Pioneer Handbook Freebies

     I promised you another freebie and here it is. Pioneer Handbooks is a site dedicated to keeping old ways alive. They are so passionate about keeping these periodicals and their unique information available to the public that they present all this information to you FREE. That's right FREE. I love that word. FREE!

This site is just awesome. Really, old time ways + newfangled viewing + printing at home + *FREE* = AWESOME. Whats not to like about that?  

     One of the things I like to do is to pick the brains of those that are much older than me. I love to hear their stories and things they've experienced. These are like asking great Grandpa what it was like when he was a kid. 

For instance the Handbook entitled 1896 Home Mechanic gives this description:

  How-to and DIY instructions from the year 1896.  This massive chapter of the Home Mechanic’s Manual covers everything from making medicine to hair oils and pomatum, perfumery, cosmetics, soaps, herb remedies, drinks and beverages, candies, remedies for vermin, inks, cements and glue, blacking and bluing, food recipes and cleaning tips.  The historic instructions in this chapter cover the whole range of things that the settler and pioneer families would make and use at home.

And this description from the 1881 Settlers Manual Farm and Orchard:

  More than 100 traditional pioneer recipes and kitchen hints ranging from bread, cakes and pies to roasts, preserves and even ice-cream.  This chapter of recipes and cooking tips was written in 1881 for the settlers heading into the Iowa territory.  The pioneers and settlers of the 1800's relied upon the handbooks and manuals they took with them. They were the DIY and how-to books of the day.

     I'm certainly going to be printing off a lot of these booklets for my print library. Hope you can make good use of them as well. 

--Jamie