The Log Cabin Living: Artifacts from 19th Century Life exhibit at Job Carr Cabin Museum encourages visitors to take a closer look at more than 20 objects in the museum's collection.
Cast iron dishes were first seen in China in the 5th century B.C.E. Slowly, cast iron became more common across Asia and then made its way to Europe through the Silk Road. By the 1300s cast iron was an important material in Europe, used for cookware but also as a strong metal for tools, construction, and artillery.
Cast iron cookware in the heritage kitchen display at Job Carr Cabin Museum.
Cast iron Dutch ovens gained popularity in the 1500s. Since cooking was done over a hearth, this style of pot with legs, lid, and handle was very useful. The Dutch oven could be placed directly in the coals while additional coals were placed on top of the lid to encourage more even heating. A handle also allowed the pot to be suspended above the fire.
A cast iron Dutch oven with handle and unique riveted lid with a pour spout at Job Carr Cabin Museum. In the background, a second Dutch oven is visible with legs and a hammered lid.
In 1707, Abraham Darby patented an innovative way to produce cast iron, more quickly and easily. Darby's methods combined with the Industrial Revolution to increase the availability of cast iron cookware, making it less expensive to mass produce. By the 1800s, settlers brought cast iron on their journeys across the Oregon Trail because it was cheap, easy to clean, and very sturdy. In addition, cast iron offered a variety of cooking methods, including frying, baking, and boiling.
A large cast iron kettle in the heritage kitchen at Job Carr Cabin Museum. The attached lid is marked with the number 8 surrounded by a six-pointed star.
Families of this era use these pans to cook various meals. When he first built his cabin, Job Carr did not have a stove or an oven. The cooking was done over an open fire. In the 1870s, the family expanded the cabin with a kitchen addition featuring a wood-fired cook stove. Jane Bradley Carr, Job's daughter-in-law, reported that cooking under these conditions was a challenge.
"Just preparing the meals was not a light burden. Weighty iron vessels, poorly draft stoves - or worse, the fire side, were all heavy drains on ones nerves and strength." ~Jane Bradley Carr
Although the material is heavy, cast iron is also durable and offers a variety of cooking methods, including frying, baking, and boiling. Cast iron pots and pans were used for preparing common dinner dishes like stews, beans, fish, and meats, but also for popular breakfast items including bread, oatmeal, and pancakes. In addition to cooking at home, the Carr family enjoyed many summer picnics, including clam and salmon bakes on the shores of Puget Sound.
Undated photo of a family camping trip from the Carr family collection. Several styles of metal pots and pans are being used to prepare a meal over the fire.
Dating vintage cast iron pots and pans can be tricky, as many manufacturers did not leave makers marks. Small foundries in the 1700s and 1800s who served local markets often did not cast identifying marks on their wares. In the 1900s, brands sometimes chose to use adhesive stickers which have long since been removed or worn away from frequent use. Some clues, however, can help to determine the age of a cast iron piece, including its texture and weight. Older cookware tends to be smoother and lighter than a more modern piece.
In addition, gate marking on the bottom of the pan is an indication that a pan was made in the late 18th or 19th century. A gate mark is a scar or slash left behind when it was separated from the production mold. Later manufacturing processes relocated the gate mark to the side of the pan. The museum's collection includes a few gate marked pieces of kitchenware.
An antique cast iron skillet by the hearth at Job Carr Cabin Museum. The bottom surface of the pan includes a gate mark and a raised heat ring.
As cast iron stoves became more common in households in the late 1800s and early 1900s, manufacturers began adding a heat ring around the bottom surface of their cookware that was sized to fit specific stove burners.
Beginning in the 1960s, many cast iron pieces included a stamp specifying that they were made in the USA to differentiate them from cookware made in other countries.
Cast iron cornbread molds in the collection of Job Carr Cabin Museum. These are Lodge brand cornstick pans. The Wagner brand first patented a cast iron corncob pan in 1920. The 7-stick mold contains the markings 27 and C, indicating it was likely cast between 1940 and 1960.
The museum's cookware collection also includes an early version of a deep fat fryer. The New Fryer was patented by William Henry Hodges of Philadelphia in 1879. Our sheet iron pan is missing the wire mesh frying basket that would have been included as part of the original design.
The New Fryer, patented July 8th, 1879 on display at Job Carr Cabin Museum.
Take a closer look at the museum's cast iron cookware in this short video:
Sources
“Evolution of the Wagner Trademark.” The Cast Iron Collector: Information for the Vintage Cookware Enthusiast, The Cast Iron Collector, www.castironcollector.com/wagnertm.php. Accessed 7 Jan. 2024.
“Identifying Unmarked Iron.” The Cast Iron Collector: Information for the Vintage Cookware Enthusiast, The Cast Iron Collector, https://www.castironcollector.com/unmarked.php. Accessed 7 Jan. 2024.
Lugeumbiza, Donaldina. “History of Wagner Cast Iron.” The Kitchen Professor, The Kitchen Professor, 28 Nov. 2023, thekitchenprofessor.com/blog/history-wagner-cast-iron.
Montgomery, Murray. “Pioneers Used Cast-Iron Cookware.” Lavaca County Today, Lavaca County Today , 25 Apr. 2023, www.lavacacountytoday.com/lifestyle/pioneers-used-cast-iron-cookware#:~:text=To%20prevent%20rust%2C%20many%20pioneers,the%20surface%20of%20the%20cookware.
“Numbers & Letters.” The Cast Iron Collector: Information for the Vintage Cookware Enthusiast, The Cast Iron Collector, www.castironcollector.com/numbers.php. Accessed 7 Jan. 2024.
Standeven, Brett. “Wagner Cast Iron: Wagner Ware History, Dates and Logos.” Boonie Hicks, Boonie Hicks, 4 Dec. 2023, www.booniehicks.com/wagner-cast-iron/.
“The History of American-Made Heirloom Cast Iron Skillets.” Southern Kitchen, Southern Kitchen, 22 July 2021, www.southernkitchen.com/story/entertain/2021/07/22/history-american-made-heirloom-cast-iron-skillets/8055449002/.
About the Authors
Madeline Teddy completed an internship with Job Carr Cabin Museum in Fall 2023. She was a graduate of University of British Columbia majoring in history and classical Near Eastern religious studies. She hoped to take her studies further and become a museum curator.
Brendan Michael Beltran volunteered with Job Carr Cabin Museum in Summer 2023. He is a student at University of Washington, majoring in history. One day, he hopes to get into the history field.