SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT HISTORY ...

We believe the "Final Word" will never be said. There is always more to learn ...

We can honestly say we have learned more from our customers than we could ever teach them! History enthusiasts, whether they be bus drivers, professors, or 12 year old kids are always teaching us a thing or two about the past. We all have to be prepared to re-think what we thought we knew! If you find any inaccuracies in what you find on these pages, please drop us a line. We are all here to learn from each other!

We will use this page to discuss a little bit about historic cookware, and various other topics. Please check back as we will periodically post new "food for thought"!

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“O! Ye unborn inhabitants of America! Should this page escape its destined conflagration at the Year’s End, and these Alphabetical Letters remain legible … When your eyes behold the Sun after he has ruled the Seasons round for two centuries more, you will know that we dream’d of your Times.”

By Nathaniel Ames Jr, 1776
Publisher of an Astronomical Diary and Almanac

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ABOUT KETTLE LIDS:
Although there were certainly metal lids made for kettles, it does not seem that they were prevelant. Few examples survive, so we must suppose that either they were not common, or they met with a quick end at the hearth. From our research, it seems simple wooden lids were frequently used. From our ancestors point of view, wooden lids seem more practical. They are easily made (most were just a slab of wood, some not even cut round. A simple hole in the center allowed the lid to be removed with an iron "lid lifter"). If the lid was damaged, it became fuel for the fire, and a new slab was fitted over the pot. Cookbooks of the period advise that the wooden lids be soaked before use to prevent them burning.