How Did Our Ancestors Handle Summer?

We genealogists talk a lot about putting "meat on the bones," and this week, we want to coax you once again to do just that. As we finally get into some hot weather, let's reflect on our ancestors who endured summer heat and humidity in the past. How did they cope without modern conveniences? As you transition from your winter wardrobe to your summer clothes, feel the cool air in your house when you turn on the air conditioner for the season, or open the refrigerator to pour yourself a cold drink, think about the people who came before you and how they managed.

If you have elderly relatives (or if you are the family "elder"), consider answering the questions posed here and capturing those historical tidbits for your own family so they don't get lost to time. Or, if there is a young person in your home with time on their hands once school is finished, they might enjoy discovering the answers to these questions.

• Were your ancestors one of the first to eat ice cream cones or drink iced tea in St. Louis at the World's Fair in 1904? Did they attend the Fair? If they lived elsewhere, did they attend another World's Fair? (Perhaps Chicago in 1893 or New York in 1939) (ice cream cone image from Wikimedia Commons; 1904, in the public domain)
• Did they have an ice house? An ice box? How did they keep their food fresh and unspoiled?
• How did they sleep at night to ward off the heat, humidity, and mosquitos? On the roof? On the back porch? Did they have screens in the windows or around their beds?
• Where did their food come from? Did they grow it? Have to buy it from pushcarts or farmers' markets? Did they live in a city and shop at mercantile stores?
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  What sort of clothing did they wear? Ladies were at the mercy of fashion. If it was hot and muggy, they still were in layers of petticoats and lace, gloves and hats, long sleeves and high necklines; men were often in suits and ties, no matter the weather. How did all that material affect their ability to function in the heat? Were there times when they could wear fewer garments? (summer clothes image from Wikimedia Commons, 1920, in the public domain)
• Did your family travel to escape the heat? Where did they go? How did they get there? What did they do to keep cool?

As you ponder (or research) the answers to these questions, you will be adding important details to the everyday lives of your family members, all of which become the cumulative history of an era. Have fun learning about how your ancestors dealt with the heat while you stay cool and very thankful that you live now!