Exhibit

Exhibit

At the turn of the 20th century, most Americans were still cooking in open fireplaces, although coal stoves were starting to make their way into many households. These intergral appliances served as not only a cooker and boiler but also as a way to heat the home and provide hot water for bathing. Maintaining these costly and inefficient machines became hard on women in the kitchen. Because most stoves did not have dials, the most accurate way to check the heat was to put one’s hand inside and many stoves had to be fed coal 24 hours a day.

The Corcoran Chamber of Commerce window display features a replica of an early 1900's kitchen. Loaned items such as a stove from the Bowman Ranch, a dining table from the Raviscioni family and vintage cookbooks from various community organizations, make this a one-of-a-kind historical stop on the tour.