part in the drinking. The girls seldom ever drank. If anyone got drunk he was put out of the dancing or off the floor as they called it. Sometimes the boys would have fist fights over the girls which never amounted to much. After the dance was over, the beds were put back in the big house room and the neighbors all said good night and went home tired and sleepy. All these things happened as time moved along.

The Life of Pioneers 8

06 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek, Spottswood

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding hogs and the smoke house.

The hogs furnished the main meat supply. Most farmers let their hogs run loose out on the mast as they called it till late fall. Nuts were plentiful in those days. Around the last of November some of the largest hogs were called in and put up in a floored pen with a big trough placed inside the pen so the hogs could be watered and fed often. They were fed plenty of corn till around Christmas. Then they were butchered or killed for meat.

Hog killing time was a lot of fun and good eating. It began with the hogs being well fattened as they called it. Some big kettles were set in a furnace and filled with water, then a fire was built around the kettles to heat the water. Firewood was plentiful and they sure used a lot of it. A large barrel was set down in the ground about 2 feet. The barrel was tilted over to about a 45 degree angle. Next a board platform was made around 6 feet square. It was moved up till it touched the barrel. Now a hog was either shot or hit in the head with a hammer. Either way it was killed neat. A butcher knife was plunged in the hog’s neck, the point of the knife touching the heart. Now after the hog had bled most all of the blood out of it they dragged him up on the platform before the barrel. Now the hot water from the kettles was poured in the scalding barrel, then the hog would be pushed into the barrel by men and rolled over a time or two. Now they changed ends, with the hog scalding the whole hog. Well, the hair was scraped off with big knives. Now he was hanged up about 6 feet on some object. A stick called a gammor stick, which was about 2 feet long and 2 inches in diameter sharp on both ends, it was struck through the _____ of the hind legs of hog. This held him up while the intestines were removed by splitting the hog down his belly. Now some folks come from a long way just to roast the kidneys and _____. Next Mr. Hog was carried to the smoke house, laid on a heavy table and cut up as they called it.

First after the hog was laid on the cutting table its feet and head were cut off neat all the lean meat was cut out for making sausage. A lot of the fat was cut out for rendering lard. Now the 2 hams and 2 shoulders were cut off, leaving 2 big middlings. Now the pieces were carried in the smoke house, salted, and stacked in a big trough that had been made from a large log being chopped or dug out with a tool called a foot adz and axe. This trough was made to hold the pork. Now the meat had to be hung and smoked so a lot of hickory limbs about the size of your big finger and 3 feet long with a fork on the big end, these were tied to form a loop. These loops were slipped over poles laid on the joist in the smoke house. Now the meat had holes cut in it and the meat was hooked to the loop on the joist. Now for smoking: A fire made from green hickory wood was built on the ground under the meat so the smoke filtered up through the meat and it got smoked in the process. After it had been smoked several weeks it was taken down and sprinkled and covered with a mixture of black pepper, sugar, ashes, saltpeter, etc. Now it was again stacked in the big trough and covered up to keep out rats, mice, etc. Boy it was good eatin’.

The smoke house was also used to keep meat, a barrel of flour, a barrel of salt, a can of lard, and I remember we always kept a pair of old scales to weight farm products on. Also the family weighed each other to see who was the heaviest. Boy, this smoke house took a lot of paper and time but it played an important part in the lives of the pioneers.

The Life of Pioneers 7

29 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding coffee, livestock, and pets.

Coffee in those days came in the green berries split in half so you had to roast the berries then put them in a little machine known as a coffee mill. It had a little crank on top which you turned by hand, grinding the coffee up in small pieces. Now it could be put in the pot, add water, build a fire, and make coffee.

A farmer had to raise a large crop of corn along with grass, some for hay and some for pasture or grazing.

The livestock on a farm consisted of horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, chicken, turkeys, geese, ducks, dogs, cats, etc. The horses were used to ride and pull heavy loads around the farm. Cattle were used for beef, also for hauling big loads. They got milk from the cows too. Sheep were used for mutton. Wool from them supplied much of the family’s clothes. Wool was sheared off the sheep, then it was carded by using two small boards, one foot long, five inches wide, about three fourth of an inch thick. The cards had short stiff wife about 1/2 inch long on one side and one handle on each. The wool was put on the wire side of the cards in small amounts and the cards pulled back and forth over the wool and finally the wool was rolled in a roll about 1 inch in diameter and 2 feet long. Now it was ready for the spinning wheel. The spinning made the thread from the rolls of wool. Then the wool was put in the loom and woven into cloth. Warm winter clothes were made from the woolen cloth. Boy it took a lot of work to produce clothes this way but they were well worth it. The duck and geese furnished meat and feathers. The feathers were used for making pillows and big feather beds to put on the shuck or straw mattress. Boy you sure could sleep well on those beds if it wasn’t for the big old clock striking often and so loud. The chickens and turkeys furnished meat and eggs also. The ducks and geese furnished eggs too. Yes, and the rooster was the alarm clock. The dogs were used as watch dogs for chasing away varmints and running squirrel and rabbit, etc. The cats caught lots of mice and chipmunks.

