I was one of the fortunate to experience living like this in the middle of the 20th century. I had no idea it was "unusual" to live like that by this "modern" time. My Scots-Irish Grandpa (born 1895) built a one room log cabin in the Northern Michigan woods to shelter his family. By the time I came along (mid 20th) the cabin was well used and not very well maintained. He had a wood burning stove that he fired up each morning early and when he did so it would get so hot in that cabin that sleeping was impossible when on the top bunk. Time to get up and go out to the outhouse and then the pump in the yard for water. Best water ever! Breakfast was pancakes (with bacon grease for Grandpa), eggs, bacon, coffee and toast with raspberry jam that you scraped the mold off of that was under the wax seal before using. Grandma melted brown sugar for syrup and we could have either butter or syrup for our pancakes, but not both... choose one or the other (I never did try the bacon grease like Grandpa did). I don't know how many different wild critters I ate for supper but I did learn to be careful chewing in case there was buckshot in the meat. Watching out for fish bones was also a concern. I am so grateful for the many wonderful memories of living history.
Your response is one of few that I read through. Highly interesting and greatly detailed. Maybe you should write a book. You lived the history, knew the ins and outs of survival all year round. Wow. I would read your story.
I freeze during Winter & when we have to use the swamp cooler, too! It's tough when your feet are chunks of ice. But, when I walked to school thru the Winter, (I walked, all the time, as it was a small town.), I was fortunate to have warm clothing. As a child, I loved sledding on a western flyer sled from western auto. (My parents bought my bike there, too.) That was what Saturdays were for! 😉 Wool is your friend in the Winter. Now, why weren't the cabins chinked? Had they not had an opportunity to do so? Was the owner slothful? In our part of the country, moss is still found in high Mtn streams, but there wouldn't be enough to fill the gaps. I think one would have to use a mud mix of some kind, but with some sort of binder. Not everywhere has clay. I really don't know WHAT people used. Must research.
Hi John, I'm a blacksmith at a 1914 heritage village, and we have winter shoes for horses with screw-on studs and blades. These are probably what Kalm was referring to.
During January and February is when we make sausage. We make it in an unheated garage or shed and didn't have to worry about the meat going bad because it got too warm. We smoked them in an old smokehouse with a smudgepot fire that didn't heat the smokehouse up but produced lots of smoke. Lots of good memories while we made sausages in assembly line fashion with a party atmosphere. The beer flowed freely, as did the hot spiced cider!
Thank you so much! I remember sitting down with my Granny and her telling me about growing up in the mountains of Virginia. It’s amazing how people were still living in those old fashioned ways even when she was a girl. Any young people lucky enough to have great grandparents around, ask them questions about their life. It’s information you will treasure.
The cooking is probably always going to be my favorite topic on this channel, but I do really enjoy hearing about subjects of the past in a specific place in time. Do more of these too!
The heat went out in my house last night and this morning the temperature indoors was 45 degrees. My first thought was how our ancestors lived in the time before central heating--unless you were directly in front of the fire you were cold. No complaints from me. Great video!
In the past you would've often had a fire in your hearth from dawn till you slept, and most people's homes then were small huts or hovels of some kind, so it probably wasnt too bad because of the combination of the high temperature of fire and a small area for the heat to disperse into.
Being a member of the 11th generation to live in New England, I have to say that preparing for winter in the north means preparing wood for heat more than anything else. After that, it's shelter repairs for man and beast. Once that wood is "in," though, we heave a sigh of relief and get out the shovels.
Ashmeed Mohammed You can actually be quite warm in a car in winter. Too hot, even. Cars are well insulated, and from experience car camping/living out of a car summer is horrible, but winter is doable (eastern seaboard, US). With a sleeping bag rated 4 season, and the body heat you produce, you can get by. Even better with two people, which is what I dealt with. Warming a bottle of water and putting it in the sleeping bag overnight is a well known tip for camping in cold weather. Get yourself a stainless steel canteen you can heat over/by the fire and you're set, just make sure it isn't too hot before you put it in the sleeping bag, or you'll have more fire than you want. Stay away from burning charcoal broquettes in your car or anything else, you can and will die of carbon monoxide poisoning due to lack of ventilation. Even just sleeping in the car normally, you will want to ventilate regularly. People are always amazed by how much cold you can survive given the smallest protection. You can make a "sweat lodge" to survive cold winters with tree bark, leaves, and small saplings cut town and tied with twine. Dig a pit in the center of it, and put heated rocks in that you heated up outside the shelter- you can even use it as a sweat lodge by pouring water onto the rocks to create steam. Sleeping bags and coats, and the knowledge that extra extra pairs of socks are always needed, along with safe ways to dry your clothing/bedding, is enough to get you by if you need not worry for food and water.
Tina Gallagher I personally found it seriously depressing. I wonder if that was ever an issue for people back then, or if they just accepted that they would be permanently and uncomfortably cold for long periods of time
Although I now live in California, I was born and raised in Williamsburg, and I love this channel! This video reminds me of one winter when I went home to visit my parents for the holidays. A couple of days before Christmas we had a huge snow and ice storm that knocked out our power for almost two weeks. We all felt as if we were living in colonial times, heating our home with only the fireplaces. But the most beautiful memory was going to Bruton Parrish church for midnight mass, with only candlelight to illuminate the church, and candle lanterns in the churchyard. This is the church found in the heart of the restored area that has been there since the 18th century, and with no electric lights at all, it was truly magical. Thank you for this great channel!
@@jameshorn270 Amazon just opened a warehouse in Pureland on the edge of Swedesboro. Lots of history in NJ. Racoon Creek makes lots of sense now. Tidal marsh by our home here.
