Mangle Board

This one is well-worn from years of use. To use it, the wet fabric was rolled around a smooth log and the mangle worked back and forth over the fabric (like a squeegee) to work out the majority of the water.

Gradually, the custom evolved for a young man to carve/paint a fancy mangle board and present it to the girl he wished to marry. If she accepted the mangle board, she agreed to the marriage and the community shared the news. The fancy mangle board was displayed in the home after the marriage.

If the young girl refused the mangle board (and the young man), he was required to hang the mangle board outside his home, and one and all knew he had been refused.

By the late 1800s, a mangle was a heated metal cylinder with a headed metal cover that closed over the damp linen, revolved, and ironed out the wrinkles. This type of mangle was used well into the 1950’s in many homes and hotels.