Featured Artifacts: Spats

 Holiday time has often met events such as concerts, parties, and weddings. Until the late 1920s, a well-dressed man attending these events would need these items from the Benton County Historical Society's collection. 

These spats cover the top of one's shoes up over the ankle and fasten underneath the sole. “Spats” – short for spatter-dashes or spatter-guards-- originated in the military to keep shoes free from sand or mud. Gaiters, which serve the same purpose, are taller and cover the lower section of the wearer's trousers.

Army-issue gaiters from World War II

During the late 19^th and early 20^th century, spats became an item of men's fashion and a symbol of elegance.  They came in different colors- primarily black, white, and gray-- which fashion dictated should match the color of one's gloves. 

After 1926, when England's King George first appeared in public without spats, their use gradually declined.  Increasingly, they were reserved for special occasions.  The spats shown above were worn by donor Dwight Curtis Mumford on his wedding day, September 28, 1929.

Although generally associates with male fashion, spats were also worn by women, especially when needed to protect from mud. These “Tweedies Bootops” date from around 1915.

 

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon  

Candle Histories

 December 21 is the shortest day of the year.  For many years, candles were one of the few sources of light during these dark days.  Today, candles retain an important role in many wintertime holiday celebrations. The Benton County Historical Society's collection includes a few such candles.

Honeybees are not native to the Americas so the missions in New Spain (including Mexico and California) had to import beeswax and candles from Asia for use in church services.  The Spanish galleon Santo Cristo de Burgos left the Philippines in the summer of 1693 loaded with a cargo that included Chinese porcelain, beeswax, and candles.  It was never heard from again.  But from the blocks of wax, candles, and other items that washed up on the Oregon shore near Nehalem, researchers have concluded that the ship wrecked somewhere off the Oregon coast later that year. 

This candle is very likely from that ship: pollen in the beeswax has been identified as being from Luzon Island, Philippines and carbon dating puts its origin in the late 1600s.

It was also in the 1600s that German Christians began putting decorated Christmas trees in their homes.  Some were lit with candles wired to the branches.  Moravians brought the tradition to the United States in the early 19^th century but the tradition only became well-established here in the late 1800s. In 1878 Frederick Artz  invented a clip-on candle holder which made lighting the tree easier.

These holders and candles may have been used on trees decorating Philomath College. It wasn't until at least the 1920s that most people began to switch to strings of electric lights instead.

 

Some people like the look of candles and similar holders are still available. 

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon  

Eyeglasses

As I recently needed new eyeglasses, I was curious about the styles that were popular in the past.  The Benton County Historical Society's collection contains numerous pairs. I was surprised that many of the older eyeglasses had much in common with my new ones.

1860s spectacles

The eyeglasses in the photograph above have gold tone metal frames and date from the 1860s. The metal frames are similar to my new ones except mine do not have a metal bottom rim.  That change was made possible by the development of plastic lens which replaced glass ones in the 1980s. Also, the eyeglasses in the photograph, like most of the older pairs of eyeglasses in the museum's collection, have straight temples that do not curve around the ear.   I wondered if this style of eyeglasses slid off more often but then learned that the small loops at the ends of the temple pieces would have held a ribbon which would be tied around the wearer's head.

1950s cats-eye spectacles

Although this style of thin metal frames is still available, the real change in fashion took place after the development of plastics allowed for more varied colors and shapes in frames. The 1950s saw cats-eye frames decorated in gold, silver, and rhinestones. In my youth I had glasses with blue frames but never ones with such an exaggerated shape as these from the museum's collection.

Now that I'm older, I wear trifocals. The idea of bifocal lenses was invented by Benjamin Franklin.  He cut two different lenses in half and inserted them in a frame.  The museum's collection includes on pair of bifocal eyeglasses made in this fashion.  Fortunately, modern bifocals and trifocals have a less visible demarcation than that dark line across the middle.

Bifocal eyeglasses, circa 1880s

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon 

Colonial Maryland Currency Printed by Anne Catharine Hoof Green

Benton County Historical Society Exhibitions Curator Mark Tolonen suggested the item below as the subject for the blog saying, “there are probably a lot of stories that could be learned from this one note.” He was certainly correct.

This tattered paper is a two-thirds dollar note issued by the colonial assembly of Maryland. British policy kept the American colonies chronically short of money which made transactions difficult. Colonists resorted to using native wampum and tobacco and tobacco notes (certificates of inspection). Finally, in 1733, the colony began to issue paper money, denominated in shillings and backed by tobacco and securities of the Bank of England.  In 1767, Maryland began issuing currency in dollar denominations instead of shillings. Although the term “dollar” was in common use, this was the first official dollar currency. Two-third dollar seems like an odd amount but it was chosen because it equaled 3 British shillings. The note shown above was issued in 1774, the last time colonial Maryland printed any currency.  The note is tattered because currency was still scarce in the colonies so each bill was kept in circulation for a long time.

