Hancock's Resolution Rediscovers Forgotten Household Crafts

Hancock's Resolution hosted a "Forgotten Household Crafts" event on Sunday, inviting all to experience a slice of life from the 1800s.

Activities on display included washing clothes using an old-fashioned washboard, churning butter by hand, beekeeping and children's games from the early 20th century.

"Before we had washboards, we would have used a stick that looked like a baseball bat to pound the clothes in the washtub to get them clean," said docent Joannie Casey. "The washtub was a big advancement! We would have transferred the clean clothes to a rinse pot and cleaned them from there. At the same, clotheslines didn't exist—ladies' magazines of the time would suggest which bush you should dry your clothes near depending on what you wanted them to smell like when they were done drying."

Casey's 19-year-old son, Ethan, also helped out by teaching kids about children's games from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including marbles and ring toss.

"Some days we only have a few kids but on busier days like the Lilac Festival, we're busy all day," said Ethan Casey. "Everybody loves the marble game. All these games are from back then, and we know from historical records that the Hancock family actually owned a copy of that game. The ring toss was also the early precursor to the horseshoes we play now."

Ethan Casey said that it was important to help teach both kids and adults about history.

"Knowing how people lived in the past is so important to knowing how our country was founded and understanding the role that we play today," said Ethan Casey.