I have been spending a lot of time in kitchens lately. In my own personal kitchen I do the traditional holiday baking and gifting. My favorite thing to make is spiced mixed nuts as they are hard to mess up.

I have spent many hours in the Hormel Historic Home commercial kitchen recently during many HHH holiday events, including the Christmas At Home dinner last Friday. With a volunteer kitchen staff, we served nearly 100 people before they went to the Historic Paramount to enjoy a variety of musical performances.

Every day I walk through the historic house kitchen that was updated in the early ’90s and wonder about its historic appearance and use. With a recent donation, we are now in the process of restoring the kitchen back to its early 1900s décor, and I wish the walls would reveal some secrets. Fortunately, we have the 1913 insurance policy that gives the dimensions of the cabinetry and a description of the flooring, wall and ceiling materials. The recent discovery that the original 1-inch hexagonal floor tiles are still intact made our team very happy.

However, a few things remain a mystery. We have the specs on the sink that was in place in 1913, but we haven’t been able to source one. We have found that a 36-inch cast iron sink with three faucets on a nickel-plated stand is difficult to find. We also don’t know which brand or type of stove the Hormels had, but there are many to choose from at various architectural salvage stores. With the help of local contractors, we will soon have the historic home kitchen restored as close to the Hormel days of residence as possible.

I don’t know about your house, but no matter how many people come to my home, we all gather in the kitchen to socialize. It seems kitchen designs have evolved from places often filled with smoke and soot from a fireplace into the frequently prized showcase of a home. In the 19th century, according to www.porch.com, “technological advancements in the kitchen were constant, most of which aimed at reducing labor and time. From the use of coal then gas, to the invention of cast iron, electricity and plumbed water, kitchen conveniences were constantly changing the look of the kitchen.”

With a little more research, the Hormel Historic Home will soon feature a kitchen that the Hormels might have called theirs. Maybe it wasn’t customary to invite guests into this functional space, but once our project is complete we will welcome you in to enjoy another part of the family’s past.

Hearth & Home Series

10 a.m., Tuesday, free

Dawn Taylor, publisher of Chauncey’s Place, A Pictoral History of Austin, MN 1854-2014 will present her compilation.

 History Happy Hour

5:30-7:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 11

John Haymond, Mower County Historical Society, will present on the techniques and benefits of researching one’s family history. Special guests will give personal accounts of their research. Free for members of the MCHS, Friends of the Library, or the HHH. 5 for non-members. Light snacks and cash bar offered.