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Sorghum cane was a common crop that was grown on many mountain farms. The cane produced a juice which was then cooked down to produce sorghum molasses. The molasses was used in many different ways which included being spread on biscuits or used in baking as a type of sweetener. To be able to get the juice from the cane, the stalks of the crop were inserted into the turning rollers of the cane mill. These mills were powered by horses or mules who were strapped to the end of a long pole that was attached to the top of one of the rollers. The horses or mules then walked around the mill in a circle, producing the power to crush the stalks. Once the juice was obtained from the stalks, it was cooked down in a large pan, pot, or kettle until it had reduced and thickened. Ten gallons of juice produced one gallon of molasses.Unfortunately, not every family had access to the equipment needed to process sure cane. Therefore farmers took their cane to a neighbor that did have the capability of juicing the cane. As payment for the use of the mill, the farmers gave their neighbors part of the molasses that was produced from their crop. Because of the frequency at which neighbors asked to use each other's equipment, molasses making often turned into a social event where families joined together and help each other create beautiful molasses out of the sweet, green juice of the sorghum cane.

Visitors watching the juice from sorghum cane being reduced to create molasses 

Display of the process of breaking down sorghum cane and making molasses.

Video

Sorghum cane was a popular crop grown by many farmers. Horses or mules were harnessed to a pole and walked around the mill creating the power to break up the cane. By breaking down the cane it released juices that were boiled down to create sorghum molasses which had a variety of uses. This often became a social event as many families brought their cane to one mill and did the work together. 

Mountain Farm Museum Sorghum Mill

The Mountain Farm Museum at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is an important source of mountain culture that dates back to the late eighteenth century. The museum consists of several buildings belonging to previous residents in the Smoky Mountain region. The buildings were either moved from their original locations or were built as replicas in the 1950s.

The main house on the farmstead was built by John E. Davis. When he began construction on the house in 1899, Davis had already been a farmer in the Indian Creek area for around ten years. It took Davis almost two years to build the house for his family. Of their seven children, three of them were eventually born in the home. It was important to have a large family because it ensured many hands were able to help with the daily chores of living on the farmstead. Before the National Park acquired the home in the 1950s, David sold the house to Joe Queen. At the time of the construction, sawmill-produced lumber was easily accessible, however, Davis decided to build a log house. It is hypothesized he did this for several reasons. One was personal preference, and the other was so that he might save money since Davis was a skilled woodworker. Regardless of the reason, David built the house out of "matched" chestnut logs, which meant that the log was hewed flat on two sides, at which point it was split in half along its length to create two building logs. These logs were then placed in “matching” positions on opposite sides of the walls. The ends of the logs were joined together with half-dovetail notches. Those types of joints were more time-consuming to make compared to other notches used in building log houses. However, it ensured that the logs were securely locked together and the downward sloping surfaces of the notch allowed rainwater to flow away from the house. Unlike many other log houses, Davis decided to seal the cracks between the logs with hand-split boards instead of the usual clay. The front of the house was built with a porch which during the warmer months was used to socialize, or do other work. Although the house is small compared to today’s standards, the Davis house is an excellent example of what the typical home looked like in this region

This was the home of John Davis who began building the house in 1899. He later sold the house to Joe Queen, who was the owner at the time that the National Park acquired it. The house was moved from North of Bryson City, NC to the Oconaluftee Farm Village in the 1950s. 

Mountain Farm Museum House

The woodshed on the farmstead is a replica of the type of woodshed that was on the Davis-Queen property. Keeping a well-stocked woodshed was a very important, albeit time-consuming part of life in the Smoky Mountains. During the winter months, woodfires were the only way that a family kept warm. Wood fires were also the only way a family was able to cook their meals. It was important to keep the wood covered and as dry as possible due to the fact that wet wood does not burn as hot or evenly. Therefore, a proper cover for the wood collected by the family was extremely important. Along with keeping a family warm and fed, fires in the stove or fireplace produced ashes which had many different purposes on a farmstead. Ashes were used commonly used as an insect repellent in gardens. However, once the ashes reached the soil, they also provided important nutrients that kept the soil fertile. Another use of ashes was to create lye which was used to make soap. Lye was made by taking ashes from the stoves and fireplaces and placing them in the ash hopper which is the small box that is sitting next to the woodshed. Once the ash hopper was full and the family was ready to make lye, they poured water through the ashes which pulled out the alkali that is located in the ashes. The liquid that came through the other side was lye. To make strong lye, it was best to use ashes from hardwoods. One of the ways that a family determined if their lye was strong or not, was to place an egg or a potato into the lye liquid. If they floated, that was an indication that the lye was strong enough to make soap out of it. Soap was made by mixing lye with animal fat and cooked down to create lye soap. Besides soap, lye was also used to make hominy from corn. However, once lye was commercially produced, families stopped making their own lye as buying it from the store saved time and energy

This woodshed and ash hopper are replicas of the originals found on the Davis-Queen farm. A woodshed was extremely important since it was the only source of heat for a family, and was needed to use a stove to be able to cook food. A shelter for the wood was necessary to ensure the wood stayed dry and ready for use at all times. 

