Presenting Frontier Wisconsin.
This is the story of Southeastern Wisconsin's
first pioneer settlers.
It is a story which climaxes a Western movement from
New England and New York.
A story of the first and second generation
Americans who came west, seeking homes on the gently
rolling Wisconsin countryside.
Perhaps that first home was a cabin very
much the same as this.
The year was 1842.
Six more years were yet to pass before this Wisconsin
territory was to become a state.
Tyler was president and Dori was territorial governor.
And to the west, gold still lay hidden and undiscovered.
Now with the guidance of the staff here at
the Historical Museum, let's explore the lives of
these early pioneers on the frontier of Wisconsin.
Typical of many of the cabins built in the Old
Northwest in the states that were formed from it,
is this one.
A rather small compact size measuring something
like 16 by 12 feet, or that 5 by 7 foot
afterthought, or shed or lean to attached at the back end
to accommodate in this home rather large loom.
Though that first home was roughly built, they made it
as comfortable as they could.
There was no running water as we have today, but an
item very much a part of our breakfast preparation
was present on this scene as well.
Although it didn't pop up as ours do, the pioneers
did have a toaster.
The toaster in this form known as a toasting
fork, made a viren, sometimes decorated
with a little filigree work as this one is,
but still a rather simple home implement.
Designed a hole to bits of bread for placing against the heat
of the fire to secure toast, very much in the same way
as we might grill toast in our own ovens today.
Our grandmother is preparing toast for
early morning breakfast.
We see that mother is busy sweeping up in preparation
for the day's activities of sewing and so forth.
She is using not a store-bought broom, but a homemade broom,
one made from a branch of birch, and called,
familiarly, the birch splint broom,
laboriously hand-done by knife, by shaving carefully,
layer after layer from the original branch, twisting
it back, binding it to form the brush or broom.
I see that grandmother is having a little difficulty getting
her toast to the proper turn, and she's stimulating the
fire with the bellows.
This is quite an improvement over the ancient method
of blowing on a fire.
The bellows used in many forms and sizes, from this tiny
domestic type to the great, almost house-sized bellows
that might be found in a large blacksmith shop.
Well, let's hope the toast isn't burned this morning.
At one can well imagine that it might have happened,
perhaps a little too often.
Among the things the pioneers brought west with them were the
cooking and eating utensils.
The Rogers brothers' patterns weren't an
evidence on the scene.
One can be sure of that, but let's take a look
at what they did have.
Well, we can't really enjoy our morning toast without
some good strong fresh coffee out of the canister that
holds the supply of precious coffee beans.
The grandmother's taking a couple of handfuls
to prime the hopper on her little coffee mill.
Closing the trap, she's ready to turn the handle that
activates the small beard, the brains, these hard
beans into a form usable to brew coffee.
The ground coffee accumulates in this little drawer
and can be dumped directly into the coffee pot.
In this case, we'll make our coffee this morning by
boiling water into this pot and letting it steep.
[ Background noise ]
Other equipment are necessary to get breakfast on the table.
We might mention the dishes in this case of pure.
They might be homemade dishes if the family were not as well
set as this carved of wood.
Other metals used might be copper or brass
for mugs and cups.
Very good time silver for knife and fork, but in
this case, nearly steel.
Possibly if the family's living where Buffalo had
been recently in the past, we might find spoons
carved out of buffalo horns such as this one.
Switching to a grandmother over at the fireplace,
we'll see some of the other pieces of equipment that are
necessary to prepare meals and engage in other
activities at the center of the home, the fireplace.
The most massive piece of iron we see here is a swinging crane
from which can be suspended by pot hooks and tramples,
the various size and shaped vessels used to prepare food.
From these kettles in which we might boil potatoes
or other vegetables, we can secure the vegetables
by use of this strainer.
Food under preparation requires stirring would be
stirred with these wooden paddles or stirring sticks.
A small chop or other small bit of meat might
be roasted for a single meal on this roasting fork.
For the entire family, a cut of meat such as a
round steak would be placed on this whirling griddle
which would be placed in the hot embers under the
logs and the fireplace.
The trivet is a common item even to us today.
Here we find it in the colonial home used to keep hot dishes
and pans from the surface of the table or other wooden surface
on which food would be served.
We've mentioned the whirling griddle.
We have here another special griddle which is made to be
suspended from the swinging crane for roasting meats.
The great favorite among housewives was the Dutch oven.
We've noticed that many of the articles in the fireplace
have their own legs and here the Dutch oven is also
supplied with legs as a separate part of the equipment
and has a massive cover.
