A Day on the Farm: Step Back in Time at a Texas Pioneer Homestead

The Homestead at Pioneer Farms - Austin, Texas

The Homestead was one of my favorite places to volunteer during my years at the living history museum. Stepping inside felt like walking back into the late 1800s, where meals were cooked on a wood-burning stove, quilts were sewn by hand, and nearly every household task depended on skill instead of electricity. Spending the day there always reminded me how much everyday life has changed.

Yesterday was Texas History Day at the farm. I spent the better part of my day at the Homestead, sewing and cooking. It was a gorgeous day, the weather was perfect - not too hot, nor too cold, but JUST RIGHT! The sun was out in full blast, a couple of puffy clouds in the sky and birds chirping happily everywhere. Spring is truly in the AIR!

I opened the windows to the kitchen and allowed the breeze to blow through the cotton curtains, then I sat down to peel potatoes.

Before electricity, the wood-burning stove truly was the heart of the home. It provided heat during the winter, cooked every family meal, heated water for washing, and often served as the gathering place where families worked and visited together.

 

Getting the fire started on the woodstove

Wood stove is hot and ready for cooking

My first task was to get the woodburning stove started. This is something I don't normally do, as I used to depend on my son Joshua.

The trick is to get the fire going with just enough oxygen to keep the flames hungry and interested. It's a trick I learned while watching Josh wave his hat back and forth, fanning the flames alive. I'm not exactly an expert at this, but I did manage to get the fire going (after I used up an entire box of matches!)

Satisfied the fire was good, I closed the door to the stove and finished peeling the potatoes and chopped up an onion. Digging through the cupboards, I located some salt and after pouring some oil in the iron skillet, the potatoes were ready to fry!

Cooking fried potatoes on the woodstove

By that time, I was wishing I had brought a brisket to cook!

 

A pioneer kitchen was the heart of the home!

Settling myself at the table, I dug out my sewing and started on a patchwork quilt. How heavenly it is to hear nothing but the wind blowing, the birds singing --- no blaring television, no video games, no next-door neighbor mowing his lawn.... peace and quiet, absolute blithe!

 

Fields are plowed at the homestead

One year, the kids and I spent the entire afternoon planting corn and sunflowers in this field, only to lose every single crop to the Texas drought! It was very hard work, and a disappointment, but it shows us how vulnerable our ancestors were in their dependency on the land!

The Parlor

Sewing by oil lamp

In the parlor there are some old books on the shelf that I occasionally, ever so gently love to take down and look through. It is always such a treat to get a glimpse into the past and read words from people that had passed on many years earlier. To get a sense of how life was like, BACK THEN. So much wisdom, and so many biblical principles that we can apply towards our lives today. Each time I'm at the farm, I always try to memorize the title and the author of this particular book, but it always slips from my mind. This time I snagged a picture of the book, The Royal Path of Life - By Maria Wheat. I checked on the web, and it's hard to locate the author and book anywhere. This book was written over a 150 years ago.

 

The chicken coop

Guess who ate the potato peels?

Carina, Crista, and Pamela

Josh and Caitlin roasting marshmallows at the stove.

After a full day on the farm, some of us volunteers enjoy lingering at the homestead, relaxing, and sharing a potluck!

Caitlin, fork-feeding Josh!

Joshie!

One of my favorite traditions wasn't just demonstrating history for visitors—it was what happened after the gates closed. Many of us volunteers stayed to share a simple potluck meal around the homestead. Sitting together in an old farmhouse after a day of cooking, sewing, and tending the grounds gave us a small glimpse of the sense of community that was once an everyday part of rural life.

Sizzlin Afternoon: A Hot Day at Pioneer Farms and Cracker Recipe