Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-27
Three Quarters Century
Club Member Writes of
Pioneer Life In Maine
Mrs A. w. Bachelor, 80 Years Old Of
Winthrop, One of Prize Winners
In Historical Essay Contest

Sunday
When l was small girl, in the
eighteen f1fties, everybody went to
church, whole families and every fam
lily; only the sick stayed at home and
any that might be required to care
for them. Families were large in
those days and not a few required
two pews. Consequently the big
meeting houses. as they were fifty
termed at that time, were filled every
Sunday almost to the last seat
There were two sermons, one In the
forenoon and one in, the afternoon.
Every family, except u few who lived
close by. brought basket lunch and
ate it in the church, thus making a
quiet sort of picnic which was greatly
enjoyed by all and was in fact. the
chief social event of the week for
many. Although people were tied
down by their work, nevertheless
they were more sociable three quar-
tiers of century ago than now.
There was also a Sunday School,
short session for the study of the
Bible. The one I attended was prob
ably the pioneer Sunday school in
this State. My parents used to tell
me of the days when the meeting
-house was not heated. even in the
coolest days Of cold Maine winter.
but my earliest recollections are of
two big stoves, wood stoves of course.
which made the big room quite COM
Portable, even on the coolest days.
The early arrivals on a Sunday morn
ing in winter used to gather around
the stove to get nice and warm and
chat with friends before the service
began.
The pews, long since removed, had
high backs and quaint little doors
which a few churches in the oldest
parts of the United States still retain
and which seem so strange to the
younger generation today.
An airplane view of the town on a
Sunday morning would have shown
all the families 'hurrying through
necessary chores, changing to Sunday
clothes, crowding into teams and
driving to church. My mother, like
many another. always went in the
chaise In summer, but the rest of us
went in beach wagons quite as good
as the few still in use. My family
rode nearly four miles, up and down
steep hills, straight over the top of
the highest one from which we got
beautiful view which we always en-
joyed, over roads still in use but long
since abandoned as main arteries Of
travel
Nearly everyone used to sit quite
motionless during the service but one
incident in our church used to cause
no little amusement. A certain man
and his wife, both of whom were,
rather deaf, used to sit right up in
front and occasionally they would
whisper to each other in a whisper
plainly audible all over the church.
much to the amusement of the young
people in particular
Food
Monday was wash day then as now
but Tuesday was often baking day.
though not necessarily SO as people
baked whenever they needed more
food, as most Of 1t was prepared on
baking day. A large amount of food
was required as it was not unusual
for ten children to be at home at the
same time and on large farms there
we're always hired men. eight or ten
in summer Ny fathers farm was
one of the largest and the family also,
consequently baking day came at
least twice a week.
Of course there were no stoves.
We had tin cooker, however. which
was set in front of the open fire
place and in which delicious biscuits
were baked But most of the cooking
was done in the big brick oven, which
was heated by burning cordwood un-
der 1t.
White bread was almost unknown;
brown bread was In general use. IL
was baked in round baking tins about
Is inches in diameter; the loaf was
about inches deep. 1t was made of
one part rye flour and two parts corn
meal sweetened with molasses. 1t
was baked with a thick crust on top
and this was a special treat when
soaked in molasses and buttered.
The more substantial food required
bv hard working men consisted
mainly of huge junks of meat and
beans. There were plenty of pies and
cookies and occasionally ginger bread,
which was then called cake. The
cake we know today was quite I'M
known.
The boiling was done In the big
open fireplace in brass kettles hung
from solid cranes. Every autumn
these kettles were filled again and
again with apples and boiled cider to
make apple butter until big barrel
was full. which lasted all winter. 1t
was delicious.
The big fireplace in the kitchen
was one of the main features OF the
house. It seemed enormous even
then. The mantel which extended
over the fireplace and the brick oven
beside it was at least ten feet long
The Kitchen was the biggest room III
the house and was generally used for
NJ 1;xtiy,0 also, 1t
was a great contrast to the small,
convenient. modern kitchen, especially !
one equipped with a gas or electric !
range. Two strong men were re-
ouired to bring in the back-lo which
was about three feet long and as big (
as they could get. generally about !
two feet in diameter; one was re-
ouired every day in winter. The
small wood in front had to be re-
plenished every hour or so and was a !
task for the children. The fireplace
heated the big kitchen and an ad-
Joining bed room. AS the other rooms !
had compare lively small flreplaces 1t
was natural that the family should !
gather around this large one In the |
kitchen during the long winter eve I
nings.
Baking was always hard work but
1t was especially so in summer as the
fire was necessarily as hot as In the
coolest days Of winter: of course 1t
seemed much hotter. Only those who
have used tn big brick oven and the
fireplace know how to fully appreciate
the gas and electric ranges of today.
Tallow Candles
Three-quarters of century ago the
lighting at night was entirely by tai
low candles and as they were home
made, the making Of them was no
small task. In our long attic we had
two frames that extended the entire