Category: Make
15 Summer Drink Recipes From 1923
Long before refrigerators overflowed with bottled sodas, flavored waters, and ready-made iced drinks, summer refreshment often began in the kitchen. In 1923, readers were offered…
1920 Guide Explained the Right Way to Dry Sweet Corn
Drying corn was a practical way to preserve one of the garden’s best crops for the months ahead. The United States Department of Agriculture offered…
1919 Barbecue Boss Shared His Massive Pit Recipe for Feeding 1,000 People
In 1919, Chattanooga’s Charlie Willingham was known as a man who understood barbecue on a grand scale. To Willingham, pit barbecue was not a quick…
1907 Household Hacks Used Spools, Bottles, and Broomsticks to Save the Day
Long before convenience stores, overnight delivery, and endless household gadgets, home makers often had to solve small domestic emergencies with whatever was already close at…
How to Safely Handle and Store 100-Year-Old Newspapers and Letters Without Damaging Them
The Enemy When you hold a 100-year-old newspaper or letter, you are holding a slow-motion chemical reaction. To successfully preserve these documents, you first need…
Old-Fashioned Homemade Brooder for Baby Chicks
In the early 1900s, raising chicks successfully often depended on resourcefulness. Store-bought equipment could be costly, and many small farmers relied on homemade solutions built…
The 1913 “Toy” That Let Children Shock Their Friends
In the early 1900s, homemade toys often came with a spark of danger, sometimes literally. Long before modern safety warnings and store-bought science kits, young…
Curious Homemade Tops of the Early 1900s
Long before televisions hummed in living rooms or smartphones glowed in children’s hands, amusement was often built at the kitchen table with scraps of wood,…
Old Instructions on How to Make Whip Bow and Crossbow
American newspapers were filled with projects meant to keep boys busy outdoors, and many of them involved homemade weapons. Long before video games and television,…
Forgotten Icebox Trick from the Early 1900s
Before electric refrigeration became common in American homes, keeping food cold during the sweltering summer months was a constant struggle. Families depended on ice deliveries,…
