VICTORIAN ROOM
The Peteetneet Museum has one of the most unusual exhibits of almost any museum. We have one of our exhibits devoted to Victorian Home of the late 1800's. We have had local residents, former residents and even some outside of Payson donated or lent many items that could be found in a Victorian home in early Utah.
Nowhere in the United States can a museum boast of a complete Victorian home inside its walls except at the Peteetneet Museum. Beautiful Victorian furnishings, clothing, art work, musical instruments, household "conveniences," and historic photographs will delight visitors to this exhibit.
The exhibit is divided into the following areas: the study, the kitchen, the front parlor, the bedroom, the sewing room, the room containing the organ and other musical instruments as well as a child’s playroom area.
The north wall of this room has photos of many early Payson residents as well various pieces of furniture and household items that would be found in a room of this era.
The Study has a table with side chairs, fainting couch, calendar and two side dishes, candle sticks and holders, vase, doilies, Pinky and Blue Boy as well as two lithographs on the wall. The fireplace front was made by Weston Bean and donated to Taylor School. Each teacher had one in their room in the old school. This one belonged to Elizabeth Huish. The Taylor School donated it to us when the school was torn down. There is an umbrella that belonged to Brigham Young's daughter-in-law, Anna Marie Roseberry Young. The fruit in the bowl was made of wax and was made by Selena Bartholomew and her sister Louisa Miller about 1892. The dishes on the table belonged to pioneer Stella Harper There is also a stereoscope, case and pictures were donated by another volunteer.
The kitchen contains a small table as well as some chairs that were made in the old Huish Furniture mill one of the early industries in Payson. The kitchen also as old coal range, cream separator and miscellaneous items that would have been found in a kitchen during this period of time.
The parlor has a couch that came from the Fairbanks family. The couch was recovered by Joan Jones who also made the velvet drapes in the parlor and music room. There is a small round table with a flower display that was donated by one of our volunteers. The chair was donated by Nina Carter. The table and cloth belonged to German & Christina Ellsworth. Various other items in the parlor were also donated by friends of People Preserving Peteetneet.
The parlor was only used on special occasions like birthdays, Christmas and for company. Children were only allowed in the parlor at these special times.
The bedroom appears as it would have during Victorian times. The bed was donated by Marie Stevenson and is an original pioneer bed. It was in her barn but someone had chopped the headboard post off one side. James Mortensen built us a new one, and donated it. Dale Barnett put in the spindles. Children did not jump on rope beds as they would break a leg. The saying, "sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite" comes from just such a bed. If the ropes were not tight, you woke up with a crick in you neck or back. They had to be tightened quite often as rope stretches. This bed has a feather tick but many pioneers could not afford feather ticks so they were stuffed with straw or corn husks. Thus the bedbugs. The bedspread, linen, pillows, and quilts were donated by Marie and are very old. She also donated the chair and the old chest which are also old. Marie donated the curtains and the crocheted trim on the tops which are old. The doll on the bed was made and donated by Neva Christensen another longtime volunteer at Peteetneet. The wash stand was donated by a person who wishes to remain anonymous. The doll bed was donated by Austin Henry who also donated the items in the Communications Room.
The sewing room contains an old treadle sewing machine. The pioneers made all their clothes by hand. When the sewing machine came on the scene, it was so expensive that only a few could afford them. Dresses were made by hand and then taken to someone who had a machine to put in the hem so everyone could see they could afford to have their dress hemmed. Today, it is just the opposite, dresses are made by machine and hemmed by hand so the stitching will not show. There are wooden spools with cotton thread that was used on the machine. Today, spools are plastic with polyester and cotton thread.
The room also has a wooden ironing board and old-fashioned irons. The irons were heated on the stove. When the housewife began to iron, she left one iron on the kitchen stove to heat, and she used the other one until it became cold. All clothing was made of cotton and needed to be ironed. No respectable lady could be seen with a wrinkle in her frock or her families clothing. It is quite different today.
The sewing room also contains an old dress form. There is also an old vacuum in the rooms. You crank the handle to make the suction at the bottom work. Many rugs were taken outside and beaten with a special switch to clean.
The Music Room has an old pump organ and stool are on loan from the Ray Wilson Family. There is a photo of the Huish Band. On the table is an old violin and horn. The violin was made in 1912 and belonged to George Patten. The gold flower stand was donated by Gloria Barnett.
The Child’s Room has a sampler above the door as well as plastic doll stroller and doll. On a shelf you will see examples of baby shoes and a baby dress. There is also a small table and chairs, a child’s cupboard, a doll bed and doll, a doll buggy and doll. There are also numerous antiques toys that are also found in the room.
The north wall contains artifacts such as several examples of old fashioned washing machines, sewing machines, furniture and photos of many former pioneer members of the community.
The glass cases in the middle of the floor contains dresses, capes, coats, shoes, and etc. are all marked with tags telling who owned them. Many of the items in these cases are on loan from local families but many have also been donated to the museum.
All of the beautiful items in the Victorian home were donated by residents and former residents of the community.
Take a little of your time and visit the historical and informative museum that is in our community. We are open Monday through Friday from 10:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M. and the admission is free.
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