The Life of Pioneers 6

22 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding garden food and butter-making.

Everyone had a large garden which produced much of the eating of old-timers. Beans, corn, cucumbers, potatoes, beets, melons, pumpkins, squash, onions, mustard, and lettuce, parsnips, were all produced in large quantities. Yes, cabbage, tomatoes, peas, and a lot I’ve forgotten.

Most pioneers had an orchard of apples, pear, peaches, plums from which they got a lot of good eating. These fruits were put up in many ways, especially apples. They were canned, sulfured, dried, and made into apple butter. Making apple butter was done by peeling a lot of apples and slicing them up in small pieces. Then putting them in a big copper or brass kettle which was set in a furnace. To keep the apple butter from sticking or burning in the kettle after a fire was built around it a stir stick was used. To describe a stir stick it was a piece of one by five inch board about 2 feet long with a lot of holes bored in it. A handle was fastened to the top end of the board. The handle was around 8 feet long and was pushed and pulled across and around in the kettle of apples all day long. Apples were added to the big kettle about noon. Then the sugar or molasses was added along with flavor such as vanilla or cinnamon bark which gave the apple butter a good taste. After the sweetening was put in the butter began to flop out everywhere. You had to stir fast and watch out for the flopping butter because if it hit you it burned badly. Boyd I liked to lick those apple butter spoons. Well, enough about apple butter.

We mentioned butter from milk but never told how it was made. The milk from the cow was strained and put in a stone churn size 4 gallon. It was left in the churn until it soured or got thick as they called it. Then it was churned up and down by a churn-dasher: a one by 6 inch circular piece of wood on a handle. After it was churned about 30 minutes butter would form on top of the milk. Then it was dipped off with a spoon and put in a dish, salted, and set up to get cold. So long, butter.

The Life of Pioneers 5

18 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding clothes washing and outbuildings.

The pioneers done their own washing of clothes. They had a large black kettle set in a furnace made of mud and rocks. The kettle was partly filled with water and some homemade soap added to the water. Then the dirty clothes were dumped in the kettle and a fire built around the kettle and a fire built around the kettle to make it boil. After the clothes had boiled a while a small batch of them was taken out at a time and laid on a large block about 2 feet high and 2 feet in diameter. Then a paddle about 3 feet long 1 inch thick and 4 inches wide was used to pound the clothes as they were taken from the big kettle and placed on the bottling block as it was called. While the clothes were being pounded with the paddle the hot water and dirt would fly everyway. You had to watch out and not get burned from hot water. It was hard work, but the clothes were made clean. Later on a few people got hold of a gadget called a wash board. It had corrugated tin fastened on one side and the clothes were soaped and wet then rubbed up and down on the wash board which took the dirt out of them. This was a hard way doing laundry.

There had to be several buildings erected on the farm, such as barn for cows and horses to be sheltered in, sheep house for sheep. Cribs for corn. A smoke house to keep meat. Salt, flour, meal, etc. in a well house near the well. I will describe one or two of these houses. The well house first. It was about 6 feet wide by 10 feet long and had no floor except the dirt or ground. Some big flat rocks were laid on the ground in the well house and large tubs set on the rocks. Cold water from the well was poured in the tubs and milk, eggs, butter, etc. were set in the water to keep them cool. Water had to be changed 2 or 3 times a day especially on hot days. Now the smoke house. It was about 10 X 16 feet and had a floor in the front end. About 6 feet of floor across the back was left out. The ground space in back of smoke house was used for building a fire to smoke the meat. That would be stored in later. Some folks who put up a lot of canned vegetables made a cellar or can-house for them. The cellar was made by digging a hole in the side of a hill near the house and boarding it up or cribbing it up with logs, which ever were available. Shelves were made in it and the canned vegetables stored away.

The Life of Pioneers 4

05 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding the well and bathing.

