Early Furniture Manufacturing & Distributing in the U.S. ~ Julie Lence

 

Jamestown Settlement

   Situated along the Chadokoin River in the heart of Pine tree country, Jamestown is credited as the 1^st settlement in the United States. As such, people needed food, water and shelter to survive in a new land. They also needed chairs to sit on, beds to sleep in, and cabinets to store food and housewares. In 1804, Edward Work and Thomas R Kennedy built a sawmill near the settlement. James Prendergast built one in 1810, and others popped up by 1816, producing the furniture needed for everyday life. Royal Keyes is credited with opening the 1^st cabinet making shop. In 1820, he partnered with William Breed, who bout out Keyes’ share in and converted the business from a hand labor to a water-powered factory. Additional sawmills opened around the settlement and by 1840, Jamestown was shipping roughly forty million board feet of timber a year to other settlements in the Ohio Valley, earning an income of $250,000 and depleting the pine trees.         

Out in western New York, the Lake Erie area was heavily populated by pine, chestnut, walnut, cherry, oak and other trees that were perfect for sturdy furniture. Several creeks crossed through the area, providing the power needed for early factories but not the means to transport boards to Jamestown. Until the railroad came along, these factories provided for settlements in northern Ohio and Central New York, leaving Jamestown tied to western Pennsylvania and the Ohio Valley. But southwest of the Lake Erie area is Cincinnati, the 5^th largest city in the United States at that time, and the largest in the west.      

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 Along the Ohio River, Cincinnati was a major port for people making their way west. Steamboats also brought goods from the east to the city and to New Orleans, paving the way for Cincinnati to boom economically. 1815 saw the city expanding their trade, to include distributing chairs and other furniture to the west. Forests around the city were full, and tradesman from worldwide came to build the furniture that was in demand.  Unfortunately, the Great Flood of 1832 wiped out much of Cincinnati’s furniture making business. Tools and paint were washed away, and then, in 1834, the Asian Cholera added to the destruction of the city’s economy. Steamboat operators and owners were weary of coming to the city for fear of catching the disease and bypassed Cincinnati, leaving more furniture makers to close shop and go into a different trade.

In 1833, settlers searching for place to call home crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa onto newly opened wilderness land purchased from the Sauk and Meskwaki Indians. The area was densely populated with Cedar, Oak, and Walnut trees, and with the arrival of the settlers, wagons loaded with sawmill machinery soon followed. Within ten years, people had sturdy homes and furniture.

Most of the people looking to make their way further west traveled in covered wagons that were packed tight with furniture, food staples, blankets and clothes. Eventually, the railroad paved the way to make traveling and transporting furniture and other big items, such as stoves, to the old west easier. Today, many towns have their own furniture stores, with a manufacturer nearby. Others rely on tractor trailers to supply their businesses with the comfy couches and beds we enjoy.

Renew Your Christmas Beliefs by Ginger Simpson

Laura Indalls Wilder has long been a favorite author, and it's always scenes from her books that I harken back to...scenes that swept me away to another time and place when I engrossed myself in her stories back in elementary school. I especially loved reading how much Christmas was anticipated...no matter how meager because coming from a family of four children with one working parent, I learned early-on that we couldn't be greedy.

Ms. Wilder wrote of her mother's preparation for the holiday on the prairie.  "Ma was busy all day long, cooking good things for Christmas". While Christmas in the cities often included trees, decorations, Santa, gifts, and cards, pioneers often faced heavy snow storms and miles dividing them from civilization.  Most gifts were hand made, as were decorations and adornments when things could be found to serve that purpose. Food was usually the traditional way to celebrate when money and mercantiles were scarce.   Trail hands, often miles from home and loved ones, probably recognized the day, but did little to celebrate.  Such was the fate of those who braved the wilderness.

Today, we may wander to a tree farm and actually cut down a real tree, but most of us have turned to artificial for the convenience.  While Ma Ingalls may have cooked all day, many of us now purchase ready-made meals from the nearby market, and very little thought or appreciation go into gifts.  Commercialization has stolen the real meaning of our holiday. 

My siblings had the best idea of all when a few years back they pooled their money, visited the dollar store and prepared gift bags for the homeless.  I wasn't there, but I can only imagine that handing them out renewed faith in family,giving, receiving, and love.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all did that this Christmas?  Wishing you all a renewed knowledge of what Christmas is all about.