They are called sad irons because “sad” is an obsolete term meaning heavy and solid. But 20th Century collectors of these 19th Century vestiges joke that their name evokes the sad, hard… ...

This sad iron was recovered from a post-contact Euro-American homestead in a 2015 Fort McCoy archaeological dig. It is triangular, weighs 6.75 pounds, and is missing the handle.

Local foundries made various cast pieces, but this was the first sad iron the society has seen with the actual name of the town in the casting. The current collection will be on display through July.

Cast iron is an invention that goes back to the 5th century BC, and, despite many advances since then, I find that my go to skillets are cast iron all the time. They have an awesome heating ...