Kitchen in the Park Forest House Museum
 

Our budget-conscious home-economist raised in the Depression and on food ration coupons continued a tradition of
canning her own vegetables.  Canned vegetables were beginning to be more affordable, but they still did not taste as
good as home-canned. This area was full of pick-your-own produce farms so  canning was an
inexpensive option for laying in food.

This stove is an original.  Unfortuantely our stove is still in storage, but we hope to get it into the unit, soon. Our refrigerator is a 1947 General Electric.   Gas refrigerators came with the rental units. The Cosco cart and step stool, and high chair  again demonstrate the use of chrome. Small electrical appliances aimed at making the housewives work more
efficient began to flood the postwar market.

The refrigerator is a 1947 General Electric that was donated by the estate of Mildred Beno.  Her son called us
to donate it after seeing the museum featured in WTTW's "South of Chicago" documentary, which aired
in March 2004.  The refrigerator also includes the original owner's manual and the receipt for its purchase
and delivery.

We have a toaster, waffle maker, a Mixmaster. The torpedo shaped Daizey ice crusher was used for
cocktails. The can opener is also a Daizey product. Aluminum and chrome and Kromex kitchen canisters and
accessories were very popular, although brightly colored plastics began to outshine them in the early fifties.

Cleaning products still came in glass, boxes or tin cans. Our housewife has a cocktail shaker,
drink measure and everyday ice bucket ready for when hubby gets home from the 1 to 1 ½ hour commute to Chicago.

The large gray box which would have been on the back porch is a milk cooler. Milkmen delivered to the door.
We have a gallon, half gallon, pint and half-pint milk and cream bottles.

In the early days of Park Forest, it was obvious the milk trade would be good. Milkmen delivered samples
 of  milk for housewives to choose which dairy they preferred. Competition between dairies was so
stiff that one milkman would dump another's samples and leave his own.

Outside the kitchen window, somewhere in the court was a "tot yard” -- a small, fenced-in, grassy, play yard for
small children, equipped with a sandbox. Mom's could visit inside or out while the children played, safe from traffic.
Tot yards were a big advertising point with ACB (American Community Builders). We have photographs of adults
holding parties inside the tot yards at night.

Tupperware was invented in 1945 and House Beautiful declared it to be "Fine Art for 39 cents."
Tupperware parties were so common in the courts that women had to stop attending them so they would not
buy more than they could afford.

Enamel tables were very popular and were often in the kitchen. Ours is a work table.
    -- Jane Nicoll