Texas Ranch House . Meet the Adventurers . Hannah Cooke


		"We're very creative as girls in what we do."


			Hannah explains how to make rock candy.


			Bloomers make excellent toilet paper.

Hannah is the youngest of the Cooke girls and the most accomplished athlete. The walls of her bedroom are adorned with medals and trophies that she has won at her favorite sport, fast-pitch softball. As the pitcher, Hannah says she "throws a mean fastball." She likes hanging out with her sisters, shopping with her mom, and reading Laura Ingalls Wilder novels. Hannah says she is "very proud to be a Cooke."

"We're very creative as girls in what we do, like making a shower so that we could have privacy, inventing a hand washing system, and enhancing the chicken coop. I think [all this] really helps the ranch 'cause those are things that are valuable."

Hannah is the youngest daughter of Mr. William Cooke, the owner of a new rancho on the unsettled Texas frontier. She is just coming of age to be considered a grown woman and is expected to contribute to housekeeping tasks and the family's comfort. Every child on the ranch should learn that in their mother's home, her will is supreme. Hannah's main objective is to help create a happy home and community on the frontier. She is building a new life and is expected to work hard and contribute to the support of her family.

It is expected that the women of the house will share the burden of kitchen duties. These include preparing and cooking meals for the family, maintaining the safety of the food supply, and cleaning. The women must also complete the laundry, ironing, bathing, and baking. They are expected to water, maintain, and harvest the plants in the garden. They are also responsible for keeping these plants safe from rodents or other predators. The daughters must care for and feed the domestic animals housed near the ranch headquarters. The "milch cow" and chickens will be entirely dependent on their care. Since Hannah is the youngest, she may be assigned the task of carrying all water from the well to the kitchen or garden and milking the dairy cow. She must know how to "sew plain" and mend and possibly even make her own clothes.