Mountain Farm Museum Woodshed and Ash Hopper 

This meathouse was moved from Jim Conard’s farm in Little Cataloochee, North Carolina. Its location is an accurate representation of where such a building was typically be located on a real farmstead. The closer it was to the house, the more convenient and secure the family’s supply of meat was. A mountain family often hunted for meat to feed their family, but most of the time ate pork from hogs they had raised on the farm. The family butchered the hogs in the fall once the weather was cold enough to ensure the meat did not go bad until it was cured. To cure meat, the family used a large amount of salt to cover the meat and then placed the salt-covered meat onto shelves, in a box, or even inside of a barrel. The meat absorbed the salt that was put onto it, and by doing so it decreased the growth of bacteria, keeping the pork safe to consume. During the winter, the family cut smaller pieces of pork off of the larger piece to feed their family. Once the weather got warmer, the family had to prevent insects that might get into their meat. They solved this problem by covering the pork in different mixtures of spices but usually used pepper as a main ingredient. Additionally, families might pack their meat in containers filled with cornmeal, shelled corn, or clean sifted wood ashes to help combat insects. A lot of times this sort of storage helped add a sweeter flavor to the meat. If the meat was going to be smoked, it was hung inside a smoker for several days, even up to a week or longer. The process of smoking was another way of preserving the meat, while also adding a lot of flavor from the wood that was used to create the fire that resulted in the smoke.

This meathouse was moved from Jim Conard's farm in Little Cataloochee, North Carolina. This building was usually located near the house so that the food was easily accessible and more secure. All types of meat were stored in these houses, but mountain families most typically ate pork which they butchered in the fall. The meat feed the family all year long. 

Mountain Farm Museum Meathouse 

Another type of food that many mountain families ate was fruit, and more specifically apples which were stored in apple houses. This specific structure was originally located on the farm of Will Messer in Little Cataloochee, North Carolina. Due to the cooler climate in the mountain region, apple trees grew very abundantly, and most families had a few trees on their land. Apples had a multitude of purposes, from being eaten raw, to making cider, vinegar, sauce, butter, and pies. There was no shortage in ways to take apples and turn them into something the whole family enjoyed. If the apples were picked in time and stored properly, they lasted throughout the winter and provided the family with fresh fruit for months. Often in an attempt to preserve apples better, a family sliced them and then dried them. Another way to preserve apples was by sulfuring them. This was a process where the slices of fruit were exposed to sulfur smoke which killed any bacteria that was on the apples. Both dried and sulfured apples were used throughout the winter when there was a lack of fresh fruit. They were both used in cakes and pies to create delicacies that were enjoyed no matter the season.  The original location of this structure was built into the side of a hill. This enabled the lower stone portion to be underground which acted as a type of insulation from the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter. This sort of building was not usually common on a farmstead unless the farm had a large orchard that produced a large number of apples. As the apples were picked, they were stored in the apple house until they were moved to the market to be sold

This apple house was originally located on Will Messer's farm in Little Cataloochee, North Carolina. An apple house enabled farmers to store large quantities of apples before being sent to the market. This particular apple house was originally built into the hillside so that the bottom half was covered with earth, insulating it from temperature fluctuations and preserving the apples. 

Mountain Farm Museum Apple House 

Sorghum cane was a common crop that was grown on many mountain farms. The cane produced a juice which was then cooked down to produce sorghum molasses. The molasses was used in many different ways which included being spread on biscuits or used in baking as a type of sweetener. To be able to get the juice from the cane, the stalks of the crop were inserted into the turning rollers of the cane mill. These mills were powered by horses or mules who were strapped to the end of a long pole that was attached to the top of one of the rollers. The horses or mules then walked around the mill in a circle, producing the power to crush the stalks. Once the juice was obtained from the stalks, it was cooked down in a large pan, pot, or kettle until it had reduced and thickened. Ten gallons of juice produced one gallon of molasses. Unfortunately, not every family had access to the equipment needed to process sure cane. Therefore farmers took their cane to a neighbor that did have the capability of juicing the cane. As payment for the use of the mill, the farmers gave their neighbors part of the molasses that was produced from their crop. Because of the frequency at which neighbors asked to use each other's equipment, molasses making often turned into a social event where families joined together and help each other create beautiful molasses out of the sweet, green juice of the sorghum cane.

