What did they take with them?
They would take as many supplies as they could with them. Some of the the food they would take included: yeast for baking, crackers, cornmeal, bacon, eggs, dried meat, potatoes, rice, beans, and a big barrel of water. The pioneers might even take some chocolate for special occasions. They would also take a cow if they had one. They would use it for milk and meat. Pioneers made their own clothing so they brought cloth to sew, needles, thread, pins, scissors, and leather to fix worn-out shoes. They had to make their own repairs so they brought saws, hammers, axes, nails, string and knives.
Pioneer Tools and Things They Took
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This is a draw knife. A draw knife was used to peel the bark off the logs when the pioneers were building their cabins. |
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This is a grinding stone. There is a foot pedal that you use when you want to make the wheel turn. Then you can sharpen knives, axes, and other tools on the wheel. |
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This is a picture of one of our team members and a pioneer plow. It was used by simply pushing it along. A small shovel plows the dirt. |
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These are augurs. Pioneers used them to drill holes for the homes they were building. They would drill holes in the logs so a wooden peg could be inserted to hold the log in place. |
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On the left is a cooking pot. On the right is a cauldron. Both were used for cooking purposes. |
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This is a corn seeder. It was used to plant corn seeds. You simply inserted the corn into the little box on the right, and opened and closed the handles. |
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This tool is a fro. It was used to make shingles from old tree stumps. |
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This is a meat grinder. This tool was used to grind raw meat before cooking or making sausage. |
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Pioneers used this tool to make wooden moldings for their new homes. |
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Saws were some of the most important tools the pioneers took with them. This is a bow saw. |
| ax | 15 |
| shovel | 12 |
| hatchet | 9 |
| hammer | 7 |
| hoe | 3 |
| anvil | 150 |
| grinding stone | 75 |
| animal trap | 15 |
| rope | 4 |
| doll | 2 |
| jump rope | 1 |
| marbles | 1 |
| family Bible | 2 |
| books | 2 |
| hunting knife | 1 |
| bag of clothes | 40 |
| fiddle | 2 |
| snowshoes | 8 |
| rifle | 10 |
| pistol | 7 |
| first aid kit | 3 |
| flour | 150 |
| tea | 10 |
| salt | 50 |
| sugar | 50 |
| coffee | 100 |
| bacon | 40 |
| dried fruit | 100 |
| dried beans | 100 |
| cornmeal | 10 |
| spit peas | 100 |
| oatmeal | 8 |
| vinegar | 25 |
| pickles | 50 |
| dried beef | 25 |
| salt pork | 5 |
| assorted spices | 5 |
| barrel of water | 350 |
| vegetables | 5 |
| coffee grinder | 5 |
| rug | 40 |
| bedding | 20 |
| mirror | 40 |
| dutch oven | 70 |
| butter churn | 40 |
| table and 4 chairs | 200 |
| piano | 900 |
| organ | 2000 |
| baby cradle | 75 |
| wooden bucket | 10 |
| bedpan | 2 |
| butter mold | 1 |
| rocking chair | 50 |
| pitcher and bowl | 5 |
| cooking stove | 700 |
| cooling utensils | 2 |
| stool | 10 |
| spinning wheel | 80 |
| lantern | 4 |
| clock | 1 |
| 10 candles | 1 |
| set of dishes | 40 |
(source – written by nine and ten year old students at Floresville Elementary School in south Texas)