Hayes Train Special

Ohio History

Model Train Layout

The highlight of Hayes Museum at this time of year is a special Christmas exhibit called the Hayes Train Special. Chugging around an extensive snowy village layout were six model trains, ranging in size from (I’m guessing) O-scale to G-scale. The three-tiered layout measured a good twelve by twenty-four feet. It was completely amazing! Especially since it’s a mobile display—dismantled and set up at different sites regularly! I like this picture of the two trains whizzing by on the second level, with lighted houses on top.

Presidential Carriage

Ohio History

Hayes Buggy

How would you like to see the forerunner of the Presidential limousine? May I present...the White House Carriage of President Rutherford B. Hayes. It was purchased in 1877 for only $1,150, plus horses for $900 more—and didn’t run on gasoline! At least seven Presidents and a number of important generals have ridden in the carriage. It served President Garfield during his term, then was used by the Hayes family until 1893. From the pictures it looked like it was actually a convertible, with a fold-down roof and sides. It was luxury for that time!

Indian Pipe Pouch

Ohio History

Arapaho Gift

You don’t think much about Indians after the Civil War, but western lands were actually still such a hot issue that President Hayes began a new Indian policy. It went like this:
1) Concentrate them on reservations, 2) teach them self-sufficiency and “civilization,” and 3) send Indian children to boarding schools to immerse them in European ways. This opened up even more land for settlers, though the Indians were obviously not too happy with the whole deal. Native American delegations and chiefs often came to the White House to “negotiate” (invariably losing their land to the government). President Hayes received this pipe pouch on one such occasion in 1877 from an Arapaho chief named Black Coal.

Hayes Sideboard

Ohio History

Hayes Sideboard

In the Whitehouse, President and Mrs. Hayes ordered this magnificent mahogany sideboard to use in their private dining room. Delicate floral and nature designs fill the door panels, flanked by intricately-carved moldings. The sideboard was constructed by a carpenter in Cincinnati, Ohio; he also made along a matching dining table, which was later remade into two side tables by President Chester Arthur. The dishes on display are from a Hayes set of White House State china. It’d be something to see it in the White House!
President Hayes was known for his honesty during a difficult post-Civil War period. He ended the controversial “Reconstruction” and sought moderate treatment for the South, while somehow avoiding friction with Congress. Maybe his resolve not to run for a second term helped.

Hayes Election

Ohio History

"Inaugural Plank"

Rutherford B. Hayes ran for President in 1876 while he was still governor. It was a very close election—only a difference of 250,000 votes between him and his Democratic contestant Samuel Tilden. A special commission had to be formed to make the final decision, and Mr. Hayes won by only one electoral vote, just three days before inauguration!

Presidential Oath Bible

President Hayes took the oath of office at a private dinner in the White House a day early. Since Inauguration was on a Sunday, and thus would be observed on Monday, they did not want to leave the nation without a President for a day. He was also a little wary of Samuel Tilden, who was bitter about losing the election. Above is the Bible Mr. Hayes used to take oath of office. The black arrow marks the exact place where he put his hand!

Governor Chair

Ohio History

Hayes Chair

When the Civil War came, Mr. Hayes enlisted in the Union Army. He became a general and was wounded several times. After the war, he served in the U.S. Congress for four years, then was elected governor of Ohio in 1868 and 1875. If you can believe it, this is the chair that Governor Hayes used while in office. I was surprised at its striking similarity to office chairs today! By the way, I should mention that Mr. Hayes married Lucy Webb Hayes in 1852, and they had eight children altogether.

Hayes Law Desk

Ohio History

Law Desk

We began with a tour of the Hayes house. The 31-room mansion featured high ceilings, fancy furniture, and ornate trim, culminating in a four-story staircase which led to a rooftop viewing area. However, this was the only historical house we visited where we weren’t allowed to take any pictures at all. A guard actually followed the tour group to enforce the rule! There weren’t even postcards of the interior—it was a disappointment after driving so far!
Consequently, my pictures will start in the Hayes museum near the house. Rutherford Hayes was born in Delaware, Ohio. After receiving a degree in law, he set up his own law firm in Cincinnati. Above you can see the desk he used as a lawyer.

Hayes House

Ohio History

Spiegel Grove

Revived from the fresh air, we got back on the road all the way to the Hayes House in Fremont, Ohio. Rutherford Hayes’ uncle, Sardis Birchard, purchased this rambling, wooded estate in 1846. He named it Spiegel Grove for the rainwater pools under the trees that looked like mirrors (spiegel is German for mirror). Uncle Sardis built a house there in 1859 for his nephew’s family, and they lived there with him on and off. Mr. Hayes inherited the estate and moved there permanently after he left the White House. Twenty-five acres of Spiegel Grove is preserved today in the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center.

