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| Sewing and weaving at the Bell House |
Updated July 2026
For more than ten years, I volunteered at a Central Texas living history farm where visitors could experience what everyday life was like during the 1800s. Every Friday was different. Some days I cooked over a wood stove, other days I demonstrated hand sewing, worked in the general store, interpreted historic homes, or helped tend the gardens. Looking back through these photos reminds me how much history comes alive when you can actually step inside it.
Why Living History Matters
One of the reasons I loved volunteering on the farm was watching history become real for children.
Reading about pioneer life in a textbook is one thing.
Watching biscuits bake in a wood stove...
Listening to the spinning wheel...
Trying hand sewing...
Walking through an 1800s kitchen...
Those experiences stay with people far longer than facts memorized for a test.
One little boy summed it up perfectly when I asked whether he'd like living in the 1800s.
After looking around the kitchen for a moment he replied,
"Nope! I like my video games...and there's no Coca-Cola!"
His honest answer still makes me smile.
Children often have a way of reminding us just how dramatically everyday life has changed over the past century.
Sometimes I'll assist in the general store.
By the way, we are expecting teepees for the Tonkawa site... I've already volunteered to do some of their interpretation... Their history is very interesting.
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| Treadle Sewing Machine at the Bell House |
If I'm not cooking, I'll be catching up on my sewing. My favorite and most relaxing thing to do is HANDSEWING. Currently I have been sewing miniature pantaloons for Barbies and selling these with pioneer dresses and aprons. I've completely sold out on my online stores, but the batch I've just finished are intended for the general store at the farm.
The rooms I spent most of my time in today were the kitchen and the adjacent "sewing" room, with the various looms and spinning wheels.
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| Roomy foyer at the Bell House |
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| Fine dining at the Bell House - Pioneer Farms |
This is by far the most elegant home on the farm, although most will say they prefer hanging out at the homestead.
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| Bell House had elegant furniture |
Every room has a fireplace. I can only imagine how much firewood it would take to keep this home warm. We go through plenty just to keep the woodstove running.
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| Fireplace Bell house bedroom |
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| Sewing in the Bell House |
Pamela's working on pantaloons for her own doll. Girls her age (back in the 1800's) have been sewing for a long time. Girls started sewing with a needle and thread when they were old enough to hold a needle.
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| Overlooking the barn from the Bell House |
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| Front Porch - Bell House - Pioneer Farms |
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| Overlooking the farm from the Bell house |
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| Elegant sitting room at the Bell House |
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| Bell House |
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| Trying to get the garden going... |
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| Gardening at Pioneer Farms - Austin Texas |
I had three watermelons planted at the farm... So far, they are looking healthy! Oh I hope we have a good crop this year!
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| Always fun baking from the wood stove, had many cookies from there! |
The heart of the home... I probably should have packed up my baking goods and fired up the stove today. It was the coolest day this week - 79 degrees. PERFECT day for slaving over a hot woodstove!
We had several school kids arrive on tours and I always get a kick out of their questions. I always ask them if they would like living in the 1800's... I could probably write a book from all the answers I've gotten.
This week, a young boy of about 10-years-old, answered my question about whether he'd like living in the 1800's... He looked around the kitchen and said matter of factly, "NOPE! I like my video games!" Then his eyes swept around the kitchen again and replied, "and there's no Coca Cola!"...
I often wonder about the generation we are raising today...
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| Kitchen from the 1800's |
3 comments:
I could move in there tomorrow and have no problems surviving.. the only thing I'd miss is the AC.
My initials are A.C and I will come to visit from time to time.
You're welcome to visit A.C. but only if you can make the north wind blow cool air in the windows.
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