Daily Life 1800-1860:  Fireplace tools, wardrobe, trunk, quilt, and washstand.

Cooking, cleaning, washing, and many other chores were part of daily life for attendees of the Nacogdoches University.  Just like the Nacogdoches University building, most homes had large fireplaces for heat and cooking.  The tools shown here were used for cooking daily meals before mass production of enclosed iron cook stoves after the Civil War.  Rather than using closets, which were difficult to build in the antebellum timber, log, or brick buildings, people used wardrobes and trunks to store clothing and personal items.  With no central heat or air, most fireplaces prevented freezing, but did not make rooms warm in winter.  Quilts like this one made in 1817, were not only decorative but very practical. Most homes and public buildings, like the Nacogdoches University, did not have running water or interior wells, so washstands were common pieces of furniture.  The Nacogdoches University students and teachers used outdoor toilets located a short distance away from the building.