Alford Tales -- Preparing for Winter

Margaret has many stories to tell about the winter months.  I could not imagine living in a log cabin through the winter.

And now onto "Preparing for Winter"

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My Pa, Henry, was a young man, when he died, but I have fond memories of him.  Pa and Mama lived with my grandpa William when they first married. They had meet at a corn husking bee.  They were neighbors and just like now, they would get together to help each other on their farms. 

My Pa talked about the survey of his 46 acres just north of Cook's Creek.  Our neighbor was John McDonald.  I remember him talking about getting his land in February of 1771.  We lived south and west of Harrisburg. He and my mother worked hard to to start our farm.  He and my grandpa came out and started to clear land and by April, they had built a two room cabin with a loft.  We had to work on the farm.  

Pa had built a large stone fireplace and stone hearth.  He had built in a small oven in the shape of a beehive.  I spent much time near that hearth.  And putting wood into that oven.  So many times we snuggled up in the winter near the fire and he would tell us about building his cabin then the barn.  A shed to store corn.  He spoke of the beginnings and how hard it was.  But he kept his family fed and warm.  

Mama and Pa had a bed.  It was very plain and simple.  Tall corner posts.  Made by a local carpenter who my Pa had worked for.  My sister Sarah got that bed.  Each year after the harvest we would shuck corn after it had dried.  And then wash the bed ticks, air them out, and refill them.  They were always nice and full.  My brother and I would jump on.  Mama would get upset. She say I want those husks to last all winter.  We had three of them to fill.  We also stuff in some straw.  As part of our chores my brother and I had to tighten the ropes on the bed.  Pulling the rope one way, then another until they were tightened back up.  Mama and Pa weren't large so we never had to tighten them much.    

During the winter, we all slept together to keep warm.  Mama had gotten three quilts for her wedding.  We used those and got warm wool blankets from a weaver near Mills Creek.  His name was also Alford but no relation.  I learned to churn butter that Mama would store in old crocks.  I would help Mama put vegetables in a hole in the ground.  Layered in straw.  We dried pumpkins and apples and beans. We roasted the pumpkin seeds that weren't kept for next years crop. One year Pa managed to get a couple of oranges.  Dipped in wax to keep them.

My Mama kept a large garden.  Potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips, pumpkins.  Mama was very proud of her herbs.  Parlsy, thyme, sage and others.  She laid it out near the cabin so she could easy get to it when she cooked.  We tied them up and hung them to dry above the fireplace.  My Pa raised corn, took care of our two cows, and sheep. Two horses as well. He butchered a pig every fall.  Mama would make sausage.  Pa would smoke ham over at Grandpa William's. He would also trade for whatever we needed.  Mama trade potatoes one time for baskets.

We kept warm during the winter.  Pa and the boys chopped enough wood to last for sometime.  Snow and ice eventually came and we'd be snug.  We would walk to school in the cold.  I would come home and practice my words on my slate. I learned how to write and read at school then come home and knit.  Mama taught me.  She would knit up socks, shawls, muffettes and trade them.  People would bring her their yarn and she'd knit up what they wanted.  One year she traded a scarf for a slate for me to use in school.

I remember the time that Mrs. Gwinn brought some of the most beautiful indigo wool.  That was the last time we ever saw her.