“The illustrations for this book are in every case
from real articles and scenes, usually from those still
in existence — rare relics of past days. The pictures
are the symbols of years of careful search, patient in-
vestigation, and constant watchfulness.
Many a curious article as nameless and incomprehensible as the
totem of an extinct Indian tribe has been studied, com-
pared, inquired and written about, and finally trium-
phantly named and placed in the list of obsolete domestic
appurtenances.
From the lofts of woodsheds, under
attic eaves, in dairy cellars, out of old trunks and sea-
chests from mouldering warehouses, have strangely
shaped bits and combinations of wood, stuff, and metal
been rescued and recognized.”
Contents:
I. Homes of the Colonists ..... 1
II The light of Other Days . . . .32
III. The Kitchen Fireside 52
IV. The Serving of Meals 76
V. Food from Forest and Sea .... 108
VI. Indian Corn 126
VII. Meat and Drink 142
VIII. Flax Culture and Spinning . . . .166
IX. Wool Culture and Spinning, with a Postscript on Cotton 187
X. Hand- Weaving . . . . . .212
XI. Girls' Occupations ...... 252
XII. Dress of the Colonists 281
XIII. Jack-knife Industries ..... 300
XIV. Travel, Transportation, and Taverns . . .325
XV. Sunday in the Colonies ..... 364
XVI. Colonial Neighborliness . . . . .388
XVII. Old Time Flower Gardens . . . .421
List of Illustrations
Fairbanks House, Dedham, Massachusetts, 1636 , Frontispiece
Log Cabin ........ 4
Suydam House, Bushwick, Ixing Island, 1 700 ... 7
Sabin Hall, Virginia 13
Slave Quarters, Upper Brandon . . . . 14
Fire-buckecs . . . . . . .16
Fireman's Certificate, 1800 ...... 17
First Fire Engine in Brooklyn, 1785 .... 18
White-EUery House, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 1707 . to
Soardman-Hill House, North Saugus, Massachusetts, 1620 21
Birthplace of John Adams and John Quincy Adams . . iz
Rerce Garrison House ...... z6
Knocker from John Hancock House . . . z8
Knocker from Winslow House, Marshfield. Massachusetts . 19
King-Hooper House, Danvers, Massachusetts ... 30
Can die- dipping ........ 36
Candle-moulds . . . . . . . .37
Hanging Candle-box . . . . . . 38
Silver Snuffers and Tray ...... 43
Betty-lamps ........ 44
Bull's-eye Lamp ....... 45
Old Pewter Lamps 46
xii List of Illustrations
Old Glass Lamps ....... 47
Tinder-box 48
Under-wheel, Flint, and Tinder 49
Fireplace of Slave-kitchen 54
Iron Potato-boiler 57
Old Tin Ware 58
Iron Skillet, Rabbit- broiler, and Brazier .... 59
Toasting-forks ........ 60
Waffle-irons 61
Old Gridirons 61
Plate-warmer 63
Bake-kettle, Clock-jack, Duich-oven, and Dye-cub 64
Roasting-kicchcns . . . . . . .66
Smoking- tongs ....69
Warming-pan . . . . .71
Kitchen fireplace of Whitticr's Home .... 74
Harvard Standing Salt . . . . . . 78
Wooden Trenchers, Spoons, Noggin, Caster, and Dishes . 82
Wooden Tankard 83
Carved Wooden Tankard 84
The porringers that in a row
Hung high and made a glittering show '* . . .86
Pewter Spoon and Spoon-mould ..... 8S
Types of Spoons . . . . ... 89
Dutch Silver Tankard . . . , , . .91
Colonial Glass Bottles 93
Old Spanish and English Glasses, Iron Loggerheads, and
Wooden Toddy-sticks ...... 94
List of Illustrations xiii
Pip
Blackjacks 95
Silver-mounted Cocoanut Drinking-cup .... 97
Winthrop Jug . . . . ... 98
Georgius Rex Jug ....... 99
