WOOD STOVE COOKING

You don't want to miss this opportunity to cook on an authentic wood stove! Prepare, cook and sit down to a cozy lunch at this hands-on workshop in our historic farmhouse. Led by volunteers, Donna and Clayton Smith, participants will learn how a wood stove works and will work together to make and enjoy a hearty soup, toasty bread, and dessert along with hot tea while things are cooking. Because of the size of the farmhouse, registrations are limited to 6 participants (children 5 and up are welcome to attend with an adult; each with their own ticket). Expect this workshop to fill up quickly!

Date: Saturday, March 29th 2025, 10:30 am - 1 pm in the Historic Farmhouse

Cost: $15 per person

SOLD OUT

About the instructors:

Donna and Clayton Smith own Irish Ridge Alpacas, LLC, a family farm in Cottage Grove, WI. They come with a historic knowledge of antique wood stoves, and showcase other traditional skills such as rag rug weaving and broom-making at workshops and Heritage Fest.

 

History of our Wood Burning Cook Stove, by Steve Keip and Diane Schwartz

The stove is a model 8-20D  Riverside, blue porcelain, manufactured by Rock Island Stove Company,  Rock Island,  Illinois. It features a hot water reservoir on the right and a warming oven on the top. 
Our stove was purchased by the Marcella Schumacher Pendall Trust in the mid 1990s in anticipation of restoring the 1906 farmhouse. The original stove had long been removed as the house was modernized over the years, and there are no surviving pictures of the original stove. The new stove stood in the kitchen until May 1998 when it was installed by Ernest Bingham of the Great American Chimney Co.  He rebuilt the chimney above the roof top and installed copper shielding behind the stove to ensure that the stove met with modern fire codes and building standards.

The stove is a model 8-20D  Riverside, blue porcelain, manufactured by Rock Island Stove Company,  Rock Island,  Illinois. While we do not have an exact date of manufacture, we can be certain that this model was manufactured during the 1920s because that’s when the Rock Island Stove Company began producing porcelain enameled stoves in a variety of colors. These stoves were designed to be functional and decorative.  A 1925 article in the Rock Island  newspaper states:   "In 1920, the company built a complete plant for doing porcelain enameling, and have since finished their cookers and heaters with this beautiful material in blue, brown, gray and white.” The Rock Island Stove Company was started in 1868 and likely went under in 1929 when the market collapsed. There is no newspaper record for the company after 1929.

We are passionate about making our events accessible to people of all needs and abilities. If you have any questions and/or need special accommodations, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Refunds/Cancellations:

Program fees are refundable when:

  • The acitvity is cancelled by Schumacher Farm Park
  • The participant cancels for a medical reason (a physician's note is required)
  • The participant un-enrolls 7 or more days prior to the beginning of the activity