Thanks for the perspective Jon. As a fellow winter wimp I resonate with your closing statement. Will be LONG term camping on some property in wyoming next year to see if I can make an 18th century homestead from scratch. I'll remember these wise words while I'm bundled up in my layers and marshmallow jacket. Love the videos, keep doing what your doing. Much respect
A Colonial Christmas with the Townsends. Love it. I really appreciate these little snapshots in time you present. Thank you so much & looking forward to more story time.
Just want to thank you for these videos. As an American History major is college, I always mention these videos in my class and my teacher has actually started using these as teaching tools. The books you’ve recommended I’ve picked up too and they are fantastic reads, cookbooks included. Keep up the good work and please don’t stop making these amazingly informative videos
alaskankare Right! Like those covered pans you'd stick hot rocks from the fire & put them under the covers to warm up the sheets before you went to bed . . .
The house where I live in isn't very well insulated, so in the winter it's pretty cold (at least it's in the South!); I will often shut off a couple of rooms and use a small space heater, but still need to wear a hoodie over my head to keep it warm.
@@Ektalon Is that was those are? I remember seeing one of those in a Spanish language film in 1992 called Belle Epoque. I honestly thought it was warm in Spain so I didn't understand why she was preparing the bed in that way.
I love the way you make the day to day life of Colonial America come alive. This definitely one of my favorite periods in history. Keep up the good work. P. S. The recipes are great too!
We own a house built in 1890 and love to watch your videos for the kids to get to see history come to life and to get a peek at what life was like when people first built our home
@@rosemcguinn5301 ......you do realize they didn't have central in 1890 right? So yeah actually the heating style would be relatively the same even when there's a time gap.
We are getting a 1/4 inch of wet, drippy snow in Missouri right now. Ten years ago it would have been a foot of powder and we'd worry about the pipes freezing. Haven't worried about the pipes freezing for about five years now.
Thanks for reading portions of Peter Kalm's journal. It is interesting to read of first hand experiences of the weather as he was alive right in the middle of the Little Ice Age.
I'm on page 158 of that book and I'm so amazed! Interesting how he references the water line up to the blue mountains by evidence of shells in limestone. Going as far to say that the shells are not even the same as the receded sea. Interesting about the giants bowls and caves too. Thanks for sharing this book. A very good read, best one in years.
Once again, thank you for your insightful and always interesting commentary, reflecting American life during the colonial era. Best wishes and Christmas greetings to all in America, from Suffolk, England.
Love your videos and the things I learn as you teach about the 18th century. We have it so good now. Its romantic to dream about the "good ole days" but I am sure I couldn't "cut it." You are a delight to follow.
Hello Mr. Townsend, just wanted to say love the way you've diversified your content; gives us an insight into the 18th life in general which makes the recipes even more interesting to watch, completes the picture in a way!! Thanks and keep up the great work!!! :)
So interesting! Thanks! I wish this book weren’t so expensive because right now it would be a great diversion! But I do appreciate you doing all the research and it was fascinating
I'm really enjoying this video I love to hear the stories. I find this kind of history on the everyday life's of our ancestors very interesting I could listen for hours. Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful videos they are always interesting and educational . This is Ivana from Blue Mountains Ontario Canada.
He's probably talking about having caulks on the horse's shoes, a practice that continues to this day. Having grown up in Lancaster County, not far from Philly, I can tell you that the practice continues to this day, although with modern materials. The Amish and Mennonites use Drilltech on the toes of the horse's shoes for grip on the pavement year round, and the snow and ice in winter.
Do they really still use the old style of caulks or are they just using screw in studs? Those are also common in performance horses working on turf, but you can adjust the stud size as required (track and field shoes also have removable studs). Borium I think is used more for traction on pavement than ice or other more natural surfaces.
Been a long time since you made this but I'd like to shed light on your comment on "sharp toed" horses. As best as I've been able to figure out that was an old phrase for cloven hooved animals. They handle snow and ice better because their two "claws" come to a point at the tip compared to the single rounded toe hoof of horses. You see lots of references in old sources to "sharp toed" animals and when they are being specific it's always even-toed hoofed animals. But not pigs oddly enough, cows and goats were but pigs weren't.
Love the visuals with this video! Awesome! Definitely not ready for the winter or snow though, today was the first day in the 30's where I live. It's too much for me lol.
Yahooo! Snow has finally fallen in alexandria! My wife and i love the winter weather so much. Seeing it through a colonial aspect is so amazing. Keep up the amazing work you guys do!👍
Very interesting. I've lived in Massachusetts all my life, so I definitely understand what he's talking about lol. Thank God for modern insulation and heating..
When I am doing genealogy about this period I will often google to see if I can find any reference as to what the whether was like. When you find those references they become very useful to me to understand that part of what they were up against at the time.
I think it’s amazing how much and how quickly we complain about the slightest things yet settlers managed to survive such harsh conditions. Love your videos;)
Thank god, another outdoor video! With snow! Just what I needed today. Keep it up Townsends, you guys are great. If you guys can come up with something for outdoor winter cooking I'd just love that.
Just wanted to tell you how much I love your videos. I live in Williamsburg, VA and we spend a lot of time around Colonial Williamsburg, so your videos provide fantastic insight into the lives people in situations very much like those being reenacted. Many thanks!
There is an historic precedent that winters were worse then. The Little Ice Age is a period between about 1300 and 1870 during which Europe and North America were subjected to much colder winters than during the 20th century.
My paternal grandma cooked for a logging crew up by Ashland, WI in the early 1900s. It was so cold even with a fire and cooking she cooked with mittens on.
I was attracted to your videos,due to your belief that real history is best discerned from actual anecdotal writing.because what people really want to know about the past...generally involve how people actually lived in those times
I have no insulation in my house, no heating, and no cooling, but I live in Hawaii so it never freezes. However, I am here to tell you it does get cold and with the high humidity it can make your bones ache. This morning I sat wrapped in a blanket and thought of the long cold winter in a log cabin I lived in when I was a child and how the ice sickles hung a foot thick on the eaves. I turned in my chair, looked out the open door, and smiled at my garden of palm tree's and pineapple's and felt blessed. Stay warm Jon and if you ever get tired of the cold come for a visit to Hawaii. You are always welcome. Thanks for sharing yet another great video adventure.