Maple-sugar Cup . . . . , , .114
John Winthrop's Mill 133
Old-time Corn-sheller . . . , .140
Making Thanksgiving Fies . . . . . .146
Upright Churns .....,., 149
Revolving Chum . . . . . . .150
Cheese -basket. Cheese-ladder, Cheese-press . . .151
Sausage-gun 154
Sugar-cutters . . . . . . . . 56
Spice- mortars and Spice-mill 157
Old Cider-mill i6i
Flax-brake . . . . . . .170
Swinging-block and Swinging-knives . . . .171
Flax, Flax-basket 173
Clock-reel 174
Flax-spinning . . . . . . . . 1 S6
Carding Wool ........ 195
Wool -spinning . . , . . , .197
Triple Reel 199
"Niddy-noddy, two heads and one body " . . . zoi
Wool-cards ......... 204
Swifts . . . , . . . .zi;
Skame . . . . .217
Sley 120
xiv List of Illustrations
Loom -temples . . . , . . .22}
Loom- shuttles . . . . , . . . 22j
Tape-loom . , . . . . ,226
Silk Braid- loom ....... 226
Quilling- wheels . . . . . . .229
Loom-baskei and Bobbins 233
Garier-loom 236
Weaving Rag Carpet ....... 238
Hand Stamps for Calico Printing ..... 240
Orange Peel, Blazing Star, Chariot Wheels and Church
Windows, Bachelor's Fancy ..... 143
Hand-woven Bed Coverlet 245
Making Soap ........ 1^4
Goose Basket 258
Knitted Bags 264
Fleet wood- Quincy Sampler ...... 266
Embroidered Coat of Arms ...... 266
Colonial Embroidery, Old South Church, Boston . . 268
Net Footing and Lace ....... 270
Collar Caps, Laces, and " Modesty-piece " . . . 271
Cut-paper Picture ....... 279
Eighteenth-century Slays ...... 286
Child's Suit worn in 1784 288
Calash, 1780 289
Pumpkin Hood, 180Q . . . . . .291
Colonial Pattens . . . 29S
Eighteenth -century Spectacles ..... 298
Birch Splint Broom . . . . . 304
List of Illustrations xv
Barlow Jack-knives ....... 307
Old Gourd Dishes .... 309
Goose-yoke and Pig-yoke ...... 310
Mayflower Scythe- Pitchfork, Scythe, Flail and
Swingle, and Bill-hook . . . . . 313
Old-time Axes and Riven Laths ..... 314
Indian Knot-bowls and Mortar ..... 319
A Gundalow at the Landing . . . . .328
Wire Ferry on the Connecticut ..... 330
Conestoga Wagon ..,,.,. 340
American Stage-wagon, 1795 343
Wayside Inn, Sudbury, Massachusetts .... 345
Old Pigskin and Deerskin Travelling- trunks . , . 347
Old-time Bandboxes 348
Wolfe Tavern, Newburyport, Massachusetts . . ,350
Old-time Rocky Mountain Mail-coach , . . .352
Brother Jonathan's Chaise 351
Campbell Coach ....... 354
Dutch Sleigh in New York 355
Tap-room and Bar, Wayside Inn 358
Swing-sign from Grosvenor Inn, Pomfret, Connecticut . 358
Sign-board, John Nash's Tavern, Amherst, Massachusetts . 360
The "Old Ship," Hingham, Massachusetts, 1680 . . 365
The Old South Church, Boston 366
Rocky Hill Meeting-house, Salisbury, Massachusetts, 1785 370
Plan for Seating the Meeting-house . . . 371
Foot-stove 375
Bass-viol, Psalm-book, and Itch-pipe .... 377
xvi List of Illustrations
Pages of Old Psalm-book printed in Boston, 1690 . . 378
Bruton Parish Church, Williamsburgh, Virginia . .381
Pohick Church, Mount Vernon, Virginia , . . 383
Dutch Reformed Church, Bushwick, Long Island . . 386
Starting to break out the Roads . . . . .412
A Chobobbin 416
Crown Imperial . . . . . . , 425
Flower Garden, Mount Vernon ..... 432
Abigail Adams' Garden, Quincy-, Massachusetts . 43 5
Old Garden, Ellenville, New York . . . .440
Old Well-sweep 444
Praxinella ........ 449
Ambrosia ........ End-papers