Bees or “frolics” also were held for reaping, sewing, quilting, flax-scutching, and many other occasions.
There also was the more enjoyable work of making cider or maple sugar, and the excitement of smoking a bee tree to obtain the honey inside.
Sleighing was a popular pastime in the winter. The young people bundled themselves in warm clothing, placed bags of hot sand at their feet, pulled bear skin robes over their knees and then set out with many a laugh and song. On a crisp, clear night the sleighbells and the singing could be heard from several miles distant.
The biggest social events of the day were the weddings. Often they occurred at noon, to be followed by an afternoon of merry-making, a big supper for the whole wedding party, and a dance in the evening. The most popular dances were jigs, four-handed reels, double shuffles, and scamper-downs.
The parents often helped their children start married life by giving them a cow, ewe, or sow, a saddle, spinning wheel, kitchen utensils, or a feather bed.
A bride with an embroidered muslin gown for the wedding was considered fortunate, indeed. Usually the women of the day wore clothing made of “linsey.” This was made of linen and wool, often in plaids and stripes. The men wore buckskin breeches, coonskin caps, and crude leather shoes, boots, or moccasins. In summer they sometimes went barefoot, except when they went into the forests. Men, women, boys and girls often wore a loose outer jacket called a “wamus.”
Much of the cloth for clothing was made from flax or wool grown by the settlers. Most of the housewives had spinning wheels, but only a few had looms, for they were expensive and skill was required to operate them. The weaving would be done for a fee by those who owned looms. Walnut hulls were crushed and used for dye. Buttons were often made of thread, and needles and pins were scarce and expensive.
The first store in Washington Township was established by Aaron Nutt, Sr., in what is now Centerville. He took a flatboat load of produce to Baltimore, sold it, and invested the money in a horse, a cart, and a load of drygoods, which he brought overland to Ohio.