The bed was the center of the log cabin bedroom and usually reserved for the adults in the house. Often, a low bed called a trundle would be pulled out at night for the children, and then stored under the bed during the day. Before box springs were available, a rope would be laced across a wooden frame to support a mattress of heavy cotton ticking material filled with straw or wool. A wooden key, like the one on the wall, would be used to tighten the ropes when they stretched, which may be the origin of the nighttime wish to “sleep tight.” Pillows might be fabric filled with straw or wool. In a house without central heating, blankets and quilts provided warmth.
Pegs on the walls provided storage for hats, outerwear, and clothes. A trunk would be used to store Sunday best clothes or other treasures brought from back east.
