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.