“Things ain't what they used to be and probably never was.” – Will Rogers
“Say goodbye to the oldies, but goodies, because the good old days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems.” – Billy Joel
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Ever wonder why they call it “the good old days”?
Of course, when you ponder days of yore, you may think of a time when everything was simple and much less complicated.
Possibly, images of a tire-swing hanging over a bucolic creek come to mind, or the aroma of a fresh-baked blackberry pie dances in your head.
You might not ever consider the myriad of inconveniences and discomforts of past times.
Take the noble outhouse for instance, or the layers of pantaloons and petticoats that were once the fashion norm.
Have you ever thought about needing to visit the local blacksmith for all of your iron needs, such as horse shoes, repairing pots and pans or fixing your plowshare?
In the “good old days” you might have toiled over a cumbersome, forged iron to press your clothes.
Irons for ironing clothes were called flat irons or sad irons. Actually, these particular irons were commonly used from times as far back as the late Middle Ages.
The early model iron had no temperature control, and it had to be heated on a stove, or in some cases, a fire. Some European irons were fashioned from clay or soapstone.
To keep the iron from sullying or scorching your clothes, it was necessary to sand-paper or polish the iron.
The meaning for the iron called a “sad iron” is said to have been derived from the word “solid.” Sad irons were comprised of thick iron, with the addition of a handle, while flat irons, also known as smoothing irons were thinner in appearance, with a flat base.
Believe it or not, some irons, used up until World War II, used liquid fuel such as was used for lights to heat their irons.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.