1889er House

The 1889er house is an example of what a nice Edmond home would have looked like in 1889. If you were lucky enough to settle in an area with trees, you would have a house similar to this. If you did not have trees, your home would have been a dug out (basically a house dug out of the side of a hill) or made out of sod (earth squares). Most people only brought the basics with them to Edmond in 1889 on the train or in a wagon, but might have opted for making room for a cherished organ or other family heirloom. The early homes often had only one room and housed an entire family. Water was drawn from nearby creeks or streams until a well could be dug. Small shacks located a small distance from the house were known as outhouses and served as restrooms for the family. Another important building was the barn which housed the farm animals. A popular activity was barn raising parties where many of the town’s men joined together to help build a barn for their neighbors.

Children played an important role in daily chores which included drawing the water for drinking and bathing, emptying the chamber pots, feeding the livestock and bringing in wood for the fire during winter months. These chores were completed prior to going to school and then again after school.

The family occasionally traveled to town to purchase needed items. The women bought material for drapes, bedding and clothing, as well as, food items and medicine. The men often purchased lumber, various tools and extra food for the livestock. Many pioneers owned only the basic necessities and did without frivolous items. Imagine for a moment living in this pioneer house without today’s conveniences.

Windmills, a vanishing site today, were common on the Oklahoma landscape, even Edmond. Windmills made it easier to pump ground water to the surface. The enlarged photograph behind the windmill is of Signal Mound Farm, today known as Kickingbird Golf Course.