Mill Works

Ohio History

Mill Run

The mill was closed for the winter, so we didn’t get to see inside, but we did get a look at the exterior mill works. The mill race above directed backed-up water from behind the dam to under the mill. I love this beautiful picture with three levels of water; obviously, the channel’s stone wall is a good bit older than the dam!

Underneath Mill

The water flowed underneath the mill to turn the mill turbine (it’s been since removed—see it in my Indian Mill post). This turbine turned more gears inside the mill, which eventually ground grain and corn. It was interesting to see a close-up view of how a mill works!

Mill Dam

Ohio History

Sandusky River Dam

The brand-new, modernized dam in the river was quite a contrast to the old mill and bridge! (It can also be seen in the first picture of my last post.) It was recently rebuilt and features a unique “ladder” which allows migrating salmon to get upstream across the dam. Don’t ask me how it works! The Sandusky River was beautiful that crisp winter day, sparkling in gorgeous sunshine.

Indian Mill

Ohio History

River, Mill, and Dam

Well, we’ve had a lot of trips into southern Ohio; what about the northern part of the state? There’s one site definitely worth visiting: the mansion estate of Rutherford B. Hayes, U.S. President in the 1870s. Even if it’s a three-hour drive like it was for us! On the way, we’ll jump back fifty years and stop at Indian Mill near Upper Sandusky.

Indian Mill and Railroad Bridge

Indian Mill was built to reward the loyalty of local Wyandot Indians during the War of 1812. Incidentally, this Wyandot tribe was one of the last to be removed from Ohio in 1839, by none other than John Johnston from the Piqua Farm and Indian Agency.
Constructed by the U.S. government in 1820, Indian Mill was rebuilt into the three-story structure of today in 1861. The large red turbine from the millworks was on display outside the mill (lower left in the photo).

Beef Tacos

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Beef Taco

The traditional taco poses a little challenge for rice/oat flour (I’ve never been able to make good tortillas at home with non-gluten flour). This recipe gets around that by using crumbled crackers underneath. It’s one of my favorite dishes and tops a fast-food taco any day!

For the bottom layer, you need about a quarter cup of crackers* per serving. Crumble them coarsely and toast them in a little oil and salt. Spread them evenly on each person’s plate.

Next is the beef. Fry ¼ c. chopped onion and add 1½ pounds of ground beef. Let it brown on high heat while you add:

1 t. cinnamon     1 t. cloves     2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1½ t. oregano    1½ t. basil     Pinch cayenne pepper     2 t. salsa

Add 2 stalks chopped celery and simmer on low til thickened and cooked through.

Taco Ingredients

Spread about ½ c. of beef over each serving of crackers.Top the tacos with grated cucumber or summer squash and shredded cheese. You can pop them in the oven for 5 minutes if you want the cheese melted.

*Basic cracker recipe:
                           ½ c. sifted  flour, 1 egg yolk, 4-6 T. water, ½ t. salt
                           Spread thinly on sheet, bake 8-10 minutes at 350
                           til crisp, and remove when cool.

Sausage Macaroni

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Beef with Tomatoes & Pasta

Here is another delicious way to eat ground beef. It tastes like a simplified lasagna or casserole, with much less work. We love the rice pasta since we couldn’t eat wheat, and in this small amount, the carbs are well balanced by the protein-rich meat.

First, cook 3/4 c. of brown rice pasta elbows in boiling water til just tender and drain (we like to do this in larger batches).

Meanwhile, heat 2 t. of oil in a saucepan and fry til fragrant:

   2 t. each: oregano, basil, sage                 1 clove garlic, chopped                   

3 dried tomatoes, chopped

Add 1½ lb. ground beef and fry on med-high heat for several minutes. Then turn it down to low, cover, and gently simmer for about 20 minutes. Keep stirring it to break up the clumps. Add the cooked pasta, heat through, and, last, stir in 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese. Serve immediately—it’s great with the squash cheesecake!

Note: You can try any flavor of cheese in the beef—I think Parmesan would be marvelous.

Meatball Sauce

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Meatballs & Sauce

Serve this unbelievably good sauce as a compliment to the No-Fuss Meatballs. It’s very quick to whip up and takes no ketchup, tomato paste, or soy sauce. To begin, melt 1 T. butter in a saucepan. Fry in the butter:

1 t. cumin           1 t. coriander                1 t. paprika         2 T. sifted flour

Add:        1 c. water                1 T. wet mustard                      1 T. mild salsa
Simmer til thickened and somewhat reduced. Add the meatballs and gently stir til heated through. Serve immediately. Can be served over rice or mashed potatoes, but we also like them plain. Enjoy a gourmet dish without the extra work!

