The Hanscomes' Bed Warmer

Copyright La Crosse County Historical Society

Amy Vach

Catalog Number: 1956.005.10

Throughout these cold Wisconsin winters, I know that at the end of the day I can go home to a pleasant, warm house.

However, during the 18th and 19th centuries, it was not as easy to heat one’s home.

Homes were damp and the beds were cold.

This is where the bed warmer comes into action. This brass bed warmer once belonged to one of the city’s founding families, the Hanscomes. The Hanscome family came to La Crosse in 1853 from Maine.

This bed-warming pan functions along the same lines as my electric blanket.

Warmed stones, coals or smoldering ashes from a fire would have once filled this pan. The hinged lid is punctured by a decorative pattern of holes that allow oxygen to feed the coals and keep them hot.

Once the bed warmer was filled, it was inserted between the bed sheets and moved about to warm and dry the bed for a cozy sleep.

The person using the bed warmer needed to be cautious and aware of the surroundings so that the bed would not catch fire.

Bed warmers have existed for centuries, with some of the earliest examples dating back to Queen Elizabeth I. Early warmers were made of silver, copper or brass and looked similar to this warmer from the Hanscome family.

According to Annie Hanscome, the bed warmer was used by her maternal grandparents, Dr. and Mrs. Abraham Wendell Anderson in Gray, Maine, circa 1830.

The family was relatively well-to-do, and when Annie’s parents, Charles and Anna, came to La Crosse in 1853, they brought their prized family possessions with them. This warmer may have been used to help warm the beds in their family home in La Crosse.

Annie Hanscome was the last surviving member of her immediate family, and she made the home into a memorial to her family: It held many objects and furnishings accumulated and treasured by her family over the years.

In 1949, the La Crosse Tribune described her home as an historical family museum with objects dating to the Revolutionary War. Some of the objects were her parents’ wedding china, furniture and jewelry. Before her death in 1956, Annie Hanscome donated her treasured family mementos to the La Crosse County Historical Society.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on March 14, 2019.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.

Homemade Ice Fishing Rod

Ivy King

Catalog Number: 2010.021.01

Copyright La Crosse County Historical Society

During these cold winter months if you are driving near or along the Mississippi river you see multiple shanties and people fishing on the frozen river. Ice fishing in La Crosse has been ongoing since before the European settlers came to the area. This week’s artifact, a homemade fishing rod, likely caught quite a few fish in the Coulee Region.

Ice fishing has a long history in this area. Indigenous people throughout the Midwest and across North America originally ice fished by placing a wooden decoy into their ice hole and then spearing fish through the hole. They used chisels to chip through the ice.  Later, Europeans utilized iron ice chisels in a variety of shapes and sizes as their technique of creating the ice hole until the mid-twentieth century.

Today ice fishing is a social activity, and modernity has only helped improve the technology of ice fishing. People have the option to use sonar units to help discover the location of fish, and they can use fast, powered augers to quicken the pace. Even with these advancements, ice fishers still utilize fishing rods.

This homemade pole has been assembled with found materials. It is 22 inches long and has a wooden spindle for a handle, probably a piece of an old chair or tool. The tip of a fiberglass fishing rod, about a foot long, has been imbedded to the end of the handle. The creator of this fishing pole then used electrical tape to fasten a metal cleat onto the handle to hold the extra line. The cleat is stamped with “T&S MFG CO LAX WIS.” The “T&S” likely stands for John Torrance and Son Foundry, a local business begun in 1876 and is still in operation today.

Unfortunately, the pole was dropped off anonymously at the historical society, and we do not know the maker of this cobbled together ice fishing rod. But his or her ingenuity is certainly admirable. The pole represents a beloved winter sport that has stood the test of time.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on March 2, 2019.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.

Bill Lieder’s Ski Patrol First Aid Kit

Kyle Willoughby

Catalog Number: 2013.018.03

Copyright La Crosse County Historical Society

Everyone in La Crosse can look out the window and see an endless blanket of white on the ground.

The Midwest has been hit with a multitude of snowstorms, leaving more than a foot of snow to decorate the landscape.

For those who despise the cold and anything to do with winter, this probably doesn’t sound appealing, but for those who enjoy winter activities such as cross-country/downhill skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling, a layer of fresh powder is like a dream come true.

This is especially true for the people who enjoy their pastime at Mount La Crosse, the local downhill ski slope.

Mount La Crosse offers wonderful blufftop views of snowy La Crosse, while also boasting a total of 18 ski runs. Mount La Crosse has been in operation since 1959 — its 60th year.

The focus of Things That Matter this week is a first aid kit that belonged to William Lieder while he lived in the area and volunteered as a ski-patrol officer at Mount La Crosse.

Bill patrolled the ski slopes for 25 years. His duties primarily included injury prevention by helping beginners on the slopes but also emergency assistance when necessary. It is the ski-patrol’s job to ensure that if there is an accident on the slopes, the injured skier makes it safely to the bottom of the hill for emergency care. This includes the instances in which they may need to be taken down the slope on a sled.

Pictured is a blue canvas first aid kit and its National Ski Patrol patch. The first-aid kit includes various lengths of rolled bandages. The kit would have been attached at the hip to a leather belt through the eyelets on either side. With both the first aid kit and the patches on his jacket, Bill would’ve remained visible to other skiers and be present to help.

While off duty, both Bill and his wife Verlyn Lieder were active members on the slopes of Mount La Crosse. Verlyn was more of a leisure skier but was also a member of the La Crosse Ski team and skied for sport. The La Crosse County Historical Society collections include a pair of personalized skis belonging to Verlyn.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on February 23, 2019.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.