Artifacts

Many of the artifacts featured in the ITC's Sharecropper Cabin were generously donated by former sharecroppers.

Merline Washington of Hearne, Texas donated several artifacts to outfit the cabin once it arrived at the ITC. Her parents and grandparents were sharecroppers, and they had owned and used many of those objects.

Eugene and Anna Mae Bullard of Calvert, Texas not only donated artifacts to the ITC for the cabin exhibit - they shared stories of their own personal experiences at sharecroppers.

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Animal Traps

These foothold traps, once set, were hidden under brush. A trap’s spring-operated jaws were triggered once a passing animal stepped on the

Bed Quilt

This nine-patch multicolored quilt is made with blocks of wool fabric, similar to what was used in the 1960s. The Institute of

Brazier

Braziers were small, often portable heat sources that could be used for cooking or personal warmth. Institute of Texan Cultures records suggest

Butter Churn

When families had milk, they nearly always saved some for butter. Churning required more time than strength, and children were often employed

Canvas Sack

Laborers dragged sacks such as these up and down the rows, filling them with as much as fifty pounds of cotton.

Chamber Pot

Most houses, especially in rural areas, did not have indoor plumbing before 1950 or later, so outhouses were the most common facilities

Coffee Mill

Coffee had to be purchased at the general store or farm commissary. Families usually bought in bulk, and a sack of coffee

Cookstove

Wood-fueled stoves required close attention and a practiced sense of timing. Stoves were essential, and they required close attention and a practiced

Dipper

Many houses had a bucket of wash water set up on the porch throughout the day so workers could freshen up from

Hand Mixer

We may call this device an egg beater, but it was used to mix just about anything that needed it. People began

Icebox

Before the wider availability of electricity, when someone said “refrigerator,” they were referring to an icebox. Made of wood and insulated with

Lantern

Electricity was not common in rural Central Texas until the 1930s, and wealthier families were the first to receive it. Poorer families

Please use the following credit lines when publishing or using reproductions from the University of Texas at San Antonio Institute of Texan Cultures. Sharecropper Cabin Exhibit, UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures.