Wow that is a truely awesome stove.  We had a leaky vintage wood cookstove when we first returned to WV.  It was truely an awesome beast if not a tad bit tempermental.  In the winter when the wood heating stove was really drawing well I learned to go outside to the "tee" in the flue of the cookstove and light a newspaper to get the draft going then I'd yell "light it" and the stove would draw nicely. Otherwise it would smoke out of the cooktop.  My "modern" stove was a 1920's gas range.  Although I no longer have the stove my step-daughter lives there now so it is "in the family".  We have free gas in our new place so now I cook and heat with natural gas.

Cindi.  There was definitely a learning curve but I think everything tasted better cooked on that old stove.  What I loved most was that there was a spot somewhere on the stove top that was JUST the right temperature.   The warming oven was great for raising bread and heating plates.  For me the key was having the right wood available.  You need lots of small, dry kindling pieces for starting the fire and we used very dry poplar when we wanted a fast, hot fire for heating the oven quickly and baking things like biscuits that needed a high heat.  Larger oak splits were great for roasting things in the oven at lower temps and simmering on the stove top.  One of my favorite activities was going out to the woodshed and  splitting wood for my stove.  From the looks of the picture, your fire box is much larger than mine.  Because of the circulating pattern around my oven I had to be careful not to burn the tops of bread loaves.  Bread was the best if I could let it finish baking in a slackening oven after the fire died down.  I never used the water reservoir because I think it leaked.  I also had to make sure that the flue was cleaned regularly because it would clog with soot.  

Lucky you Cindi to have such a grand stove.  I wish you much joy learning to cook with her.