One needs more than pots and pans to make a meal however and
it looks like our provider might be preparing to go in search
of fresh meat for a coming meal.
Game was plentiful and although a hunting trip took
valuable time from farming duties, it was necessity.
By 1842 the rifle was no longer needed as a defense against the
Indian for ten years had passed since the defeat of Black Hawk.
Although this defeat was not one of which we today can feel
particularly proud, it did serve as an object lesson to
other tribes so that never again were white settlers in
danger from an Indian uprising.
Now let's take a closer look at that rifle.
Just as there was a change in our lives on the frontier with
the passage of the Indian menace so there was a change about
this time in the type of fire arm that was in common use.
We all have heard and have seen in use on television the
old Flintlock musket.
This was replaced in the 1830s by the
percussion musket or rifle.
Loading procedures still follow pretty much the same
pattern, introduction of powder from a powder flask, usually
a measured amount depending on the weight of the ball
or other factors involved.
The ball in this case a conical projectile actually is
introduced together with its gas ceiling oiled patch and the
whole ram down into the base of the gun with the ramrod.
Returning the ramrod to its place, ball still has one
step to charge this gun or make it ready to shoot.
We mentioned this was a percussion weapon and the
percussion cap, a tiny copper open end cylinder with mercury
fominate is attached to a nipple and to fire the figures
pulled in the hammer falls upon this igniting fominate.
Because of Wisconsin's location near the Great Lakes and her
system of rivers and streams, these pioneers were not as
isolated from the east as one might at first believe.
Male followed the settlers by the same route that
they had taken from the east via the Erick Canal.
Listen to what one of these letters was like.
Father received the letter of the 13th of last month.
The box of cloth was shipped at
Virgin October 2, 1841.
On board the packet vote, Jay
Sherman, Mark John T.
Heath. Oak Creek was concerned and was
receded by Jane Webster Buffalo, New York October 11, 1841.
"Fraith paid to Buffalo.
I could not find out who Jane Webster
shipped their goods to in Milwaukee.
If it does not arrive this spring, a Chapman says he
can get the box or the pay for it.
The box weighed 55 pounds.
The weather has been uncommonly warm and changeable and a
great deal of sickness.
Russell Eastman and his wife are both
deceased. They attended a protracted Methodist meeting
at the burrow for about 10 or 12 days in succession
and were both taken deranged about the same time and
continued so for about one week.
Your physicians did not think that they were disordered
in any way except mentally.
Russell died on the 7th of the 2nd month and Patty on the
9th and were both interred in the same grave on the 11th.
Their funeral was attended by the largest concourse of
people. I ever saw together upon such an occasion.
William Rutherford's wife and George Thomas's wife
also died this winter.
Their deaths were occasioned by the
prevailing epidemic called here the Putrid Sorthrood,
which has taken a great many from time to eternity.
Ellen Beers has been very sick with it but is now
quite comfortable and for it continues very smart
considering her great age.
My mother and sister were here a few weeks since and we're
in good health.
We are all in good health as is the case
with our friends generally affectionately and good.
This is the trunk whose condition attest to its long
voyage from the shores of Vermont on Lake Champlain to
this little home in the west in Southeastern Wisconsin.
Here the relatives have lovingly placed things prepared for our
little family on the frontier.
This beautiful quilt of small size is obviously designed for
one of the children's frontal bed up in the sleeping loft.
The husband for the youngster a beautifully fashioned
dress. Very nicely crocheted table cloth which probably
will be reserved for the very special occasion.
This is a curtain also I'm sure to be reserved not just
for a special occasion but for that new house that
mother is hoping that father will build in a year or two.
This tiny bonnet will keep the sun from preckling
the young daughter's face.
Here a skirt for mother that she can wear to a hold
down or a barn raising celebration later this fall.
Finally a massive heavy bed coverlet will help to
hold down the covers and other bed clothing during
the long winter nights.
Farmland in this territory could be purchased for a
dollar quarter an acre and the most desirable land contained
open prairie ready for the plow, woodlands for shelter,
building material and fuel.
And some marshland was desirable for hay.
Our young father has returned from his hunting trip and before
he goes into the field to work let's go outside for a moment
and examine some of the farm implements he may have used.
First this heavy hand carved scoop shovel with which
father hopes to handle the expected great bounty
and harvest of next year.
And one corner of father's acreage is a marsh and with
this hay fork he hopes to handle the again bond of production
of hay from that area.
Another corner of the farm is in an old Tamarack bog
and from this father hopes to cut the peat to fill
out his supply of firewood for the winter evenings.
Not all settlers were as fortunate as father and having
on his farm a fine spring although some distance from
the house was still no task to bring water from the
spring into the house with the use of this shoulder yoke.