You are among my very favorite videos on any service. Your love and respect for the material you present comes through. I hope to make a trip up to your area this Spring or Summer--finances permitting. Hope to be able to see the cabin and should that trip materialize.
As a Swede it would be pretty interesting to see a recipe that was carried over by some of the Scandinavian settlers. It's always fascinating to hear of some of the ways Sweden and the other Nordic countries have influenced America, no matter how insignificant it may be.
The area this video is about in NJ was just once called New Sweden. Even though there isn’t much left but some place names to link it to the Swedes and Finns that settled the area, its an interesting bit of colonial history
@@81iand The Swedesboro Inn in Swedesboro NJ is supposed to be a great place to dine. Kids have little appreciation for history. Swedesboro has many historic houses, Victorian era, snd a Swedish log cabin. The town is about 10 blocks long and very quaint.
Hello! This is possibly the most enjoyable video Ive ever come across. Please continue to read history aloud! Im so happy watching this video, it is so serene and makes me feel so content and tranquil. Thank you!
i grew up in morristown , nj,, washington army wintered there, in 75 , i believe, bad times for the troops, alot had no shoes and they had to build their own huts, jockey hollow ,the place was called
Being from Minnesota I know about cold. I am always in awe when I read about how early settlers to the area survived and even more so the native peoples who survived and thrived.
I love the upvote vs. downvote ratio of this video. Tells the story of how valuable his videos are. Certainly of how much I appreciate these videos. Channels like this are the true success story for TH-cam.
It’s hard to imagine being cold all the time for a lot of us today. I live in England, and yes, it’s bloody cold outside in the winter, especially near the coast - but we hardly need much in the way of heating in the house because of cavity insulation. Such a simple thing, and yet without it we’d be either freezing or burning up twice as much ‘fuel’ (albeit electricity) just to stay warm.
Great episode! My Dad grew up on a rural Macon GA farm w/o electricity, gas or running water (1932-1948). So he was "virtually" living in the eighteenth century! He said they had special horseshoes that allowed for spikes to be screwed in for ice-traction, but rarely needed that in Georgia.
Technically, we are still in that "little ice age" . Right up until the global warming fad started, all climatologists talked about how we were just coming out of the little ice age and that the earth would keep warming up until it reached the same temps that there were back before it started. Now all "scientists" are in the global warming boat and they are telling us that we are causing it...don't believe them.
I grew up in New Jersey and had never heard of Raccoon. But in Peter Kalm's Wikipedia article they kindly explain that it's now known as Swedesboro -- unsurprisingly, as it was originally settled by Swedes and Finns. This is in South Jersey, in Gloucester county, and the nearby waterway is still called Raccoon Creek.
Even though I'm from Czech Republic, I really like your channel and all the valuable historical info you provide! Thank you! :-) Anyway - I got the Kalm's book from Archive and I do have trouble reading the Ss printed as Fs. How long did it take you to stop having consciously "translate" those, please? :-)
The Czech history in America is quite amazing, the state in which I live has the fingerprints of the Moravians all over it! As for the long S, it often depends on the font in which you're reading, but with repeated practice, you get past with quickly. The same with how some older texts replace the "v" with a "u"
@@seirbhiseach Thank you for your answer! :) And it's nice to hear how long distance travel can connect influence people at such a long distance. Take care! :)
All I know is in the 20th century my parents talking of how there was only the pot belly stove. That was it. No central heating. A house with cracks?! EEEK!
An older gentleman I used to work with tells of being a kid in the late 20's, early 30's and the house had a stove at one end of the hall upstairs and a vent at the bottom of the door in the bed rooms. He slept with multiple blankets and quilts on in the winter. He was warm, but the contents of his chamber pot in the morning were frozen solid.
My grandfather lived in a 2 room cabin as a child (born in 1910 0 died 2004). he said they'd fill cracks with mud and rock mixture, like adobe. he said sometimes the wind would break off the filler and snow would blow in when he was asleep. he'd wake up and his boots would be frozen to the floor. My great-grandmother would put his clothes and boots near the stove to warm up before he got out of bed.
I grew up in an old house with no a.c or central heat and brick floors.We had a fire place in one room and a wood stove in another.We used kerosene heaters and piled on the blankets in winter.In summer we opened windows and had fans.
As I was watching this, my husband informed me that a man who was intending an ice fishing trip fell through today in NW Wisconsin. We af one time lived on a spring fed lake. During those years more than a couple young men made their way to our door because they fell in. One year we saw a father and son who broke through in their truck. The truck later had to be hooked to a chain by a diver, then a track was sawed by chain saw and a hole by shore so we could get the truck out. We love to ice fish but wait until we see several brave folks fishing before we venture out.
GREAT video!! You must be a teacher or professor, and I say that because you have a very smooth delivery to the camera, not stuttering or nervous. very good!
--First?-- :) Jon, Your winter theme brings something to mind. *Dec 19th is an important anniversary in our nation's history as concerns Valley Forge.* I've often wondered about *Valley Forge*, especially since my family history has a connection to events with Geo. Washington there. Could you do a special show about rations and scant food supplies at Valley Forge please? What sorts of survival things (food, etc) did they have to use there during that bleak winter at Valley Forge? (Edited) Could some ad hoc improvised cooking be done out of doors that would evoke some of the reality of the harsh conditions there, for example? This might be especially instructive for students along with being of general interest to this group. P.S. Your uniform would be a real asset to such a show.