To get the water supply, a large hole was dug in the earth down till water was reached. Then a flat rock wall was made around the edge of the well to keep the dirt from falling in and filling up. Also the rocks kept the water clean and clear. Some folks had springs nearby from which they got their water. To get the water from a well a large post 12 or 15 feet high with forks on the top of it was set in the ground near the well. Then a long pole about 30 feet long was laid up in the fork of the post and a pin put through forks and pole. It worked as a swivel or pivot and was called a well sweep or ______. These words were not found in any dictionary. They were pioneer slang and to convey messages or to tell the idea to each other.

Back to getting the water out of the well. A long wire, chain, rope, or grapevine was tied on top of the pivot pole and the bottom end of the rope was tied to a oaken bucket. The bucket was made of oak staves and hoops or bands. The bucket was lowered in the well by pulling down the pivot pole. When the bucket was filled with water the pole or pivot drew the water up out of the well. So that was one way of getting water. It always worked too. Some pioneers had a wheel called a pulley with a chain or rope run through it and a bucket on each end of rope so you lowered one bucket in the well to be filled with water, then you pulled water up by hand at the same time lowering the other empty bucket.

Bathrooms were unheard of in those days. So to get a bath you put water in a big kettle, heated it with firewood, then poured the water in a big trough made from a big log that had been chopped out, or dug out as they said, which formed a basin for holding water. Then in you got and washed off, as it was called. If they did not have a trough or big tub for a bath, they just went down to the creek to the old swimming hole and stripped off all clothes and got in and washed off. Boy, I bet there were lots of peeping Toms in those days.

The Life of Pioneers 3

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding interior furnishings of log cabins.

For light they had candles and oil lamps which usually set on the, you guessed it, the dresser. Also the pills and bottles of medicine such as Samaraten oil, Turpentine, Iodine, Castor oil, Epsom salts, swamp root, Raymond’s pills, etc. all were setting on dresser. Some of these were put on a long board over the fire place. This board was called a fire board mantel. Now maybe a little table called a stand table and a trunk. This was about all the big house had in the way of furniture.

The people always had plenty of quilts and blankets and feather bed and shuck or straw mattresses, good big pillows. Boy, you sure could sleep soundly if it wasn’t for the big old clock striking so loud.

The kitchen had a table for eating with a long bench behind it next to the wall. Also a small table to set water and other things on. Yes, they had a cupboard safe to keep food and dishes, knives and forks, spoons, butcher knives, etc. in. And as to the way of cooking, some people cooked the old way over a big wood fire in the fireplace using what was known as a skillet and lid. Later they had stoves. A little stove with a step-up in the middle of it. They called it a step stove. The skillets, pots, pans and etc. were hung on the nails driven in the wall near the stove.

They had old time flat irons which were used to iron or press their linens and clothes with. Not too much pressing was done.

The kitchen had a small cellar under the floor. It was cribbed or boarded up and had shelves for storing canned vegetables and sweet potatoes.

To keep out the cold air the cracks between the logs of house were filled with clay. It was called chinking or daubing the house.

The Life of Pioneers 2

19 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by in Big Harts Creek, Spottswood, Warren

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding log cabins and interior furnishings.

Now for naming the rooms of the building. The larger building had a partition run across it cutting off 12 feet on one end and leaving 18 feet on the other end. The big room was called the “Big House” and the small one was just plain back room. The ell was called the kitchen. A ladder made of pins and driven in the logs formed a stairway to the upper floor of the main building. Some time they got hold of lumber and made a sort of winding stairway to the second floor of their houses.

Now for the heating system. Well, a section of logs was cut out in the end of the big house and back end of the kitchen a section of floor was left out for the hearth which was made of big flat rocks. Now two structures were erected made of rocks and clay. These rock structures were 2 or 3 feet in diameter and hollow. They towered on above the buildings. They were made hollow so the smoke from the fire would escape through them. They were called chimneys.

Now for the furniture of the pioneer. The furniture mostly consisted of beds. Usually 2 set in the big house, one on each side of the fireplace, one or 2 in the back room and 2 or 3 upstairs. A dresser which had a chest of drawers and a mirror or looking glass as it was called sat in the big house.

Also a chest of drawers without a mirror, but it had a big pitcher and bowl set on it. This was called the washstand. The drawers of these two pieces of furniture were filled with linens such as sheets, pillows, slips, towels, shirts, socks, dresses, etc. All important papers were kept in the top small drawers, as well as razor soap, shaving mugs, hair and clothes brushes, etc.

They had large wall clocks which were kept on shelves nailed up high on the wall to keep the children from them. These clocks were wound with keys or cranks. Some of them were wound each night and some run 8 days with one winding. They struck or banged away every hour and 1/2 hour. A small hammer hit a gong or a big spring inside the clock. Boy, you had to be a sound sleeper not to be waked by those old time clocks.

