We have just ended a long spell of over 100 degrees down here in Texas. I know we are acclimated to air conditioned weather, but still...in 1860 it was 115 in Dallas. Some women here in Austin would sit out on the back porch in their underthings while the men were away to try to stay cool. Men were able to go swim in the river. I'm curious if anyone has any documentation on what people in other places did to keep cool during the summer or was it even an issue? Was it much different than it is today other than the obvious lack of air conditioning? Is it something that should be incorporated into our impressions or camp activities?

Annette,

The folks in the 1860's had one advantage over us - no air conditioning. They were able to get used to the changes in temperature a little at a time. Having said that, they did wear lighter weight clothing in the hot weather.  

I grew up in a farmhouse here in centeral Pa where we didn't have airconditioning. The heat doesn't bother me like it does some folks. I rarely use the air in my truck. Look at it this way. If you wore wool all of the time, your body would become more acclimated to your clothing and climate. Wool has a cooling effect when it's wet. And, we're the only country it would seem where folks take off their clothing to cool off. Look at what's worn in the Middle East. Anyway..there's a photo available through the Libirary of Congress that shows a bunch of soldiers in the North Anna river, nekid, swimming. It's hardest for us to find information on things that seemed most common to 19th century folks. They didn't write much about the mundane everyday stuff.

I wish I could find some reference to heat activities. I realize they were probably used to hot, but hades hot? So much is conjecture. A letter or diary entry that states "didn't do or did such and such because of the heat" would be a treasure.

BTW, we had a break! Only 98 the last couple of days, back up over 100 the rest of the week.  

Mid 90's here. I spent a couple hours out mowing the yard and actually got mild heat sickness from it. What's funny is I was at a LH yesterday where I was wearing my heavy black wool frock and the heat didn't seem to bother me; of course I wasn't really exerting myself much either. I did have the usual "aren't you hot" comments from a couple of spectators. It's funny, when I put on the wool, I try so hard to be in the 19th Century mindset that I really don't seem to be bothered by the heat as long as I am able to avoid any strenuaous activities. I let the younger folks do the wheelbarrow races, sack races, etc; I just sat back and enjoyed the event.

Annette,

I have memories of my grandparents, who lived in north central Mississippi, moving their bed out onto the front porch during what they called “hot spells.”  This was a common practice in that community.  I do not recall there being any complaints about insects while sleeping on the porch.  That was a grand adventure for a young kid.  That big old rambling house did not have any air conditioning, but there were eight fireplaces.  They were coal burning fireplaces.  One of my jobs was totting coal ashes out of the house.  The coal house was a place I was forbidden to play.  It was a large single room shed where the coal was stored.  Coal smears are the easiest things for young rambunctious boys to get on their clothing.  My grandfather was one of the first to have an ice box.  He placed a flexible tube in a hole drilled through the floor so that thing would drain onto the ground under the house instead of having to be physically emptied a couple of times a day.  In the days before running water, he built the house so the kitchen was literally over the well.  When water was drawn it was already in the kitchen.  There was another well out in the yard.  My grandmother was the first in her community to have a wringer washer.  This was shortly after electricity became available.  At this time an elderly black lady still lived with them.  Her name was Missy and she had been born into slavery.  Missy helped raise the baby girl who later on became my mother.  Missy never married and never lived anywhere except in the house with my great grandparents and later on my grandparents.  Anyhow, Missy insisted that new wringer washing machine be placed on the front porch so all of those other white folks “could see wid der own eyes whut wees dun gots.”

BTW, it was 102 here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast at 10:00 yesterday morning.  

--Last edited by Curtis Makamson on 2009-07-06 15:42:52 --

Thanks for sharing that. I came across another mention of the heat in 1860s Texas and now can't find the reference .

Robert, what living history were you at? Can you give us a mini AAR?

It was a small event at Ft. Mcallister and I put a short AAR in the Event Discussion folder. I only found out about it a couple of days ahead of time when one of the organizers who is a friend of mine (Joe Blunt) asked me if I was coming. Since it was only a couple of hours away and a neat place I checked with the boss for a kitchen pass and headed up there.

Cool. I'll check out the events folder. Thanks.

I think many of us here on this thread are of the "last" generation of many things.  I remember getting air conditioning in 1976.  Gone were the fans in every room that I was so used to.  Gone were the windows open every night in the hot summer.  Gone was sleeping with a lite sheet on the bed only.  It was a big change for me.  My kids cannot say the same.  Being that my family is from the hills of southeast KY...I could go on about indoor plumbing as well.  

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Ken Cornett wrote : I think many of us here on this thread are of the "last" generation of many things.  I remember getting air conditioning in 1976.  Gone were the fans in every room that I was so used to.  Gone were the windows open every night in the hot summer.  Gone was sleeping with a lite sheet on the bed only.  It was a big change for me.  My kids cannot say the same.  Being that my family is from the hills of southeast KY...I could go on about indoor plumbing as well.