And a father to carry two pails of water and still
leave his hands essentially free for carrying some
other object or a weapon.
Among the tasks performed by the pioneer homemaker
was that of candle making.
One might imagine that if there were a young David Crockett
in the family this task might well be his responsibility
but in this young family the task falls to mother.
Fortunately we're in a time now even this early in the
19th century when little home machines have been developed
from the days of old methods of dipping candle by hand
we've reached this point of the little candle factory.
The device for pouring six evenly sized and evenly
coated panels at one time.
In the comparative comfort of the east this family probably
purchased cloth goods and now our young mother must relearn
from the older generation the art of spinning and weaving.
This time consuming occupation would reap its own dividends
when winter slid down from Canada.
So the older teach the younger a skill which
grandmother herself may have practiced on another
frontier further east.
Now we must make our cloth out of wool or flags.
We card the wool here to pull out all
the snarls and make it smooth.
Then we have some right here spinning wheel take off a
little piece and twist the fibers of the wool together
very tightly and carefully.
You start the spinning wheel this is the spindle
and this is the wheel.
If you turn the wheel you notice that the thread goes round
and round.
The foot trettle of course you may use two but
sometimes it goes very fast so you have to start carefully so
that you can make your thread and get it wound together.
Then of course when you made it then you can really weave
some cloth come and see.
This is a two harness loom and these are the two headles
and over here is the yarn or thread beam.
The yarn is wound on it and here is the
cloth beam where it's wound after your cloth is made.
I'm making a table runner here.
You notice that thread which goes this way is the warp
thread and this is the weft.
Now this is in a shuffle little bobbin with the thread on
it and you notice the foot trettles.
They go back and forth regulate the headles here.
This the reed or the baton is used after the thread
goes through.
Now when I push down one pedal I separate
the threads of the warp and make a sort of a little shed,
a little opening in here.
I put the shuttle right inside and has the thread in it and
I throw the shuttle across, pull it out and I have my thread
here and I make it snug or tight by pulling down the baton.
Then of course it's shot back again the other way again
through the shed and you get this pretty pattern.
You think you could do it now?
By the 1840s the newspaper was an established American
institution. Even here in Pioneer Wisconsin the weekly
was serving as a link between East and West as well as between
widely separated neighbors.
And out here where a trip to town was an event the newspaper
helped the early American citizen to feel a little less
alone a little less lonely.
A general assortment of hardware and cutlery including
carpenter tools, shoemaker tools and trimmings, axes,
cooking utensils, looking glasses, red cords, plow
lines, sashboards, trace and holder chains and wool cards.
All sold groceries, linseed and sproom oil, sperm and
tallow candles, tobacco and cigars are various qualities.
A letter writer in Wisconsin declared that the territory
presents to the immigrant all varieties of picture
us scenery afforded by the portion of the far west.
It has perhaps some more convenient intermixed real
prairie, opening and heavy timber than any other region.
Its prairies are generally but a few miles in width
and often into spruce with groves of timber during an
extent from 10 to 1000 acres.
Broadcloths and so forth, a large assortment of broadcloths,
satinettes, jeans, linen and cottonwoods for summer
clothing, water crackers, axes, Simon's cast steel
premium axes just received.
Herings, 20 boxes of fine herrings just received
by Westman Cracker.
When evening came and darkness brought the working day in
the fields to a close, the family was together as a
group again.
The candles and lamps were lit but still this
was not a time of leisure.
A time of slowing down perhaps, but not leisure.
If father was handy at carving you might
say it was his hobby, but the carving was put toward
something of a useful nature.
The lighting of the lamps meant the day was all but over, for
these folks must retire early.
Before they leave us however let's take a look at some
of their lighting equipment.
Mother is expecting company this evening and that necessitated
putting a light outside to guide them to this door.
The lantern that she carried to the
door is a rear lantern designed to be used out of doors.
Father noticed an item in the paper at the local
hardware establishment that not only tallow but sperm
tallow candles were available.
Also that sperm oil was available and it is the
oil of that marine animal that is very likely burning
in this tiny betty lamp, usually a smelly smoky affair.
As a candle progresses in its burning we find a wavering and
smoking occurring that is easily controlled by nipping off the
carbonized or charred tip of the wick with a candle trimmer.
As night has fallen we not only have to dispel the darkness
by lighting our candles and lamps but also to dispel
the coal that is creeping in under the door and is
probably causing grandmother's feet to wish that they were
tucked away someplace else.
Mother has kindly filled the little foot warmer with hot
holes from the fireplace so that grandmother can warm
her feet before the night progresses much further.