As clothes presses were unheard of, all clothing that couldn’t be put in the dresser drawers were hung on the wall or behind doors by nails in the walls.

Every body had a shotgun or an old hog rifle as it was called and it was set behind the door too.

Yes they had chairs made from hard wood. They were made by boring holes in pieces of round wood about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and putting little sticks called rounds in the holes. The bottoms or seats were made of hickory bark laced back and forth across the top rounds of chair. The back legs of a chair were longer than the front, reaching up to your shoulders when sitting down. They were held together with thin pieces of board for a back rest.

The Life of Pioneers 1

16 Monday Feb 2015

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This history of early life in Logan County, West Virginia, was written by Howard and Daisy Adams. Howard (1906-1976) and Daisy (b.1915) were children of Major and Belle Dora Adams of Trace Fork of Harts Creek. Titled “The life of pioneers during the latter half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the 19th century” and written in the late 1960s or early 1970s, their history marks the only known attempt by local people to reconstruct the story of pioneer life. This part of the history includes information regarding weddings and log cabins.

The settlements were few and far between, meaning the population was not crowded too much. Regardless of distances a few people, young men and young women, met and got acquainted and after a boy had gone to see one girl several times it was called going sparkin’ or courting. Well after a while they got to caring a lot for each other and found they were in love. Now they decided they loved each other dearly and wanted to get married. So the boy got up enough nerve and asked the parents of the girl for her hand in marriage. When the parents consented a date was set for the wedding. Next a marriage license was secured and a big dinner was prepared at the home of the bride. A parson was found and asked to perform the wedding ceremony. People or friends of both families came for several miles to attend the wedding. Rings and honeymoons were hardly ever mentioned by poor folks. As soon as the parson had performed the wedding and hand-shaking and qreeting, wishing both bride and groom good luck was over now, began the eating of the wedding dinner or supper, whichever name suited the hour of the day. Next wine or liquor was set up and a little drinking was done by all including most parsons too. If the boy failed to set up drinks to his friends the crowd would get out a lot of cow bells and ring them all around or sometimes a fence rail was brought in and the boy forced to ride the rail as it was called. Well so much for the wedding. Usually a square dance followed on the night of the wedding.

Now as the young man and his wife had to make a living for themselves they selected a tract of land or section as it was called. Sometimes people could file a claim on land. Other times it was bought cheap or a parent deeded his heir a piece of land. Most all the land in this county at this time was covered with forests of timber, such as large trees, brush, rock, etc. So first a clearing had to be made for a set of farm building by cutting down all the trees on the spot selected. The only available building material was the timber or logs cut down from clearing the land. A site was chosen for the dwelling house. Now enough logs were picked out and cut to the proper length for the building. A foundation was made using rocks around 12 inches square. They were piled up around the outside dimensions of foundation to correct height for leveling building. Now two long oak logs were laid on foundation rocks. These were laid the long way of building and called “bed sills.” Then smaller logs were laid crosswise on the sills spaced 2 or 3 feet apart. These were called sleepers. They were to support the floor of the house. The floor of a pioneer house was made by splitting large trees and turning the split of flat side up. They were notched on bottom and leveled up on the sleeper. A lot of chopping had to be done to get the floor level. These floor logs were called “Puncheons.” Now the walls of the house was made by the logs laid on top of each other and notched at the ends to hold them in place. A lot of old timers made two story houses, which were around 16 feet high. So far we have not mentioned the size of the house. The average house was 18 feet wide by 30 feet long and one story about 7/12 feet, a two story around 14 to 16 feet high. Now back to building our house. The logs were laid up to the roof. Even the gable ends and roof framing made of logs. Now the roof or cover for a house was made by cutting a large oak tree and sawing the tree in blocks 2 or 3 feet long. These blocks were split up into thin pieces about 1/2 inch thick and they were called boards. These were nailed or pined on roof timbers. Sometimes when there were no nails boards were weighted down with rocks or heavy timbers to keep them in place or to keep them from blowing off. Now we have the house built. They had to saw out doors and windows. Strips of wood were nailed or pined to outside of logs where a door or window was the be made. Window glass was not around in those days so a shutter was made of boards for to shut the windows or a sliding window made. Door locks were hard to find so the door which was made of boards too had to be held closed by a piece of wood 2 inches wide by 6 inches long by one inch thick nailed on inside door facing with one nail in its center. It turned around and around and was called a door button. Most houses had an ell attached to the main building. The ell was made of same construction as main house. Its size was about 14 feet wide and 20 feet long and one story high.