The Finer Things in Life: Saving for the General Store

A hard working farm wife might go to the general store to buy a beautiful Paisley shawl from India, or an elegant ivory fan from France or China. These items were used for Sunday best or a special occasion. An expensive item like the ivory and silk fan shown in the case before you would have been cherished and handed down from mother to daughter to granddaughter, eventually making its way into a museum collection. Life was difficult for Michigan's early settlers, most made their living on the farm--it was backbreaking work. They worked hard to have the comforts of home, and when they could afford it, they often allowed themselves to buy some of the finer things in life--special things that they couldn't make themselves. Take a look in the cases on the wall before you leave. All of these items could have been purchased at the Goss & Darling general store in Kalamazoo in 1848. If you were a settler, which of the items would you save your money to buy?