Self-Guided Tour of Lincoln-era Log Cabin Village - Herb List Created: 04/20/2020 -4-

Herbs used in Pioneer Times:
Wild Onion/Winter Onion: Onions, a native plant, was used to flavor foods, as a vegetable, and made into a poultice to wear around the neck for cold and coughs. They return yearly, if not fully harvested.
Violet: Used to add a sweet scent to water used for washing clothes.
Horseradish: Used to flavor food. Root was used for indigestion. Was a remedy for sinus infections.

Sage: Used as a medicinal herb. Steeped in hot water for tea, used in meats, vegetables and poultry dishes. Greeks & Romans used it for everything from snakebite to promoting longevity.
Cilantro: Used over 7000 years ago as a fresh herb in salads, soups and meats.
Chives: Used over 5,000 years ago, to flavor food. Like their cousins' onions and garlic, thought to have magical powers. Bunches were hung in the cabin to drive away disease & evil influences.
Tarragon: Used as a flavor in cooking.
Rosemary: Used by early Americans as an appetite stimulant and digestive aid and as a medicine for rheumatism and gout. It was used for stomach upset, colds, headaches, and nervous tension.
Oregano: Used in dishes with strong flavors such as onions, tomatoes, chili and garlic. Medicinally used for colds, indigestion and fevers. Useful in treating bronchitis, asthma, arthritis and muscular pain.
Lemon Balm: Used for colds, flu and aches in stomach. Fresh leaf was used on insect bites. Used as an insect repellent. Beekeepers rubbed lemon balm inside a hive to encourage a new swarm to stay.
Catnip: Used to treat colds and stomach aches. As a tea it was used as a sedative to help you sleep. Chewing the leaves helped relieved toothaches.
Garlic: Used as a flavoring in foods.
Spearmint: Used to soothe an upset stomach or sore throat. Used fresh or dried for later use.
Rhubarb: Stems were eaten raw or cooked to make rhubarb sauce, put in pies and breads. They made a drink out of juice. DO NOT EAT THE LEAVES - POISONOUS
Rose: Roses were known for their fragrance and as a symbol of love. Rose hips were eaten in salads and made into a jelly. The oil was extracted, and water added to make "Rose Water" which was used after bathing. Rose oil was also used to mask the bad smells in a room.

Summary: The Friends of the Log Cabins hope you enjoyed your visit to the Lincoln-era Log Cabin Village and have learned a little about how early settlers lived, worked, prayed and survived - without the modern conveniences - taken for granted now days. Things like electricity for lights, a refrigerator to keep our food fresh and of course indoor plumbing. If you want to help "save, restore and preserve" these historic structures, so future generations can also experience what you have just experienced, consider donating to the Friends of the Log Cabins Association and/or volunteering to help on Tours, Open Houses, Frontier Settlement Day (held the 2nd Saturday in September) or in the restoration/ preservation efforts to save this village, so future generations can "… reflect a bit from whence we came." Additional information is on the Friends web page at: www.logcabinvillagequincyil.com