As a historian, I’m always curious about things that pop up in Grandma Rose’s journal and this week she mentions an American Maid electric iron. Today irons are so cheap we just replace them if a cord goes bad – it’s not even a second thought to do so. But back in Grandma’s day, things were made sturdier and meant to last so I wanted to see if I could find a photo of this “American Maid” iron that had lasted her 29 years at this point. In all my searching through various history and auction sites, there was no model with that name – however, an American Beauty model was being sold in 1948 by the American Electric Heater Company. There was an ad running in The Circleville Herald in April 1948 showing it sold for $11.50 from the South Central Rural Electric Co on Main Street in Circleville so I’m wondering if that’s what she actually had and just confused the names. According to the inflation calculator, that iron would have cost Aunt Rosie almost $150 in today’s money. That’s a very expensive gift!
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
June 11, 1977 – Got up 8:00 Set out rest of purple vines in flower bed by porch. Started to rain so Len didn’t work outdoors today. I cleaned up the house and green folding chairs.
Got stuff ready for reunion – Baked yellow cake. (Len made icing for me while I got supper.)
Thought for today: Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness or when forgiving another. – John Paul Richter
June 12, 1977 – Got up 7:30 Baked beans deviled eggs – took bath, washed hair, getting ready for Jones reunion. It’s going to be hot today, but it will be good to see everyone again. The older I get, the more family ties become – precious to me.
Good to see Rose and Mike again, with his daughter and husband. Missed Penny and Charity again this year. Myrtle liked having the reunion at Rosies. Marilyn Loucks & family – all the Chatfields.
June 13, 1977 – Got up at 8:00 Worked in backed flower bed – Cut off all seed stems from sweet rockets and hauled them out to corner pile. Burned two bags of trash and it started raining again. Brenda mowed most of the yard – gathered up all the trash I’d dug from flower beds early this morning.
Did Len’s foot – after soap operas. Took half hour nap before supper.
June 14, 1977 – Got up 8:00 Got tools out for Len – It rained in the night – mailed the ground perfect for digging weeds & grass. While Len worked in the garden I transplanted some gaillardias and partially filled up the old cold frame. Took out straw from berry patch and peet on the potatoes.
Took 45 min. rest after soap operas. Did Lens foot. Looks pretty good.
June 15, 1977 – Go tup 7:15 Put on coffee water – worked on garden ground for an hour. Dusted potatoes. Breakfast at 8:45 – red meter and mailed the electric card.
10:00 went out to garden with Len and raked ground that I’d dug up, while he planted three rows of popcorn. While he rested in green house, I pulled and dug flowers from under the evergreen by back steps.
Watched soap operas. Did Lens foot at 3:30. Took nap from 3:50 to 4:50 – After super – took straw bail from garage and parked it by back shed for tonight. Put away tools. Filled big mower with gas, so Johnny could mow the field Filled small mower for Brendas next mowing.
June 16, 1977 – Got up 7:45 Carried out both night blooming cereus and put on steps. Chailed soil on hoya plant – purple passion plant – put straw in back shed for winter mulching. Took out tools for Len – He planted two rows of beans more – four rows now. Len fixed the bird bath stand that “Cat” broke.
Len put new cord on the iron Rosie got me way back in ’48. (The American Maid) The steam sole was lost 20 yrs ago, I guess.
Did Len’s foot.
June 17, 1977 – Got up at 7:30 Worked in flowers. I’ll never get done, until 8:30. Len planted two rows of beets. Now, far as I am concerned, the garden is completed. I hate too many other things to do to dig up any more ground for planting.
Did three lines of wash. Got them all dried and in baskets by 4:45. Hate to take time to wash when I could be working in flowers. Took ironing board to garage so I can iron out there the rest of the summer.