The front of the note says “Two Thirds of a Dollar. / [No. 10365 / This Indented BILL of Two thirds of a DOLLAR shall entitle the Bearer thereof to receive Bill of Exchange payable in LONDON, or Gold or Silver at the Rate of four SHILLINGS and SIX PENCE Sterling for the said Bill, according to the Directions of an Act of Assembly of MARYLAND.” If you look closely at the image, you can see a caret under the “h” in first appearance of the word “Third.” This was one of many “secret” marks the official printers use to try to discourage counterfeiting. There are several others but they are hard to see. The idea was that counterfeiters would assume these were errors introduced by other counterfeiters and correct them.  It didn't work.

The reverse shows a practice, introduced by Benjamin Franklin, which was also designed to deter counterfeiters. A wet cloth was placed over a smooth plaster and then leaves or other plant material put on top. The plaster hardened under pressure to become a mold for a copper printing plate. The fine lines and detailed patterns were difficult for counterfeiters to duplicate.

The reverse also notes that it was printed by A.C. and ____ Green.  What is noteworthy is that A. C. Green was a woman:  Anne Catharine Hoof Green.

 

Anne Catharine Hoof was born in the Netherlands around 1720 and later emigrated with her parents. In 1738 She married Jonas Green, the son of printers, in Philadelphia.  They moved to Annapolis Maryland and set up a print shop in their home which published a newspaper, the Maryland Gazette.  Jonas also had a contract with the Maryland Assembly to publish official documents. 

After Jonas died in debt in 1767, Anne Catharine took over, continuing to publish the newspaper and completed the work the government had commissioned. She made a success of the business, paying off the debt and winning the position as official printer. The unreadable other initial is probably an F for her son Frederick who helped his mother in the business and took over after she died in 1775. She was the first, or at least one of the first, women printers and publishers in America.

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon

Featured Artifact: Rug Beater

The elaborate swirling pattern of this rattan object from the collection of the Benton County Historical Society's collection belies its utilitarian function.

 

This object was used to beat the dust and dirt out of rugs, cushions, or bedding in the times before carpet sweepers or vacuum cleaners. By the 1840s mass production had made carpets and rugs cheap enough that many families could afford them. At the same time, the use of wood and coal for heating put out more dust and dirt which settled into the carpets or rugs. To remove dirt from the rugs, one took them outside, hang them over a line or railing, and whack at them with the beater. Rug beaters were often made of cane or rattan because the material was sturdy but flexible enough to provide a good whipping action.

A variety of patterns were used in the paddle portion. Some, like this one used a series of loops while others features a lattice pattern. The flat but resilient surface released dust without damaging the carpet or breaking from repeated impacts. Wire, another popular material, was formed into a simple teardrop shape, fashioned into a a heart shape, or bent into patterns similar to the rattan rug beaters. And some people just used simple wooden boards or paddles.

This particular rug beater was used in the early 20th century by Sade Chase Howland of Oregon City, Oregon. Even though by the 1950s rug beaters had been largely replaced by mechanical carpet sweepers and later electric vacuum cleaners, both wire and rattan rug beaters are still sold today.

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon 

It's Apple Season!

Prime apple picking time in Oregon is in September and October. The apple trees in this photograph from the collection of the Benton County Historical Society look to be loaded down with ripe apples. 

Cora Mae Fehler and Friends
by a Large Apple Tree, circa 1910

Fruit-laden apples trees are not rare: over 1500 farms in Oregon have apples trees.  The 2021 harvest totaled 154 million pounds of apples. What to do with all those apples? One option is to make cider.

You must quarter the apples and then mush them to a pulp using a wood masher or a grinder. Then you pour the mash into a press.

"OASIS SPECIAL", "NO. 0" cider press

The press would be lined with cheese cloth or other material. After the mash has been added, place the wooden disk on top.  Turn the handle to put pressure on the disk and the apple mash, squeezing out the juice. The juice runs into the circular trough just outside the diameter of the press and out the hole in the front into a waiting container.

This Oasis Special press was owned by Gregory Reiling and used at the “Prune Ranch,” a 200 acre farm near Monroe leased from the Wilhelm family near Monroe. 

If you would like to see a cider press in action, the Willamette Valley Grange #52 is hosting a cider day at the Willamette Community Grange Hall at Highway 99 and Greenberry Road on Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 10 to 2. http://orgrange.org/event/cider-day-saturday-willamette-52/

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon