Oiling the Floors

May 19, 1936  Mary oiled the floors.  John and I hoed some in the garden.

Like many farmer families, the Siemens had not finished their house in 1930 when they built it.  Except in the living room which had hardwood flooring, the house just had softwood, plank subfloors.  The softwood had to be oiled to protect the wood and to keep down the dust.  Only about 1940 did the Siemens put hardwood flooring in the rest of the house.