Kitchen

The detached kitchen was brought to the site from Hurley, Missouri. The boards were numbered and taken down by the seabees and brought to the site where it was rebuilt. It was originally the family's home until they could build a new main living area. the cabin was then used as the kitchen, it was kept separate to protect the main living area from fire and to reduce heat during the summer months. 

The dry sink, seen to the left of the fireplace, does not have running water. Water would have to be brought in to the sink in buckets from the well. The water would then be ladled into the dishpan. The dishpan was used to wash dishes, vegetables from the garden and to wash their hands. They also used lye soap made out of ashes and animal fat to help get things clean.

The fireplace is from McClurg, Missouri. It was used for keeping warm and for cooking. The swingarm was used to hang the cast iron kettle over the fire to heat water for use in the dishpan. The Dutch Ovens are made out of cast iron and used for cooking. Hot coals were placed underneath and on top of the lids to cook the food evenly. The poker is used to help stir up the coals to keep the fire burning. The bellows also helped to keep the fire going by adding oxygen to the fire. The hook was used to lift the lid to check the food being cooked without getting burned. 

The small table to the right of the fireplace holds crockery and cooking utensils. Hanging from the rafters you will find dried herbs, fruits and vegetables for easy use when cooking. you also will find other cooking utensils hanging above the table for storage and easy access. Around the cabin you will find a butterchurn, kerosene lamps, a cabbage shredder, saltbox, applepeeler, coffee grinder and other items used to help the family survive.