Horse

In the heart of tobacco country, little attention was paid to the science of raising livestock. Planters kept animals that provided food for themselves and their slaves or that otherwise earned their keep.

In 1860 the Burroughses owned 4 horses, which they sheltered in a horse barn. Besides serving as the family's transportation, they pulled plows through fields and wagonloads of cured tobacco leaves to factory. Booker T. Washington recalled taking sacks of corn on horseback to a local mill.

A few head of cattle, including "4 milch cows," appeared under Burrough's name in the 1860 county census. In warm weather milk and butter were cooled in a box through which the spring flowed. Sheep provided meat and wool. For food and bedding feathers, the Burroughses kept chickens, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl.

Salted pork, the main source of meat for slaves, came from hogs that roamed free most of the year. If the hogs wandered off their owner's lands, they often became the property of whoever found them. In late fall the hogs were fattened on corn-on of Booker's chores-and butchered. The salted meat was hung in the smokehouse to cure over a smokey fire.

Pig

Still taking you around the farm at the Booker T Washington park. There were 2 pigs, they both looked the same. They were very friendly and really liked Ashlyn to scratch their little snouts. Their hair was very course, like a broom.

Rooster

There were several chickens, roosters, a goose and turkeys at the Booker T Washington park. The boys had fun trying to catch them but the chickens won!

SkyWatch Friday

The herb garden behind the slave cabin at Booker T Washington National Park

I tried to find out which herbs were commonly used then to no avail. I wish that the park had them listed. I am going to write to the park and see if they have a list of the herbs and their uses. I'll post the list if they get back to me. It's interesting to learn about the medicinal uses for herbs back then.

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The Garden

Female slaves tended the gardens. Enclosed by a picket fence, the vegetable garden took up about an acre, space sufficient to supply a large family with an abundance of vegetables.

Workers hoed, planted and weeded, kept plants free of insects, and ensured a steady supply of fresh peas, greens, and cucumbers in summer.

Cabbages were wintered over in the ground and sweet potatoes were stored in a pit in the kitchen cabin. Beets and cucumbers were pickled and herbs and beans were dried.

Just beyond the garden is the Blacksmith Shed. In the far distance is the Tobacco Barn.

Booker T. Washington National Park

The Tobacco Barn

In the Virginia Piedmont, tobacco ruled the economy from colonial times well into the 20th century.

Tobacco plants were harvested whole. In preparation for curing, they were split lengthwise from the top and hung upside down on 5 foot long oak sticks called laths. The laths, holding 6-8 plants each, were suspended across poles in the tobacco barn. Every step of the process was undertaken with great care so as not to bruise or tear the valuable leaves. The leaves were cured for several days over small wood fires built on the dirt floor of the barn. This phase was often overseen by itinerant curers who traveled from farm to farm in autumn. The following spring, when seasonal moisture had made the leaves less brittle, they were taken to a local tobacco factory. Planters hired out their slaves to these factories to stem, cut and shape the tobacco into plugs and twists for chewing, the popular form of tobacco consumption at the time.




Booker T. Washington National Park

Booker T Washington National Park

On Sunday, we drove out to the Booker T. Washington National Park and spent a few hours walking around. This is a very nice park with trails and a lot of history.

Booker T. Washington was born into slavery on the Burroughs tobacco farm in 1856. The park is the old tobacco farm with reconstructed buildings (not sure what happened with all the original buildings, except I think I read somewhere that the "big house" burned to the ground), farm animals, gardens and walking trails. There is also a book store where you can also watch a short film on the history of Booker T. Washington.

Pictured above is a slave cabin like the one Booker T. Washington was born in and the small building to the left is the smokehouse, where salted meat was hung to cure over a smokey fire.

I'll show you around the farm this week!