During our recent vacation to the coast of Washington State, we visited Cape Disappointment Light (the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast) and North Head Light. The scenery is breathtaking, the mouth of the Columbia River steeped in maritime history, and the lights, themselves, a memorable visit…especially for history buffs. And I found a novel set in this location!
While on vacation with my family in Long Beach, Washington, I found a clothes wringer on display, proudly proclaiming its use in 1876. The labor-saving machinery intrigued me!
Laundry was a greater challenge– and more work– than most amateur historians comprehend. Even when methods gave way from a washboard to a washing machine, the amount of physical labor required was nothing simple. Manual washing machines didn’t become available until quite late in the frontier era– after the Transcontinental Railroad went through. The washing machine was first available to order through a catalog in the late 1880’s.
Laundry, back in the day, was accomplished in a kettle over an outdoor fire. Every bucket of water was carried from a river, lake, well, or pump. In this secret recipe from a Kentucky grandmother to her newlywed granddaughter, learn how laundry was accomplished on the homestead pre-washing machine era (which did occur in the 19th century). This time-intensive chore required skill and elbow grease.
19th Century young ladies (and gentlemen) learned a great deal about etiquette from their mothers, finishing schools, and from the societal expectations around them. The true art of conversation was a significant skill taught and expected within society, whether Philadelphia’s Old Money or the rural frontier. After all, conversation was a key element of an evening’s entertainment, courtship, and the Victorian Era’s social expectations.