Paul, just as you would like Jon's take and info on our favorite wild game recipe idea, so do I wish to see his take on the Valley Forge idea. Could some ad hoc improvised cooking be done out of doors that would evoke some of the reality of Valley Forge, for example? He probably does have resources galore on this subject. I'd like to learn about that, too.
Rose McGuinn ok cool I know they had cooking fires, and some large ovens, and they got most of their food from the surrounding area, so it couldn't have been that different. Also at one point a native tribe brought them supplies of corn and some other things, so I think that this topic would make a really cool episode!
Paul Yes I thought as much as well. It's a topic that's been discussed less and less often in many public schools, imho. I'd like to learn more about the interaction with the Native people there during that difficult winter, as well as to see _how it might have looked and been experienced for them to be cooking out of doors in a tough winter_. I think it's a subject that is under-taught. Kids need to see things more from a soldier's perspective. Jon has not worn his uniform in quite a while, too, so that would add to the flavor of anything he might choose to teach.
Finally got to this video. Great info and history as always. Keep up the great work! Winter's across the country are always interesting. Some in the south feel if they see any frost in the morning that is a bad winter and other in the north are ok with 2 feet of snow on the ground.
On the subject of contemporary books, I encourage all viewers to check their local public libraries and historical societies. Local historians and antiquaries have devoted enormous time to searching through primary documents for information and illustrative accounts of local history, and you may be amazed at what you find. I came across a contemporary record of a skirmish between Hessians and militia just a short distance from my home, for example. Often, these records were compiled by historians many decades ago, when less of early America had been obliterated by development, and they reveal not only worthwhile facts but places of interest that are "hiding in plain sight," as it were.
@meleedra - Excellent suggestion. May I add that most of the public libraries in New York have Local History Rooms where such information could be found as well as historical societies. I hope that other states have such a program, too.
A sharp shod horse, is shod with horseshoes that has hooks bend in the back and sometimes a downward nose is upset in the front of the shoe as well. Still used today... So when are you going to make an episode on riding in the colonial time (he he)
also, many modern horseshoes for winter have tough rubber non-slip inserts for traction (but my horse is barefoot) also, rubber hoof boots can be worn for general year round extra protection as well as traction (especially for barefoot horses)
I was one of the fortunate to experience living like this in the middle of the 20th century. I had no idea it was "unusual" to live like that by this "modern" time. My Scots-Irish Grandpa (born 1895) built a one room log cabin in the Northern Michigan woods to shelter his family. By the time I came along (mid 20th) the cabin was well used and not very well maintained. He had a wood burning stove that he fired up each morning early and when he did so it would get so hot in that cabin that sleeping was impossible when on the top bunk. Time to get up and go out to the outhouse and then the pump in the yard for water. Best water ever! Breakfast was pancakes (with bacon grease for Grandpa), eggs, bacon, coffee and toast with raspberry jam that you scraped the mold off of that was under the wax seal before using. Grandma melted brown sugar for syrup and we could have either butter or syrup for our pancakes, but not both... choose one or the other (I never did try the bacon grease like Grandpa did). I don't know how many different wild critters I ate for supper but I did learn to be careful chewing in case there was buckshot in the meat. Watching out for fish bones was also a concern. I am so grateful for the many wonderful memories of living history.
Your response is one of few that I read through. Highly interesting and greatly detailed. Maybe you should write a book. You lived the history, knew the ins and outs of survival all year round. Wow. I would read your story.
Might seem odd, but I’d like to congratulate you on not saying “Scotch.”
What part of michigan
I freeze during Winter & when we have to use the swamp cooler, too! It's tough when your feet are chunks of ice.
But, when I walked to school thru the Winter, (I walked, all the time, as it was a small town.), I was fortunate to have warm clothing. As a child, I loved sledding on a western flyer sled from western auto. (My parents bought my bike there, too.) That was what Saturdays were for! 😉
Wool is your friend in the Winter.
Now, why weren't the cabins chinked? Had they not had an opportunity to do so? Was the owner slothful? In our part of the country, moss is still found in high Mtn streams, but there wouldn't be enough to fill the gaps. I think one would have to use a mud mix of some kind, but with some sort of binder. Not everywhere has clay. I really don't know WHAT people used. Must research.
@@adamhonestyanddecency5054 I work very hard at saying/writing this correctly. I'm not an alcohol beverage, I'm a Scot lol.
Hi John, I'm a blacksmith at a 1914 heritage village, and we have winter shoes for horses with screw-on studs and blades. These are probably what Kalm was referring to.
Sharp toed means keen of foot. Doesn’t have anything to do with a horses shoes.
You make snow tires for horses lollll
The most enjoyable thing about this content, is how much you are enjoying yourself. God bless my friend.
"Now they all found something else to do besides enjoy themselves" is the politest description of a disaster I've ever heard
During January and February is when we make sausage. We make it in an unheated garage or shed and didn't have to worry about the meat going bad because it got too warm. We smoked them in an old smokehouse with a smudgepot fire that didn't heat the smokehouse up but produced lots of smoke. Lots of good memories while we made sausages in assembly line fashion with a party atmosphere. The beer flowed freely, as did the hot spiced cider!
I like that you included the paintings of people skating.
Thank you so much! I remember sitting down with my Granny and her telling me about growing up in the mountains of Virginia. It’s amazing how people were still living in those old fashioned ways even when she was a girl. Any young people lucky enough to have great grandparents around, ask them questions about their life. It’s information you will treasure.
Did she tell you about the warm bricks under their pillows in the winter?
The cooking is probably always going to be my favorite topic on this channel, but I do really enjoy hearing about subjects of the past in a specific place in time. Do more of these too!
The heat went out in my house last night and this morning the temperature indoors was 45 degrees. My first thought was how our ancestors lived in the time before central heating--unless you were directly in front of the fire you were cold. No complaints from me. Great video!
Adrian Van Vorhees one room cabins or if wealthy, fireplace in most rooms
Blankets.