You probably haven't noticed where the bedroom is but then
there really isn't one in our sense of the word.
That loft up there below the roof
was their master bedroom and sleeping porch all in one.
And now if there were a time clock here to punch these
folks would punch out and in again at sunrise for their
working day was one that filled their waking hours.
And so this was life on the Wisconsin frontier.
Now here is Walter Dunn of the state historical society
of Wisconsin with some interesting sidelines on the
pioneer cabin exhibit which has served as a background
for this evening's program.
Well you probably have quite a few questions us to further
details on where this took place and how we managed to
recreate a pioneer life for you.
Well we have here fortunately with us Jack Wind who is
the curator who is in charge of reconstructing this
cabin and who also did much of the research behind
the pioneer exhibit in our museum here in Madison.
Jack let's start off with some of the questions that
I'm sure most of the people are very curious about.
In the first place why did we really want this cabin
here? Well we felt that this type of reconstruction
would afford us the best central theme for a gallery
devoted to pioneer life on the frontier in all Wisconsin.
If you'll let this life size reconstruction will
afford this center and tie in all the elements and
the rest of the gallery.
I think that the children who come through the museum and
such enormous numbers will particularly enjoy the life
size reconstruction more so than the miniature reproduction
which you see so often.
Yes I'm sure they achieved better identification with
what we are trying to present so are you so this advice.
One thing I'm sure that all of our viewers are much interested
in is that is how do we go about getting this thing all done and
I think that it's anyone else having been with it from the
beginning to the end you would be able to tell us that story.
Well it did require a certain amount of scrubbing
around for raw materials.
The original logs from a cabin built in the 1840s in
western Iowa County were obtained through the good
offices of a local friend.
We've obtained stone for our natural fireplace.
Used original type mortar which is easily seen in the wall.
The logs have a particular cut to them.
To enough we did get the logs from this original
cabin but there was something special about them and
that is this notching.
And unfortunately we didn't reassemble this cabin in the
exact size so we had a little bit of extra work to do there.
That's true we've reduced the size both the aerial size and
the height of this cabin which necessitated a great deal
of X and other trimming work.
In general though do you think we've really recreated what
you would call a typical cabin.
I mean do you think this is a really true
picture in your own mind?
Well I feel we have with the necessary compromise
that obtains here and there achieved the best that
we can to represent the physical surroundings and
the equipment of planar life.
I think it would be very important to mention the fact
that we were only able to complete this job because of
the fact that people have been giving all sorts of things to
the Statistarical Society since it was founded back in 1854.
Yes that's true from the initial year of the Society's
life donors have presented to the Society the historical
the metals of their lives and the lives of their families.
And we've been able to utilize some of these materials
in this reconstruction.
There's another aspect to it that we didn't quite cover
in the film tonight in that the social light outside of
the cabin was not covered.
And yet I mean even in planar Wisconsin there was a great
deal of exchange between the various families and this
we have not been able to do because of the limited nature
of having only one room.
However in the remaining portions of the exhibit we
have gone into the religious aspects into the transportation
into newspapers more thoroughly into social life also into
the political and economic structure of the of the era.
Do you think that these exhibits can really sum up
the whole pattern for the viewer in general jack?
Yes we feel that this gallery in this entirety presents a
very good picture of what was going on and in some cases what
people were actually thinking.
I tried to recreate not only the larger scene but
also some my new features of human life at that time.
Well in general I think that we can wind it up by saying
that we have tried as best as humanly possible to give you
a good view of what pioneer Wisconsin was like tonight.
But I would recommend that in view of the fact that heritage
month begins on November 28th that you will come down to the
state of historical society.
See not only the pioneer cabin but also the many exhibits
which we have here which amplify the story as we've taught.
I hope that you will find this very possible
to come during this particularly important month.
In the event that you are not aware of it the state
of historical society is located at park and Langdon
by stage straight there.
And it is open from 8 in the morning until 10 at night
on week nights it's also open Saturdays from 8 until 5.
I think this about winds up our program for this
evening so I'll say good night and thank you Jack.
Thank you Walder, good night.
You have been viewing Frontier Wisconsin a remote telecast
from the museum galleries of the state historical
society building on the University of Wisconsin campus.
Frontier Wisconsin was produced and directed by Ralph Rosen and
has been presented as a feature of WHATV's Tuesday evening
series toward understanding.
We invite you to join us next Tuesday at 8.30 as once again
we journey toward understanding and exploration of the question
are Americans physically fit.
This is WHATV the University of Wisconsin's station
in Madison.
We now return you to our studios.
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