No-Fuss Meatballs

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Meatballs in Oven

Meat is one of the best foods for a low-carbohydrate menu, since it’s high in protein and, well, low in carbs. Thus, we eat a good bit of meat, mostly chicken and beef. Understandably then, we need some easy, quick, yet delicious ways to fix it. Everyone here loves meatballs, and these aren’t much trouble except for rolling out the balls. The secret is baking instead of frying—no stuck pan or crumbled meatballs!
Combine in a large bowl and mix up well:

1½ lb. ground beef        2 fresh eggs            ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese

 ½ c. oat/rice flour     1 T. wet mustard      2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, chopped               1½ t. each: dried basil, oregano, and sage

1 t. each: ground cumin, coriander, and cloves              ½ t. salt         
Water as needed

Roll into one-inch balls and place on well-greased foil on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, til well-browned. Cool and remove from foil. Our special Meatball Sauce will be next!

Official Rooster

Backyard Poultry

What a Crower!

At about 24 weeks of age now, Puzzle was becoming a full-fledged rooster. It crowed all day long—in the morning, after any loud noise (like a table saw), and whenever it was time for scratch! Puzzle hardly seemed to notice that while crowing, its comb nearly touched the top of the wire runs.

Puzzle Separate From Hens

 The rooster was in fact almost outgrowing the chicken setup we had. As it got older, the Puzzle began to try to mate with the hens. Especially in the morning, it got to the point of harassment because there were so few hens, such a large rooster, and no space for them to get away. Consequently, we started having to put Puzzle in a separate run from the hens for part of the day. It was pretty tricky to capture it without getting pecked, and turned into a bit of a hassle. It was beginning to seem there was more to keeping a rooster than we thought!

Puzzle the Boss

Backyard Poultry

Puzzle Struts Its Stuff

And last, but not least—Puzzle, king of the flock. You can’t help but notice its proud strut, arching tail, and lofty comb taking shape now. Puzzle continued to keep a watchful eye on each of its eight hens, and a sharp beak to all “intruders”! It usually hopped out the pophole first each morning, clucking to the hens to get on the move for their share of scratch.
The Barred Rock plumage is even more intricate on the rooster than the hens; it also has more white and less black (compare it to Peeper in the background). The neck feathers especially have a mind-boggling pattern. I really think Puzzle was a good name for this rooster!

Chestnut

Backyard Poultry

Chestnut the Piglet

Does this chicken look out of proportion? Some pullets do at this age, especially with a comb as big as Chestnut’s—it’s almost the size of a Leghorn’s. This plucky chicken was on the very bottom of the flock, and actually got pecked by both Peeper and Pepper! Chestnut had one advantage: its ally and friend, Buckeye. It often trailed around after Buckeye, hid behind it to eat treats, and scratched in the dirt together. Chestnut has always loved mud, and frequently gets its comb and feet covered with it! I guess you could call it a piglet!

Buckeye

Backyard Poultry

A Hen with Character

May I introduce Buckeye, my all-time favorite hen. It’s friendly, content, and smart, besides actually being cute. Its comb grew with a rippled effect that gives Buckeye a clownish appearance. I always enjoy watching it (and giving it just a little scratch—its favorite treat) when I’m in the pen. Behind Buckeye are Cherry (left) and Maple. Once you study them, every Rhode Island Red is a little different—the feathers can be a whole range of copper shades, have darker edging, or even have green streaks around the neck. Tails can be all shapes, too. RIR’s are my favorite homestead breed!

Cherry

Backyard Poultry

Good Old RI Red

Cherry was Puzzle’s favorite among our four Rhode Island Reds. Yes, it’s always had that sort of mean look; it’s proud, and on the top of the pecking order, but more sensible than Peeper. I mean, it acts more like a watchdog than a boss. It used to have stand-off fights with Midnight (the other Barred Rock), which Puzzle would have to break up. I think Cherry may have laid that first egg—all the RI Reds looked the same then—but it’s always been a good layer of large eggs.

Pepper

Backyard Poultry

Pepper the Plymouth Rock

Pepper, Peeper, Puzzle...how do I keep my flocks’ names straight?! This Barred Rock was on the very bottom of the pecking order. In fact, it’s the one Peeper pecked most, and, sadly, lost most of the feathers on its head over the winter. It had a lot of adventures too, like getting its leg caught and scraped under the run when we were moving it. It’s never been too friendly and squeals when it’s held! But it’s a beautiful chicken—I love those intricate black and white stripes—and has a very interesting comb.

Roosting Rock

By the way, these are roosts in the runs where the hens used to enjoy sitting outside.