Majestic Wood Burning Stove (Monterey)

[rp2813]

It was known as "The" Majestic when my friend in Sebastopol had this exact piece -- in fine condition -- to keep his kitchen warm during the damp Sonoma County winters.  He was a big man, and this stove suited him.

 

I never thought I'd see another one like it.  Compared to this, a '30s full size trash & gas Wedgewood be a cinch to move.

http://monterey.craigslist.org/app/5366545022.html

 

[norgeway]

My Mother

Grew up with a Majestic cookstove, the one my Grandparents had was a 1930s model, cream and green enamel  with nickel trim, it had 2 eyes and a big flat griddle like plate, My Grandmother kept it so polished that she fried her yeast raised buckwheat pancakes right on the top....You have to know what you are doing to regulate a wood fire like that, I would burn them up for sure.They got electricity in 38 and a electric stove in 54.

 

[rp2813]

Hans,

He always had a vintage gas stove in the same kitchen for actual cooking.   The Majestic was used for heating first and foremost.   IIRC, the event cook among our group of friends may have roasted or baked something in the Majestic, but other than that it never had anything but a heavy old kettle of water sitting on the stovetop.   

 

[norgeway]

Grandmother

Had nothing BUT the woodtove until 54 when they remodeled,it was put in the basement for emergencies and sometime about the time I came along they sold it, My Mother said She remembered late summer days being so miserable when Grandmother was canning, no pressure canner in those days, beans took 3 hours, so you can imagine how hot the house was with a fire in that thing hot enough to boil a wash boiler full of water!!!! Mother said the house would be unbearable all night while they were trying to sleep and usually the whole process started all over the next day,in those days they were pretty much self sufficient, raising a huge garden, killing hogs and chickens ,they had a cow and made their own butter, these girls today would die if they had to do all that work..LOL, My Mother said her job was to keep the woodbox full in the kitchen, no easy task when it was canning time, beans,corn,apples, tomatos,okra ,all kinds of pickles and jellies and jams, plus at hog killing time, canning sausage,curing hams etc, they quit all that when my Grandfather died in 57.

 

[alr2903]

My mom always remembered and spoke of washing fruit jars. She was younger and with the smaller hands in the family at the time, she got jar washing detail. They reused jars for years. She had a box full of the old blue tinted fruit jars. Ball or Mason I can't remember now what they were.