What was life like in the pioneer days?

Families were large, and only one child could inherit the family home. The rest went to the growing cities or to the frontier. During hard seasons, when crops failed or when farm prices fell, many headed for a new beginning in the West. Many went almost empty-handed to the frontier..

What did pioneers do for fun?

They had races and played games such as Sheep Over the River, Hide and Seek, Pull the Rope, and Steal-Stick Duck-Stones. They also sang and danced.

What was the difficult about life as a pioneer?

ROUGHING IT— Pioneers relied on hunting, gathering and farming to provide their basic needs. They used the building material at hand — most often wood. Although modern Hoosiers pine for the simplicity and back-to-nature aspects, pioneer life was difficult and dangerous.

What kind of games did pioneer children play?

They played games such as hide-and-seek and tug-of-war. Foot races, hopscotch, marbles, and spinning tops were also popular. Playing hopscotch outside Job Carr Cabin Museum. When the weather was poor and children had to stay indoors, they could sing, read, or memorize poetry.

What toys did pioneer kids play with?

Pioneer Games

Pioneer children had simple toys and games made out of any available materials such as pebbles, rope, pieces of wood and scraps of material. Dolls were made out of scraps of material and wool. Some toys were made of wood. Many of the games they played are still being played today.

What sports did pioneers play?

There were several games played by pioneer children that are still played today in homes, schools, and on the playground. Hide-and-Seek, baseball, jump rope, tag, and string games are just a few. Word games were played both at home and at school, because these games helped the children to learn language skills.

Did kids drink alcohol in the 1800s?

People of all ages drank, including toddlers, who finished off the heavily sugared portion at the bottom of a parent’s mug of rum toddy. Each person consumed about three and a half gallons of alcohol per year.”

How did pioneers get clean water?

Many families had to boil their well water to kill off contaminants. When well-digging failed to reach water, families were forced to collect rainwater in barrels, cisterns, and pans.

Did settlers boil water? In many cases, the pioneers would boil their water first if they were able to do so. However, knowledge about contaminants was minimal during these times, and many people did not understand the necessity of boiling water that is taken from an unknown source.

What did pioneers eat?

The mainstays of a pioneer diet were simple fare like potatoes, beans and rice, hardtack (which is simply flour, water, 1 teaspoon each of salt and sugar, then baked), soda biscuits (flour, milk, one t. each of carbonate of soda and salt), Johnny cakes, cornbread, cornmeal mush, and bread.

Did pioneer children play marbles?

Marbles were a rare and prized possession of the pioneer children. The most valuable was the “cat’s eye” that had a center that looked like an eye.

What did pioneers drink?

The Founders, like most colonists, were fans of adult beverages. Colonial Americans drank roughly three times as much as modern Americans, primarily in the form of beer, cider, and whiskey.

Did pioneers have chocolate?

On occasion, pioneers did have access to chocolate, but it isn’t like chocolate you have today. It was bitter tasting, but was mixed with sugar to make sweet. So, pioneers did drink hot chocolate… watch the video to see how it was made.

What pioneers ate for breakfast?

Beans, cornmeal mush, Johnnycakes or pancakes, and coffee were the usual breakfast. Fresh milk was available from the dairy cows that some families brought along, and pioneers took advantage go the rough rides of the wagon to churn their butter. “Nooning” at midday meant stopping for rest and a meal.

What desserts did pioneers eat? As for desserts — they were simple, but many and varied. There were apple dump- lings, rice and bread puddings, soft molasses cookies, sugar jumbles, and mincemeat, pumpkin, dried apple, or custard pies.

How did pioneers get milk? Thus, for the pioneer family to have milk, the farmer needed to have his cow get in a family way. Once the calf was born, the cow started producing milk. Most farmers kept the cow and her calf separated until milking time, at which time the farmer allowed the calf to nurse.

What hardships did the pioneers face?

Obstacles included accidental discharge of firearms, falling off mules or horses, drowning in river crossings, and disease. After entering the mountains, the trail also became much more difficult, with steep ascents and descents over rocky terrain. The pioneers risked injury from overturned and runaway wagons.

What did the pioneers wear?

Boys wore shirts and pants made of cotton or buckskin, which is leather made from the skin of a deer. It is soft and strong, and yellow or gray in color. Girls wore skirts or dresses, usually made of brightly colored cotton called calico or gingham. It had stripes, checks or flowers in different colors.

What did the pioneers drink?

They just knew that water made them ill. So instead of drinking water, many people drank fermented and brewed beverages like beer, ale, cider, and wine. Children drank something called small beer. One of the first steps in brewing beer is to boil the water, which kills the germs and bacteria and makes it safe to drink.

What killed pioneers?

Emigrants feared death from a variety of causes along the trail: lack of food or water; Indian attacks; accidents, or rattlesnake bites were a few. However, the number one killer, by a wide margin, was disease. The most dangerous diseases were those spread by poor sanitary conditions and personal contact.

Where did pioneers sleep?

Generally, travelers only rode in wagons when too ill or tired to walk, and slept most nights in tents or bedrolls outside the wagon.

Why are pioneers important?

A pioneer is someone who sees potential, an innovator who is willing to try new things. A pioneer pushes boundaries to advance a cause or idea or break a record. These men and women have experienced success in their field, sometimes by overcoming great challenges.

What did pioneers face?

Emigrants feared death from a variety of causes along the trail: lack of food or water; Indian attacks; accidents, or rattlesnake bites were a few. However, the number one killer, by a wide margin, was disease. The most dangerous diseases were those spread by poor sanitary conditions and personal contact.

What did kids do for fun in the Old West? Children learned to cook, bake, make soap and candles, sew and spin. “Young children did household chores together and then around the age of 9 or 10 they started to work in the field – boys and girls.” For girls, working alongside boys was a big change.