But what about the peoples who had to live through winters on the frontier? Keeping warm and planning ahead was a matter of survival. How did they do it?
Some of the Native Americans picked up and moved to more hospitable winter locations--like some retirees today. For the Plains Indians this meant moving the tipis. At a first glance, the tipi doesn't look like a thing you'd want to hole up in for the winter, but in actuality they were quite cozy. The buffalo hide is an excellent barrier to the wind (It worked for the buffalo too.), and the openings at the ground and hole at the top create an updraft for the fire blazing in the middle. Inhabitants slept together under buffalo robes to share body heat.
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| Indian camp in winter |
Not always as weather resistant was the frontier cabin, could be drafty by comparison. If you were lucky enough to live in a sod house (and that's not a sentence I'll probably ever use again), you'd have the advantage of being better insulated from the cold. But, in either case the frontiersmen tended to build small one or two room cabins, which are easier to keep heated by a fire or stove. Families gathered together in front of the fire to wait out winter evenings. Some of these cabins had sleeping lofts for the children, and heat rises so it would be warmer up there. The children would bundle up in one or two beds under layers of quilts and blankets.
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| Togetherness in a frontier cabin, Iowa. |
Means to transport the heat from the fire to help warm beds, or to make the carriage ride more pleasant were developed. We've all seen the long handled bed warmer that was filled with hot rocks and slid under the covers. Similarly, metal boxes fitted into a wood frame or heated soapstone wrapped in rags were used as foot warmers in bed and in the carriages.
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| Ride in a one-horse open sleigh, brrrr. (oil painting by Cornelius Krieghoff) |
One common winter survival trait to both Native American or settler families: togetherness. In modern times we have central heating, but that also allows family members to retreat to separate rooms in the house. I wouldn't trade my modern comforts, but I do wonder what we gained and what we've lost. How different would family life be? Would such togetherness bring everyone closer under trying times bring us closer? Or would the lack of privacy and personal space wear everyone out? Would they even been aware of such concepts?
What do you think? Can you picture you and your family hunkering down together in an isolated, one-room cabin?
Great post. It's started snowing here. I remember living in a house without central heating, with just one fire in the living room in one. How I survived it, I'll never know. I'm such a softy who hates the cold now. I don't blame them for heading south for the winter one bit!
ReplyDeleteHi, C.A. I have very low tolerance for the cold, and being an introvert, I think the togetherness would get to me!I imagine evenings felt very long. I suppose they told stories and sang songs. I lived in Wales for a year back in early 80's and central heating wasn't common there and then. I remember coming home and thinking the houses are so hot! I still feel that way: when the heating comes on it can get too hot when you're dressed for winter. It's a constant changing of clothes for me here as I try and get comfortable.Anyway, thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteGreat information and interesting questions. I think most people didn't think about privacy or being so close, they were focused on survival. At the same time, there is always one or two who value the alone time and would probably be the first to leave the family. Today, a lot of places are closed due to the blizzard this AM. As a result many people are hunkering down, but as I watch cars go by now that the sun is out, you know they are dealing with some 'cabin fever'. (Smile) Doris
ReplyDeleteHi, Doris, yes they were probably focused on survival. And I know since you also have written medieval stories and are such a research hound, you probably realize that the concept of privacy as we know it is a relatively new idea. Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe and warm!
DeleteWe're certainly very spoiled today. Reading this sent me for a warm blanket and a cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteHaha, Kristy! It is hard to imagine our 2018 selves being plopped down in those conditions and being expected to function. Any extremes in temperature leave me prostrate. But I guess those people were hardier stock.
DeletePatti,
ReplyDeleteWe had near blizzard conditions most of the day here in southeastern Colorado. While I enjoy cold weather and wintertime, no one needs to endure blizzard winds and snow and ice. It's hard on everyone. I grew up in the country and losing power during a blizzard was so common that we were always prepared for that occurrence. As an adult dealing with loss of electrical power... Nope. Don't like it at all, especially when it's cold. It creates such an extra amount of work to stay alive and not freeze. lol
My mom (born 1933) tells of putting hot baked potatoes in her coat pockets to help stay warm on the cold five mile drive to town from where they lived in the country. She also told me that in the winter, people drained their car's radiator water into buckets (pre anti-freeze) when they arrived at the movie theater and brought those buckets inside while they watched the movie. When the movie was over, all those people poured the water back into their radiators and took off on the frigid drive home with or without the now lukewarm potatoes.
Kaye, you've almost rendered me speechless. I've never heard of having to drain the car's radiator before!Can you imagine? I don't think I'd bother going anywhere let alone a movie if I had to drain and carry my car radiator water with me. Now, the baked potato is clever, and then you got a couple of delish baked potatoes at the end of the walk.
ReplyDeleteWhat I remember from my childhood was not so much getting through winter being different but coping with summer before AC was a challenge. I remember my grandmother having a system to keeping her house cool which involved keeping curtains drawn, etc. to keep the heat out. And I also remember not being able to sleep because of the heat and moving our beds in front of the window and then getting up throughout the night to wash down with cool water.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing! Stay warm and safe.
Having lived alone the past 21 years not sure I could handle my whole family in one room. But when 6 inches of snow falls one day I'd be glad to cuddle.
ReplyDeleteI know Diana,I can't imagine my family in one room for any length of time with no outside distractions. The times we've lost power here and lost either the AC in hot weather or the heat in cold weather, what got to me first was the boredom! I really have to hand it to those people. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI remember when I lived for a year in Nebraska, I thought about those Native Americans and Pioneers making it through winter with only a fire and some kind of shelter to keep them warm. I just couldn't imagine them being comfortable at all.
ReplyDeleteI guess they had to really like the people they spent the winter with since togetherness meant survival. Some of us have trouble just getting through a Thanksgiving dinner with some of those relatives.
When fall rolled in the following year I left Nebraska before I had to go through another winter there and my next stop was Central Texas. Ha ha!
The house where I grew up did not have central air. Every fall we would drag in the oil heater for the winter. It's was fine downstairs, but there was no heating system for the upstairs except that the heat would rise from the oil furnace, but I wouldn't call it warm. My sister and I had electric blankets. It's a wonder we didn't set the house on fire. I remember dressing at breakneck speed and racing downstairs to warm up. Those were the days, my friend. LOL
I liked this blog. It made me feel like I need to turn up the heat. All the best to you, Patti...
Sarah, LOL about getting through Thanksgiving with the relatives! I marvel at folks wanting to settle where there's long winters. I think, just walk south and keep going!
DeleteAnd as for fires, coincidentally I was at the fire station yesterday sharing my father's EFD scrapbook and photos and the present day firefighters were stunned by the number of house fires there used to be before proper fire prevention. Especially in winter when people were doing things like dragging in oil heaters! We're having a cold snap, snowy week here. First day it's always pretty, but after a while I lose my capacity to deal with it. Thanks for your comments and be safe and warm.