This is an example of what a 1930s house in East Texas could have looked like. East Texas was primarily an agricultural area. Although many "modern" conveniences were available in 1930, most of the homes in East Texas still used wood cookstoves like the one on display.
Wood stoves were difficult to regulate temperature, so the woman of the house became adapt to knowing exactly how much wood is needed for her desired temperature for her baking. The large white cabinet in the kitchen is called a Hoosier cabinet. Note the flour bin and sifter inside.
The family relied on books, games, and the radio for entertainment. The milk churn, washboard, and lye soap were all common items in a household in 1930.
The icebox was also used by families to keep items cold. Unlike refrigerators, these were cooled, not by electricity and compressors, but by ice. Ice would be brought by the iceman to the house and placed in the upper compartment. The items to be cooled such as milk are stored in the lower compartment as cold air falls. The water created by the melting ice was piped directly through the floorboard of the house and into the ground.
Head toward the hall at the end of the front exhibit space, scroll to the bottom, and click the "next" button to continue to stop number 15, the special exhibit room.