In the past you would've often had a fire in your hearth from dawn till you slept, and most people's homes then were small huts or hovels of some kind, so it probably wasnt too bad because of the combination of the high temperature of fire and a small area for the heat to disperse into.
This channel makes me feel so relaxed
Your videos are so helpful. Americans need to know what our ancestors went through to make life and freedom possible for us today. Thank you so much.
Being a member of the 11th generation to live in New England, I have to say that preparing for winter in the north means preparing wood for heat more than anything else. After that, it's shelter repairs for man and beast. Once that wood is "in," though, we heave a sigh of relief and get out the shovels.
You can say goodbye to that soon enough thanks to our government...
My Dad said that when he was a child in 1930's Ossining NY, he used to see iceboats sailing on the ice on the Hudson River!
With all our modern luxuries, many people wonder how anyone survived then. I was homeless for nearly 3 years- winter is survivable, but it's HARD.
living in a car on on the street?
Ashmeed Mohammed You can actually be quite warm in a car in winter. Too hot, even. Cars are well insulated, and from experience car camping/living out of a car summer is horrible, but winter is doable (eastern seaboard, US). With a sleeping bag rated 4 season, and the body heat you produce, you can get by. Even better with two people, which is what I dealt with. Warming a bottle of water and putting it in the sleeping bag overnight is a well known tip for camping in cold weather. Get yourself a stainless steel canteen you can heat over/by the fire and you're set, just make sure it isn't too hot before you put it in the sleeping bag, or you'll have more fire than you want. Stay away from burning charcoal broquettes in your car or anything else, you can and will die of carbon monoxide poisoning due to lack of ventilation. Even just sleeping in the car normally, you will want to ventilate regularly.
People are always amazed by how much cold you can survive given the smallest protection. You can make a "sweat lodge" to survive cold winters with tree bark, leaves, and small saplings cut town and tied with twine. Dig a pit in the center of it, and put heated rocks in that you heated up outside the shelter- you can even use it as a sweat lodge by pouring water onto the rocks to create steam. Sleeping bags and coats, and the knowledge that extra extra pairs of socks are always needed, along with safe ways to dry your clothing/bedding, is enough to get you by if you need not worry for food and water.
Tina Gallagher
I personally found it seriously depressing. I wonder if that was ever an issue for people back then, or if they just accepted that they would be permanently and uncomfortably cold for long periods of time
from me to you, so sorry you had to go through those day/nights here's to you never going through them again...
Glad life is warmer for you now Tina!
I love how you love what you do. Being a history major myself, I know exactly why you do.
God bless you, Mr. Townsend, for reading these excerpts from the Swede's diary.
Thanks for your generous effort in setting the stage for this video's production by baring the snow and wind to bring authenticity.
Although I now live in California, I was born and raised in Williamsburg, and I love this channel! This video reminds me of one winter when I went home to visit my parents for the holidays. A couple of days before Christmas we had a huge snow and ice storm that knocked out our power for almost two weeks. We all felt as if we were living in colonial times, heating our home with only the fireplaces. But the most beautiful memory was going to Bruton Parrish church for midnight mass, with only candlelight to illuminate the church, and candle lanterns in the churchyard. This is the church found in the heart of the restored area that has been there since the 18th century, and with no electric lights at all, it was truly magical. Thank you for this great channel!
The town of "Raccoon" mentioned in the reading is now named Swedesboro.
Wow! I live in a couple towns over in Gibbstown NJ. Near the Raccoon Creak. Lots of history on the Delaware River!
Near Philly. A lot of my Amazon packages seem to go through there.
@@jameshorn270 Amazon just opened a warehouse in Pureland on the edge of Swedesboro. Lots of history in NJ. Racoon Creek makes lots of sense now. Tidal marsh by our home here.
Oooh. Great blueberries there.
I absolutely love your videos. You bring history to life and educate us about Colonial life. Thank you !
Wow great video, would love to see more like this one. I love the little tidbits of everyday feelings!
Me too!
Thanks for the perspective Jon. As a fellow winter wimp I resonate with your closing statement. Will be LONG term camping on some property in wyoming next year to see if I can make an 18th century homestead from scratch. I'll remember these wise words while I'm bundled up in my layers and marshmallow jacket.
Love the videos, keep doing what your doing. Much respect
A Colonial Christmas with the Townsends. Love it. I really appreciate these little snapshots in time you present. Thank you so much & looking forward to more story time.
If I'm ever as positive and happy as John I think I can die a happy and content man
I love your dedication, Jon! It’s been such a hot summer here in the Midwest, I’m so excited for Fall and Winter!
Just want to thank you for these videos. As an American History major is college, I always mention these videos in my class and my teacher has actually started using these as teaching tools. The books you’ve recommended I’ve picked up too and they are fantastic reads, cookbooks included. Keep up the good work and please don’t stop making these amazingly informative videos
Your channel is so awesome. Thank you for sharing your passions with us all!
There is a reason people wore stocking caps to bed and had hot pots for the beds. :)
alaskankare Right! Like those covered pans you'd stick hot rocks from the fire & put them under the covers to warm up the sheets before you went to bed . . .
I wear one here & now in bed.
The house where I live in isn't very well insulated, so in the winter it's pretty cold (at least it's in the South!); I will often shut off a couple of rooms and use a small space heater, but still need to wear a hoodie over my head to keep it warm.
@@Ektalon Is that was those are? I remember seeing one of those in a Spanish language film in 1992 called Belle Epoque. I honestly thought it was warm in Spain so I didn't understand why she was preparing the bed in that way.
@@koshar44 When the temps drop to like -5, -10, -20, -30 F outside, and the room is c-c-c-coooold, I wear my tuke like a night-cap and sleep well.
When the weather is cold, your smile warms up everyone's 18th century heart.
I love the way you make the day to day life of Colonial America come alive. This definitely one of my favorite periods in history. Keep up the good work. P. S. The recipes are great too!
We own a house built in 1890 and love to watch your videos for the kids to get to see history come to life and to get a peek at what life was like when people first built our home
Your about 100 years off
He's about 60 years ahead of you, even at a place such as Connor Prairie, but I think that I see what you mean.
@@rosemcguinn5301 ......you do realize they didn't have central in 1890 right? So yeah actually the heating style would be relatively the same even when there's a time gap.
@@queerdor Did they have central in 1890? I must have missed that.
@@jasonvoorhees7288 Connor Prairie is1830, not 1890.
We are getting a 1/4 inch of wet, drippy snow in Missouri right now. Ten years ago it would have been a foot of powder and we'd worry about the pipes freezing. Haven't worried about the pipes freezing for about five years now.
Simply wonderful.
Thanks for reading portions of Peter Kalm's journal. It is interesting to read of first hand experiences of the weather as he was alive right in the middle of the Little Ice Age.
I'm on page 158 of that book and I'm so amazed! Interesting how he references the water line up to the blue mountains by evidence of shells in limestone. Going as far to say that the shells are not even the same as the receded sea. Interesting about the giants bowls and caves too. Thanks for sharing this book. A very good read, best one in years.
Interesting how he references...ect.
Yes. He is so close...
Thank you for reading these stories to us I can close my eyes and imagine actually being there.
Once again, thank you for your insightful and always interesting commentary, reflecting American life during the colonial era.
Best wishes and Christmas greetings to all in America,
from Suffolk, England.
Love your videos and the things I learn as you teach about the 18th century. We have it so good now. Its romantic to dream about the "good ole days" but I am sure I couldn't "cut it." You are a delight to follow.
Hello Mr. Townsend, just wanted to say love the way you've diversified your content; gives us an insight into the 18th life in general which makes the recipes even more interesting to watch, completes the picture in a way!! Thanks and keep up the great work!!! :)
Love your videos! Please do more like this between the awesome cooking, it's nice to hear from the books
So interesting! Thanks! I wish this book weren’t so expensive because right now it would be a great diversion! But I do appreciate you doing all the research and it was fascinating
I'm really enjoying this video I love to hear the stories. I find this kind of history on the everyday life's of our ancestors very interesting I could listen for hours. Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful videos they are always interesting and educational . This is Ivana from Blue Mountains Ontario Canada.
He's probably talking about having caulks on the horse's shoes, a practice that continues to this day. Having grown up in Lancaster County, not far from Philly, I can tell you that the practice continues to this day, although with modern materials. The Amish and Mennonites use Drilltech on the toes of the horse's shoes for grip on the pavement year round, and the snow and ice in winter.
Do they really still use the old style of caulks or are they just using screw in studs? Those are also common in performance horses working on turf, but you can adjust the stud size as required (track and field shoes also have removable studs). Borium I think is used more for traction on pavement than ice or other more natural surfaces.
Been a long time since you made this but I'd like to shed light on your comment on "sharp toed" horses. As best as I've been able to figure out that was an old phrase for cloven hooved animals. They handle snow and ice better because their two "claws" come to a point at the tip compared to the single rounded toe hoof of horses. You see lots of references in old sources to "sharp toed" animals and when they are being specific it's always even-toed hoofed animals. But not pigs oddly enough, cows and goats were but pigs weren't.
Nice stories. Thank you. It looks like the air is so crisp and fresh and clean in your place. I envy you. Take a deep breath for me please.
Closest thing to time travel we may ever have! Thank you so much!
Love the visuals with this video! Awesome! Definitely not ready for the winter or snow though, today was the first day in the 30's where I live. It's too much for me lol.
Yahooo! Snow has finally fallen in alexandria! My wife and i love the winter weather so much. Seeing it through a colonial aspect is so amazing. Keep up the amazing work you guys do!👍
Very interesting. I've lived in Massachusetts all my life, so I definitely understand what he's talking about lol. Thank God for modern insulation and heating..
❤️ thank you for sharing, keep the videos coming.
When I am doing genealogy about this period I will often google to see if I can find any reference as to what the whether was like. When you find those references they become very useful to me to understand that part of what they were up against at the time.
Thank you! Most interesting indeed. I was surprised to learn that they did not build barns for the cattle.
I think it’s amazing how much and how quickly we complain about the slightest things yet settlers managed to survive such harsh conditions. Love your videos;)
Thank god, another outdoor video! With snow! Just what I needed today. Keep it up Townsends, you guys are great. If you guys can come up with something for outdoor winter cooking I'd just love that.
I really like these historical (non-food) talks!
Just wanted to tell you how much I love your videos. I live in Williamsburg, VA and we spend a lot of time around Colonial Williamsburg, so your videos provide fantastic insight into the lives people in situations very much like those being reenacted. Many thanks!
What a great look at Colonial life. I'm going to read some to my kids so they can appreciate the house at 60 degrees.
Should they also appreciate whooping cough, small pox, assorted fevers, poor medical care and hunger?
Love listening to you! Best wishes from Canada! ............ and yes, the winter is coming! :)
Congrats on 400k! Always love watching your videos.
That is one impeccable hat Sir!OUTSTANDING!
I really enjoyed your reading us this mans experience with winter here in America in those early times, sounds very coooooooold.
There is an historic precedent that winters were worse then. The Little Ice Age is a period between about 1300 and 1870 during which Europe and North America were subjected to much colder winters than during the 20th century.
My paternal grandma cooked for a logging crew up by Ashland, WI in the early 1900s. It was so cold even with a fire and cooking she cooked with mittens on.
After having been outdoors for some time in winter, I come indoors and feast upon the miracle of warmth that we take so easily for granted.
