Brooms of Our Ancestors

By Brother Placid Gross, Assumption Abbey, Richardton, North Dakota

Emil Reuer, Dawson, North Dakota, made a pioneer broom, March, 1998.

Emil Reuer of Dawson, North Dakota told us about the brooms that the pioneer's made. Then to fulfill the old adage that "one picture is worth a thousand words" he made a broom. The grass is buck brush; another name for it is western snowberry. This plant is a pasture weed that grows to a height of approximately two or three feet tall. In a way it resembles a young chokecherry tree.

The handle and other wooden parts for this broom came from an original that Emil's uncle had made a long time ago. Emil remembers using this type of broom when he was about 16 years old to sweep the granary and barn. (A rough estimate would put that about 75 years ago.) It is our good fortune that Emil still lives on the farm and that there had not been a fire or auction sale. Emil, "Danke Schön" a thousand times.