These two buildings served very important functions on a farmstead. The first building was a corn crib that was moved from the Davis-Queen farm. The second building was a corn crib and gear shed that was moved from the farm of Jim Beard on Indian Creek, north of Bryson City, North Carolina. Corn was an extremely useful crop on a farm and most mountain farmers grew it. Corn was used to feed both the families and the livestock. Corn was either eaten fresh or turned into cornmeal and cooked into dishes such as cornbread and much. Dried corn was crushed up and turned into feed for the livestock on the farm. Corn that was not used fresh, was dried on the stalk and then stored in a corn crib. By placing the corn in the crib, it protected it from the different weather elements and also the threat of animals getting into the supply. The first building originally had a portion of the roof that was hinged, this made it easier to load the corn into the crib. It also had a smaller front door which enabled the corn to be removed from the crib when need be. The second building had even more function than just a regular corn crib, by combining a crib and an area to store tools and other useful gears for the farm, a farmer was able to streamline the buildings that were needed on his farm. The overhead portion of the shed was used by driving a wagon up underneath it with a load of dried corn. Then the dried corn was thrown over the log wall into the crib section of the building

This corn crib was originally located at the David-Queen farm, while the corn crib and gear shed was located on the farm of Jim Beard on Indian Creek, north of Bryson City, North Carolina. The purpose of a corn crib was to ensure that dried corn would stay dry and be safe from the elements. Corn was an important crop to farmers and its preservation was vital. 

Mountain Farm Museum Corn Crib and Gear Shed

A barn is one of the most important and symbolic buildings located on a farm. This particular barn was from the Enloe-Floyd farm which was located approximately 200 yards from its current location. Part of the reason a barn was so important was the versatility of the building and what was housed within it. Typically mountain farms used barns to house their livestock, especially in the colder months. Above the stables where the animals slept was storage of the food that was eaten throughout the year. Barns also offered a sheltered area for other endeavors, from woodworking to equipment repair. It was also where most of the tools that were used on the farm were stored. These tools ranged from hoes and harrows to plows and wagons. The size of a barn depended on a variety of factors. These included the size and location of the farm and consequently the prosperity of the farm. If a farm was located in a broad, fertile valley, they were generally able to have more livestock and produce a larger number of crops. Therefore larger farms had larger barns. Conversely, as previously seen with the corn crib and gear shed, if a farm was small it might not have had a barn but a smaller building that housed the various tools that were needed. As sawmill-produced lumber became more available, more people began to build frame homes with these materials. However, many farm buildings including barns were still made with logs. This was for a number of reasons which included the fact that there was such an abundance of natural materials for which to build, and the relative ease of the construction along with the high durability and low maintenance of log buildings

This barn was from the Enloe-Floyd farm which was located where the farm museum is currently located. The barn only had to be moved 200 yards from its original position. A barn was the central building on a farm and housed livestock along with other tools used around the farm. 

Mountain Farm Museum Barn

This building was moved from the Gregory farm in Cades Cove, Tennessee. A Blacksmith shop was not always guaranteed on every farm, but many farmers learned how to do basic Blacksmith work so that they were able to repair small things around the farm. This was often time out of necessity since it was expensive and time consuming to visit a real Blacksmith to get something fixed. However, by having their own Blacksmith shop, a farm was able to heat iron when needed. Often the forge, anvil, and bellows used in the Blacksmith shop might not be used for a length of time due to the fact that it was not necessary all of the time. Many associate a Blacksmith shop with shoeing horses, however many amateur Blacksmith farmers did not use it for this purpose and instead used it to fix small tools on the property. Other items that were made by these farmers cum Blacksmiths were usually purely functional and were never ornamental. These farmers had to use what they had available to them to ensure that their farms ran smoothly. Additionally, since iron was a resource that was hard to come by it was recycled to fulfill the requirements of the farmer. That meant that a horseshoe might eventually be repurposed to be a door hinge. A mountain farmer had to constantly use their resources to the best of their ability to make sure their farm ran smoothly.

This building was moved from the Gregory farm in Cades Cove, Tennessee. A Blacksmith shop was important on a farm so that famers were able to fix small issues they might have with tools. These farmers were not professional Blacksmiths, but learned the skill to help around the farm if there were any issues with their tools. 

Mountain Farm Museum Blacksmith Shop

This springhouse was moved from the farm of Jim Caldwell in Cataloochee, North Carolina. Besides food, drinking water was one of the most important aspects of living on a mountain farm. When a family was searching for the right place to make their farm, a reliable spring was on the top of the list of requirements. Without one, there was no reason to build a farm in that area. Besides offering necessary drinking water, a springhouse was important to ensure that perishable food did not spoil. When water flowed from the spring up through the springhouse it moved along a stone-lined or wooden channel. Farmers placed containers of perishable foods inside of these channels so that the cold spring water ran over them, effectively refrigerating them. Besides perishable food, other foods were kept in the springhouse so that they remained cool, especially in the summer months. Besides being a makeshift refrigerator, storing food inside the building ensured that animals, both wild and domestic, did not eat the food that was essential to the survival of the family.

This springhouse was moved from Jim Caldwell's farm in Cataloochee, North Carolina. For a farm to be successful it needed to be located near a source of water. In the mountains that typically ended up being a spring. A springhouse was built around the spring to facilitate getting fresh water. Additionally the cool running water acted as a type of refrigerator for perishable foods.  

Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum

Mountain Farm Museum Sorghum Mill

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