I was attracted to your videos,due to your belief that real history is best discerned from actual anecdotal writing.because what people really want to know about the past...generally involve how people actually lived in those times
I have no insulation in my house, no heating, and no cooling, but I live in Hawaii so it never freezes. However, I am here to tell you it does get cold and with the high humidity it can make your bones ache. This morning I sat wrapped in a blanket and thought of the long cold winter in a log cabin I lived in when I was a child and how the ice sickles hung a foot thick on the eaves. I turned in my chair, looked out the open door, and smiled at my garden of palm tree's and pineapple's and felt blessed.
Stay warm Jon and if you ever get tired of the cold come for a visit to Hawaii. You are always welcome. Thanks for sharing yet another great video adventure.
Great video! Very informative and interesting, as always.
You are among my very favorite videos on any service. Your love and respect for the material you present comes through. I hope to make a trip up to your area this Spring or Summer--finances permitting. Hope to be able to see the cabin and should that trip materialize.
As a Swede it would be pretty interesting to see a recipe that was carried over by some of the Scandinavian settlers. It's always fascinating to hear of some of the ways Sweden and the other Nordic countries have influenced America, no matter how insignificant it may be.
Many of us love the Nordic influences in the states I know I do!
Not many people know about the Swedish colony in New Jersey but Kalm gives some description of it in his book.
The area this video is about in NJ was just once called New Sweden. Even though there isn’t much left but some place names to link it to the Swedes and Finns that settled the area, its an interesting bit of colonial history
Not insignificant, I assure you. Still a Swedish cabin in Swedesboro proper.
@@81iand The Swedesboro Inn in Swedesboro NJ is supposed to be a great place to dine. Kids have little appreciation for history. Swedesboro has many historic houses, Victorian era, snd a Swedish log cabin. The town is about 10 blocks long and very quaint.
Hello! This is possibly the most enjoyable video Ive ever come across. Please continue to read history aloud! Im so happy watching this video, it is so serene and makes me feel so content and tranquil. Thank you!
Would you read more from this book please? This is very interesting.
i grew up in morristown , nj,, washington army wintered there, in 75 , i believe, bad times for the troops, alot had no shoes and they had to build their own huts, jockey hollow ,the place was called
A great accounting of a Colonial winter.
Norhteastern* Winter.
I found your channel yesterday and I am absolutely HOOKED! Im loving every second. Ive always been obsessed with the history of colonial American
Here in Norway this would be a sunny day, the sun is not out but we call it that. A day to wash in the local stream and tend to the polar bear heard.
This is why I’m moving to Norway.
Yes, it sounds nice and warm in Norway.
In interior Alaska it is a really nice day to go moose riding!
Kathy That would have to wait for the muskoxen hair braiding contest, though, am I right? ;)
Bikini weather in MN.
Being from Minnesota I know about cold. I am always in awe when I read about how early settlers to the area survived and even more so the native peoples who survived and thrived.
bless your heart for going outside for this. anything colder than 72° and I'm dieing of frostbite. bless!
I love the upvote vs. downvote ratio of this video. Tells the story of how valuable his videos are. Certainly of how much I appreciate these videos. Channels like this are the true success story for TH-cam.
It’s hard to imagine being cold all the time for a lot of us today. I live in England, and yes, it’s bloody cold outside in the winter, especially near the coast - but we hardly need much in the way of heating in the house because of cavity insulation. Such a simple thing, and yet without it we’d be either freezing or burning up twice as much ‘fuel’ (albeit electricity) just to stay warm.
Great episode! My Dad grew up on a rural Macon GA farm w/o electricity, gas or running water (1932-1948). So he was "virtually" living in the eighteenth century! He said they had special horseshoes that allowed for spikes to be screwed in for ice-traction, but rarely needed that in Georgia.
They were brutal considering they were still in the that period called the Little Ice Age back then.
Technically, we are still in that "little ice age" . Right up until the global warming fad started, all climatologists talked about how we were just coming out of the little ice age and that the earth would keep warming up until it reached the same temps that there were back before it started. Now all "scientists" are in the global warming boat and they are telling us that we are causing it...don't believe them.
Yep climate change happens and there's nothing we do about it and as for the global warming politics just follow the money.
Please. Enough already with the modern politics! Jon has already stated his feelings on the subject. No politics, please
Yes.
Sons of NO. More. Politics. Please. Jon has spoken. Thank you
Thank you so much for the recommendation! I have always had an interest in colonial America and am excited to get my hands on the book :)
I grew up in New Jersey and had never heard of Raccoon. But in Peter Kalm's Wikipedia article they kindly explain that it's now known as Swedesboro -- unsurprisingly, as it was originally settled by Swedes and Finns. This is in South Jersey, in Gloucester county, and the nearby waterway is still called Raccoon Creek.
This is such a perfect video to watch right now. I'm warming up with some hot coffee and relaxing on a nice Friday night.
winter time was to time to make lager beers as they could tolerate the colder weather, also applejack and ice beers via ice distillation
Staying drunk is one way to get through the winter. Works for me. :)
I actually brewed my first lager a couple weeks ago... used my kegerator to keep it cold
Mmmmmmmm, beer.🍺🍻😀
Making beer was one of the best ways to 'preserve' grain....
@@IrishLincoln - Very unsafe thing to do in the cold. You won't feel the reality of the icy weather and your decision-making suffers.
It's difficult to communicate how valuable this channel is.
Even though I'm from Czech Republic, I really like your channel and all the valuable historical info you provide! Thank you! :-)
Anyway - I got the Kalm's book from Archive and I do have trouble reading the Ss printed as Fs. How long did it take you to stop having consciously "translate" those, please? :-)
The Czech history in America is quite amazing, the state in which I live has the fingerprints of the Moravians all over it! As for the long S, it often depends on the font in which you're reading, but with repeated practice, you get past with quickly. The same with how some older texts replace the "v" with a "u"
@@seirbhiseach Thank you for your answer! :)
And it's nice to hear how long distance travel can connect influence people at such a long distance. Take care! :)
You are such a joy to listen to. Can't wait till my throwback mug has some hot cocoa in it. I'll have to hashtag it.
