Pipkin

According to family tradition, this humble cast iron cooking pot made the crossing through the Cumberland Gap with the Morton family as they made their way from Louisa, Virginia, to Logan County, Kentucky, in 1815, along with all their slaves, livestock, and household goods. Simple yet durable, this pipkin illustrates the difficult choices made by the settlers as they decided what to bring to their new home on the western frontier. More importantly, it gives a voice to the silent partners - the women, both black and white -whose courage and faith sustained the travelers on their often harsh journey to the fabled blue grass of Kentucky.