Wealthy in Heart: An Oral History of Life Before Fort A. P. Hill

[L Verge]

Mentioning the wood-burning cook stoves - when we were able to raise enough funds to rebuild the kitchen wing at Surratt House, we knew Mrs. Surratt had a new-fangled cook stove instead of cooking over an open hearth. A visitor once asked how they knew what temperature to use for cooking in the oven.

Off we went to period housekeeping manuals, and most gave "arm" instructions. If you could put your arm in the oven up to the elbow, it was a "cool" oven; to your lower forearm, it was a "medium" heat; and fingers only meant "hot."

We made snow cream a lot when I was young - until the jets from Andrews AFB began jettisoning extra fuel over our yard! That could make a mess of white laundry hanging on the line to dry, also.