Ken

I grew up in upstate NY so it wouldn't get all that hot in the summer but it would still be muggy.  And the house we lived in didn't have air conditioning, so I was able to get used to the heat and go outside and work/play in the heat.  I too remember the fan in the window and such.  I didn't live in a house/apt with AC until I went to college in 93.  Since then I have tried to not use the AC much in any of my places I have lived.  But my wife determines when we need to turn it on and at what temp.

For a few years I have been making the claim that AC will be the death of this country because we can no longer function in temps that our ancestors were able to work in.  People now avoid going out in 70 or 80 degree weather because it is too hot.

I remember when I moved to GA after college, I would still be in the pool at the apt complex when it was late September and the temps were in the 70s.  Or I would be wearing shorts in Jan/Feb when the temps were in the 40's-50's.  The people down there thought I was a little off my rocker because of it.

Ahhhh let's see.

I remember the window fans and the ONE window AC unit we had when I grew up not to mention the centrally located furnace in the hall that you best not step on barefoot when turned on. I remember having nothing but an open window and oscillating fan at North Georgia College when I was a memeber of the corps of cadets. I still camp a lot in the summer, fall, winter, spring, etc. I remember my dad installing the plumbing in a century old farmhouse he inherited so he could rent it out (the outhouse remained until the place was sold and torn down in the 1990's by the way). That farnhouse also had huge fireplaces in every room.

When we got central air, many of the neighbors came over to marvel at it (and my dad cursing it when the A-coil went south and flooded the basement).

We need to be careful or we will break into the old "Do You Remember These" song here.

So...to bring this back around to the topic . How do you all stay cool and healthy during events in the summer. Texas basically shuts down and we have few if any events during the summer months. How many sneak the battery powered fan or ice pack under the vest?

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Annette Bethke wrote : So...to bring this back around to the topic . How do you all stay cool and healthy during events in the summer. Texas basically shuts down and we have few if any events during the summer months. How many sneak the battery powered fan or ice pack under the vest?

Staying cool at an event in July/August here in PA/MD/VA.. I take my coat off when I can, find some shade, and drink plenty of water from my canteen.  Try not to exert myself if I don't have to.  Basically lay about like a soldier might and hope the officers don't get their dander up and want to pick a fight with someone..  

It is currently July, we just had an event at an historic house in Northern Virginia. The architechture of the house caught the breezes very well.. and with open doors and windows it was quite pleasant. Use of cool, natural fibers in the clothing in all the apropriate layers works too. ...and don't forget your shrub or switchel.. loosing electrolytes, sodium, and potassium can dehydrate a person very quickly. Shrub and switchel have the advantage of coming in nice historic amber-y color instead of electric neon blue. Changing undies with a quick sponge off  in the middle of the day helps me feel refreshed and not so "funk-di-fied", though some events don't offer such oppertunities. Eating lighter meals helps me feel not so "blah" right after mid-day meal on hot days. Hope this helps a bit. I lived in Texas for 4 1/2 years and I know the summers can get brutal.

I hope y'all know I was joking about the fan and ice pack . Today was not so bad. I think if I had been at a site with the proper structures like a dog trot it would not have been too bad.  

--Last edited by annette bethke on 2009-07-21 20:41:19 --

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Texas basically shuts down and we have few if any events during the summer months. How many sneak the battery powered fan or ice pack under the vest?

Sounds like you answered your own question.  Fans and ice water. Just leave the batteries at home please.    Seriously, I know you were joking, but... that's what some people did.  This is from the NY Times June 30, 1858. (ancestry.com)

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There was more air stirring yesterday than on either of the four preceding days, but in the sun it was anything but comfortable.  Fans and ice water were necessaries of life,a nd free perspiration was a sine qua nom, for without it one could not long support existance.  Those who were compelled to be present at public assembliages wished that public assemblages never gathered in warm weather.  Those who were obliged to stay in the house were disattisfied, and those who had to go out would fain have remained in doors.  It was one of those days, in short, on which all are more or less discontented.  It was a day for suicides and sun-strokes.

Seriously here, we're talking truly hot weather and the remainder of the article tells about the corner's findings on at least 18 different people who died as a result of the heat.

From my reading of several various sources so far today, my conclusion is that people dressed the part of the weather -- if it was hot they wore lighter clothing and sought out shade and cool drinks.  If it was cold just the opposite.  But if they didn't have to be out in the heat -- they weren't.

I haven't documented this, but my educated guess is that they'd possibly picnic in parks under the shade of the trees, or along side a babbling brook, or walk along a shady lane.  What they probably didn't do was be out in the sun any more than possible.

I grew up in New York state (Rockland County), and I remember a lot of hot days like they were talking about.  Of course my problem was we didn't have a/c and I as a kid I was dressed in polyester and all those synthetic fibers so common in that day.  

I remember long hot vacations from NY to TX and/or NY to CO, and all the varous places we went -- all WITHOUT a/c.  I have to ask, how did I ever survive?  

Linda.  

--Last edited by Linda Trent on 2009-08-01 15:36:32 --