Dr. Pound Farmstead, Part III

We are not sure when the dining room addition was done, but it has some very unique features. One such feature is the extra large fireplace on the left. It is a double fire place with the other side in the original log cabin. The dining room side was made extra large to accommodate cooking, heating, and a large pot for boiling water to wash clothes in homemade lye soap.

The table is thought to have been brought from Mississippi when the Pounds moved to Texas in 1853-54. The table is walnut with a center support to enable it to hold many leaves; there are three leaves in it now. Again, everything is used. The tablecloth is made up of flour sack cloth crocheted together with feed sack string. It is delicate and lovely. The chairs also made the trip from Mississippi and are inlaid with burl walnut. The dishes and silverware all belonged to the Pound family.

Chair inlaid with burl walnut.


The large wooden fork was used to agitate the clothes in the boiling wash water.

This a storage cabinet for potatoes, flour, possibly apples, etc. There is another pie safe in this room which I did not think to photograph, but it is a little finer than the one in the living area. Since there was no refrigeration, everything left over had to be protected from mice and flies.

This is another unique feature in the dining room: an inside bell jar cistern for collecting rain water. Dr. Pound had it placed in the wall so water could be drawn without going outside. This was a very good idea for reasons of weather, convenience, night crawlers such as rattlesnakes, and yes, if hostiles were in the immediate area. Texas was a very dangerous place in which to live at this time in our history.

Here is the other side of the cistern.

The Kitchen

In Texas and throughout the southern states kitchens were a separate building because of the danger of fire and the summer heat. There was great excitement when a kitchen was attached to the house. In fact, I know that well because when I was about 5 or 6 I visited a great aunt and her family in Marshall, Texas. The kitchen had just been attached to the house that year and everyone was beside themselves with delight. :D


There is no date as to when the kitchen was attached; however, the stove is not the original but very close in age and type.

There is a waffle iron, frying pans, irons for ironing clothes on the stove and a washboard off to the side. The kitchen is really small. BTW, I remember my grandmother cooking on an iron stove. She did not want one of those newfangled ones. :D

No one know how old this coffee grinder is, but it is quite old. And, it looks as if there is a can of chewing tobacco next to it.

No corner is wasted. Above are two butter molds, butter paddles, and a variety of other cooking utensils.


Part IV is the parlor, Part V is Sarah Pound's long-awaited bedroom, and Part VI is Dr. Pound's collection of the tools of his trade and his pharmacy.

Until next time, God bless.

Part I
Part II