Historical Photographs

Women in the Orchard

A successful farm operation required women to assume numerous roles ranging from full partner to manual laborer and performer of the most menial tasks. In addition to the daily tasks of maintaining the farm and family, women had to plan for seasonal activities which required extra time. Farm women worked at raising chickens, canning, gardening, butchering, picking fruit, making butter and soap, a thourogh house cleaning in spring and fall, and helping with special farming activities such as threshing, haying and filling the silo. (Source: "Women's Work, Never Done" by Shirley C. Eagan)

Source: GKime Collection: 1183