Before your come for your Weekend on the Farm experience, brush up on your history and acquaint yourself with the times!

The Times

• In 1883, the American Railroad Association instituted standardized time zones. (The number of zones was reduced from 50 to four.)
• Grover Cleveland was elected as the 22nd President of the United States in 1884. He was the first Democratic candidate to hold office since before the Civil War.
• Mark Twain published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1885.
• In 1886, the American Federation of Labor was organized by Samuel Gompers.
• The Statue of Liberty was constructed in New York Harbor in 1886 as a gift from the people of France.

A Man Works from Sun to Sun
A man's day on a 19th-century farm began at dawn. First item on the agenda: livestock chores. Before there was any thought of breakfast, the animals had to be fed and the cows needed to be milked.

The farmer's life was hard work and a lot of pressure. By the 1880s, farms were more than just a means of feeding your family. They were a business. Typically, goods were sold for money and delivered to cities such as Chicago, Cincinnati, New York and even to global markets such as England and Italy.

Each season brought new chores. From planting in the spring to cultivating in the summer and harvesting in mid to late fall, there was always work to be done. Farms were considered a family-based operation since there was too much work for one person. During planting and harvesting, children and women were out in the fields assisting with chores. Hired hands were employed by those farmers who could afford to do so. If the husband became ill, it was not uncommon for the wife to take over his responsibilities.

Evenings and Sundays left time for family and relaxation. Men read the latest agricultural publications, joined religious and social organizations, played baseball and enjoyed family activities such as playing parlor games and singing songs around the organ.

A Woman's Work is Never Done
Do you ever fell that your life is tied to your house? That you can clean and clean, yet never make progress? Imagine how women in the 1880s felt. Conveniences such as electric vacuum cleaners and dishwashers did not exist. Women who lived rural lives not only had household responsibilities but had to assist on the farm as well.

Women typically had a weekly schedule that they followed for household chores-laundry on Monday, ironing and mending on Tuesday, baking on Wednesday and Saturday, cleaning on Thursday and Saturday and tidying of the kitchen and parlor daily. This was in addition to taking care of the children, cooking three meals a day, hauling water and keeping the fire burning at least one hour each day!

The work did not end with the house. Women were often responsible for tending the garden, selling eggs at the store and assisting with the livestock. Sometimes, they even helped out in the fields during planting and harvesting.

The popularity of literature and the increasing methods of written communication put an additional stress on women. How-to manuals, magazines and newspaper articles set high, if not impossible, standards for cleanliness and household efficiency. Books contained advice on proper housekeeping, weekly schedules, designs for the kitchen and cooking areas and expectations of everyday duties. The sheer number of tasks to be completed daily, monthly and yearly stressed even the hardiest of women. Even so, many women responded to the challenges placed before them with humor and pride.

Not All Fun and Games
Children today aren't that different than their 1880s counterparts-and they're just as busy! Family duties, household chores, school, hobbies and playtime fill their days both then and now.

Back then, chores were gender specific. Girls spent time helping their mothers cook, clean, garden and sew, while boys assisted their fathers with farm work, livestock care and field chores. The family farm took priority, with the children's six-month school year based around the growing season so they could help their parents.

School was held five days a week and consisted of grades one through five in the same room. Grade levels were determined by ability, not age, since children started school at different ages. In 1886, the fifth grade was equivalent to today's eighth grade. Schools in rural areas like Liberty Corner were free, but students had to pay for books. The typical day was broken down into intervals where students worked on arithmetic, physiology, reading, grammar, writing and history.

Just like students today, they had recess. Of course, playground equipment was virtually unknown during this time period so children played the games they played at home-traditional ball or running games during the warm weather and playing in the snow during the cold weather.

Games in the 1880s began getting more gender specific. Boys played with toy soldiers and enjoyed nature activities such as hunting, fishing and camping. Girls were encouraged to draw, paint or dry flowers in an attempt to bring bits of nature outdoors. They also practiced hair weaving, the art of using human hair to make jewelry and decorative items. Hoop and stick remained a common game, and croquet, badminton, ice skating and roller skating became popular. There was even a roller rink in Noblesville!