Just like the pioneers

Yesterday, we did some cooking out, open-flame style, to celebrate the Fourth. Well, mostly J.R. did the cooking out and I did the napping on the couch, except for the cast-iron crisis of 2007. He decided he wanted to make some potato dish in his dutch oven, but he hadn't used it in a while, so there was rust. We both knew he had to clean it out and then re-season it, but we weren't sure how long this would take, what were the possible consequences of improper seasoning, etc. J.R. being J.R., he sought out the internets. I called my mother. Way faster and simpler. Also, old-school. Do you think the pioneers had the internet?