All I know is in the 20th century my parents talking of how there was only the pot belly stove. That was it. No central heating. A house with cracks?! EEEK!
An older gentleman I used to work with tells of being a kid in the late 20's, early 30's and the house had a stove at one end of the hall upstairs and a vent at the bottom of the door in the bed rooms. He slept with multiple blankets and quilts on in the winter. He was warm, but the contents of his chamber pot in the morning were frozen solid.
KRB52 mercy Lord!!!
My grandfather lived in a 2 room cabin as a child (born in 1910 0 died 2004). he said they'd fill cracks with mud and rock mixture, like adobe. he said sometimes the wind would break off the filler and snow would blow in when he was asleep. he'd wake up and his boots would be frozen to the floor. My great-grandmother would put his clothes and boots near the stove to warm up before he got out of bed.
I grew up in an old house with no a.c or central heat and brick floors.We had a fire place in one room and a wood stove in another.We used kerosene heaters and piled on the blankets in winter.In summer we opened windows and had fans.
My dad was born in a cabin in West Virginia and he would talk about putting cardboard on the walls to keep the wind and snow out.
As I was watching this, my husband informed me that a man who was intending an ice fishing trip fell through today in NW Wisconsin. We af one time lived on a spring fed lake. During those years more than a couple young men made their way to our door because they fell in. One year we saw a father and son who broke through in their truck. The truck later had to be hooked to a chain by a diver, then a track was sawed by chain saw and a hole by shore so we could get the truck out. We love to ice fish but wait until we see several brave folks fishing before we venture out.
More 18th century personal accounts please :)
Here! Here!
I agree - this is some great American history!
Please!
I can't say it often enough, it's your input, you're perspective, that makes these books so interesting. Thanks for that ; )
Thanks. Ordered it. Am preparing for my new channel about historical spinning and weaving.
Sue M....I hope you will put a link to your new channel. I spin and weave too so would love to have a look at what you are doing.
Oh yes a link please!
Yes, please let us know here so that we can support your channel, as well.
I would be interested in being a subscriber
Rae Jen Hopefully intro video within a week.
GREAT video!! You must be a teacher or professor, and I say that because you have a very smooth delivery to the camera, not stuttering or nervous. very good!
--First?-- :) Jon, Your winter theme brings something to mind. *Dec 19th is an important anniversary in our nation's history as concerns Valley Forge.* I've often wondered about *Valley Forge*, especially since my family history has a connection to events with Geo. Washington there. Could you do a special show about rations and scant food supplies at Valley Forge please? What sorts of survival things (food, etc) did they have to use there during that bleak winter at Valley Forge? (Edited) Could some ad hoc improvised cooking be done out of doors that would evoke some of the reality of the harsh conditions there, for example? This might be especially instructive for students along with being of general interest to this group. P.S. Your uniform would be a real asset to such a show.
Rose McGuinn I live very close so I might be able to answer some questions. Anything specific?
Paul, just as you would like Jon's take and info on our favorite wild game recipe idea, so do I wish to see his take on the Valley Forge idea. Could some ad hoc improvised cooking be done out of doors that would evoke some of the reality of Valley Forge, for example? He probably does have resources galore on this subject. I'd like to learn about that, too.
Rose McGuinn ok cool I know they had cooking fires, and some large ovens, and they got most of their food from the surrounding area, so it couldn't have been that different. Also at one point a native tribe brought them supplies of corn and some other things, so I think that this topic would make a really cool episode!
Paul Yes I thought as much as well. It's a topic that's been discussed less and less often in many public schools, imho. I'd like to learn more about the interaction with the Native people there during that difficult winter, as well as to see _how it might have looked and been experienced for them to be cooking out of doors in a tough winter_. I think it's a subject that is under-taught. Kids need to see things more from a soldier's perspective. Jon has not worn his uniform in quite a while, too, so that would add to the flavor of anything he might choose to teach.
Rose McGuinn are you going to start commenting "could you please do some valley forge?"😂
This bit of history was fantastic and thanks for the Crumpet video. I make them often now.
Such an awesome video..
Finally got to this video. Great info and history as always. Keep up the great work! Winter's across the country are always interesting. Some in the south feel if they see any frost in the morning that is a bad winter and other in the north are ok with 2 feet of snow on the ground.
On the subject of contemporary books, I encourage all viewers to check their local public libraries and historical societies. Local historians and antiquaries have devoted enormous time to searching through primary documents for information and illustrative accounts of local history, and you may be amazed at what you find. I came across a contemporary record of a skirmish between Hessians and militia just a short distance from my home, for example. Often, these records were compiled by historians many decades ago, when less of early America had been obliterated by development, and they reveal not only worthwhile facts but places of interest that are "hiding in plain sight," as it were.
@meleedra - Excellent suggestion. May I add that most of the public libraries in New York have Local History Rooms where such information could be found as well as historical societies. I hope that other states have such a program, too.
This is such a delightful channel. I enjoy learning this history made alive.
A sharp shod horse, is shod with horseshoes that has hooks bend in the back and sometimes a downward nose is upset in the front of the shoe as well. Still used today... So when are you going to make an episode on riding in the colonial time (he he)
Jens Sigurdson
18th century studs, the precursor to Blizzaks
also, many modern horseshoes for winter have tough rubber non-slip inserts for traction (but my horse is barefoot) also, rubber hoof boots can be worn for general year round extra protection as well as traction (especially for barefoot horses)
Thank you for answering this question for me! I was hoping someone in the comments would be able to tell me what that meant. :)
Thank you guys for all you do to teach us about our history. 🍀🍀🍀