Averett discovers historical artifact in her laundry room

Olney resident Judy Averett donated her family’s historical artifact to Olney Heritage Museum (OHM) after hearing talk about items with historical meaning that were needed for the museum.

“The butter churn was sitting in my laundry room, and I was afraid that my husband Billy would knock it over,” she said. “I decided it would be of interest to the museum.”

Averett reminisced about watching her grandmother churn butter when she was around the age of four.

“My grandmother let me try the churn, although she did not require me to do it because I was young,” she said. “You had to be strong to churn butter. At the beginning of the process, it is easy because the butter is liquid. After a while, the process becomes difficult as the liquid gets thicker.”

Averett inherited the churn from her grandmother Clara Mercer Logan (1896-1986) who inherited it from her mother, Judy’s great-grandmother Elizabeth Gannaway (1853-1943).

Some sources state the use of butter can be traced back to 2000 B.C. and was customary in European traditions. With butter growing in popularity, the butter churn soon followed. However, by the 19th century, it was uncommon for families to make butter, but the churn was still used in rural America.

To make butter with the churn that Averett donated, you must move the stick, called a dasher, up and down by hand at the center of the barrel that contains the cream. The constant moving of the cream causes the fat to separate from the buttermilk, which eventually produces butter.

Olney Heritage Museum is grateful for Averett’s donation, as it allows those who visit the museum to turn back the clock to a simpler time. Or in this case, “churn” back the clock.

What’s in your attic, barn or laundry room? We encourage you to donate your historical items. Visit the OHM website, www.OlneyHeritageMuseum.org, to learn more about the donation process.