For Immediate Release
Feb. 27, 2009
According to the proverb, "Man may work from sun to sun, but woman’s work is never done." For farm women in the 1890s, the saying certainly rang true. Visit Kline Creek Farm in Winfield March 5 – 23 for "The Farm Wife" house tours to learn the irreplaceable role women played in family and community life — and the work that went with it. Tours begin on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What seems like mere "housework" today involved hours of backbreaking labor during the Victorian era. Imagine doing laundry and cleaning your house without a washing machine, dryer or electric vacuum. Cooking meals and baking bread took significant time not to mention the effort to grow much of what ended up on the table. Wives often earned income for the family through the sale of eggs, chickens, butter and other products.
Also, learn about farm wives’ community involvement in church, social and service groups. Find out how women supported each other during times of need, such as the birth of a new baby or an illness in then family.
Reservations are not needed to attend this free program. Kline Creek Farm is an 1890s living-history farm owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays and is located on County Farm Road, one-half mile south of North Avenue. For information on programs and events, call the farm at 630-876-5900. For information on the Forest Preserve District, call 630-933-7200, or visit www.dupageforest.com.
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Media Contacts: Pat Walton, Kline Creek Farm, 630-876-5902
Bonnie Olszewski, Office of Public Affairs, 630-871-6402