Coin silver ladle made by Asa Blanchard, who was one of many skilled artisans who migrated from the eastern states to the Kentucky frontier. Blanchard worked under other silversmiths in Philadelphia and New York, which were highly competitive environments for artisans. The Ohio River Valley offered a new market and opportunity for career advancement. Within a single generation, Kentucky transitioned from a frontier community into a society that supported painters, furniture makers, silversmiths, and other artisans. As middle- and upper-class families obtained financial stability, they purchased luxury goods symbolic of their status.
"Fanny" Frances Latham Slaughter was a wife and a mother who had strong ties with her family as seen through letters sent to her daughter and other relatives. "Time passes away tedious and heavy" writes Frances Latham Slaughter to her daughter (who left home) on 12 October 1816. Women who were separated from family and friends often experienced loneliness on the frontier.
