YVGS FAMILY FINDERS

Established 1982

YUCAIPA VALLEY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETYwww.yvgs.org

P.O. BOX 32, YUCAIPA, CA 92399-0032Sponsored by The Yucaipa Branch Library

April 2011—VOLUME 29 NO. 4

President’s Message:

Here it is April! For our ancestors, it was the beginning of a very busy time of year. Cropswere going in, gardens had to be prepared and planted, spring house cleaning was required;there was a general flurry of activity. For those who had moved into the city or town, theseasons did not decide their activities as much as those who lived closer to the land. Howabout our ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War or the Mexican War?The winter camp would now be over and the Spring Campaign would be underway.Preparation of equipment and supplies took most of their time while the Generals laid theirplans. If you have found the details listing of where your soldiers unit was, take a look at thedates and see if your ancestor’s experiences followed this general pattern.

This meeting we will look at food of the Civil War era during the workshop, andI look forward to sharing some great food and receipts of the mid 1800’s withyou. Then we switch subjects to hear the music of the time for our lecture. Ilook forward to seeing all of you at the meeting.

Floyd K. Ferguson,President, YVGS

2011 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ELECTED OFFICERSPresident Floyd FergusonVice President Juanita MarshallSecretary Jamie DanielTreasurer Marg Polich

APPOINTED CHAIRSParliamentarian Jamie DanielCorresponding Secretary Jamie DanielLibrarian Ruth BishopEditor Jamie DanielHospitality Sue WolfeWelcome Terry BrownMembership Marg PolichPublicity VACANTSunshine Barbara ThomasHistorian Barbara CogornoWays and Means VACANTWebsite Betty Marcum******************************************************************************************

The Yucaipa Valley Genealogical Society, Inc. meets at 1:00 P.M. on the SECOND Saturday of each month atthe United Methodist Church in Yucaipa. YVGS annual membership fees are $20.00 for individuals or $25.00.00 forfamilies. This amount includes the monthly newsletter and free query privileges. $10.00 will have our newslettermailed to another society or individual out of the area. The Editor and Society assume no responsibility for statementsmade by contributors. Misstatements of fact will be corrected upon receipt of proof of error.******************************************************************************************

What you missed!Yucaipa Valley Genealogical Society

General Meeting MinutesMarch 12, 2011

The meeting was called to order at 1:20 P.M. byPresident Floyd Ferguson. The pledge of allegiancewas recited.

Terry Brown welcomed guest Billie Wilkes, andnew member Rick Clark, who is the newly electedGovernor of the local Mayflower Society.

The minutes of the last meeting were read bySecretary Jamie Daniel and approved as corrected.

Marg Polich read the Treasurer’s report theworking total is $706.82; the bank balance is$2399.82. Any members with additional questionsare asked to see Marg before or after the generalmeeting.

Membership Chair Marg Polich announced thatthere are currently 28 members whose dues are paidin full.

Terry Brown’s motion to move back to the libraryfor our monthly meetings, starting in May wasseconded by Joe Swetich. Discussion of all optionsfollowed. The motion carried.

Sue Wolfe announced that the Civil War erapotluck will take place at the April meeting. Eachmember is asked to bring a dish to share.

Barbara Firestone reported that Ruth Bishop hasreturned home and is continuing to recover.

Barbara Cogorno, Historian, asked for someone tohelp her catch up with her Historian book.

Betty Marcum announced that the newsletter isposted on the website every month, and the obits andcemetery listings are updated.

After the break, Joe Swetich won our 50/50drawing.

Our meeting was a time of sharing facts anddocuments on our Civil War ancestors. Next month’sspeaker will be Jean Wilcox Hibben, who will bepresenting a program on Music of the Civil War.

Meeting adjourned at 2:50 P.M. by PresidentFloyd Ferguson.

Respectfully submitted by

Jamie Daniel,Secretary YVGS

1. Friday, April 8, 2011 at the Hemet PublicLibrary. 10:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.Topic: Tips for Foreign Research, European,Canadian, United Kingdom, etc.

2. Saturday, April 9, 2011 Yucaipa ValleyGenealogical Society Workshop and Meeting atUnited Methodist Church in Yucaipa, 35177 BeechAvenue 12:00 P.M. Potluck consisting of foodsthat might have been served during the Civil Warperiod.Workshop: Civil War Ancestors. Please bring anyinformation you have on ancestors who served(either North or South) in the War. We will bediscussing daily life during the time period 1861-1865.Meeting at 1:00. Jean Wilcox Hibben will be backto share Civil War Music. Come join us!

3. Sunday April 17, 2011 at the RedlandsFamily History Center, 5th and Wabash, Redlands7:00 P.M.Speaker: Karen StrongTopic: Findagrave

4. Friday, April 22, 2011 at the Hemet PublicLibrary, 10:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.Topic: Court Records—Land, Wills, ProbateLegal Documents.

Don’t forget!We’re selling Stater Bros.gift cards at the meeting.

The Society receives a percentage back fromStater’s…and everyone needs groceries!

The money we make from the cards is paying ourbills for the society: meeting place, speakers,

printing,coffee, etc.

52 Weeks toBetter Genealogy

Editor’s note: 3rd in a series I cameacross while doing research on the Internet. It is written by AmyCoffin, who has a blog called The WeTree Genealogy Blog(http://wetree.blogspot.com). I was intrigued by her series, JumpStart Your Genealogy Blog, so I contacted her about using hermaterial. It turns out her series 52 weeks to Better Genealogy isa better fit for us (very few of us maintain a blog), so I am sharingthis with you instead. I will publish 4 or 5 challenges a monthuntil we have all 52.Amy Coffin’s motto:

If genealogy is boring, you’re doing it wrong

Challenge 15Write a letter. It these days of emotionless email,

the art of letter writing is getting lost. Pick one ofyour information needs or queries and write a letterrequesting information. You may want to write to asmall library or a relative asking for family historyinformation. If you’re requesting a return reply, besure to include any forms that are required, funds (ifnecessary) or a self-addressed, stamped envelope forreturn correspondence. If you write a genealogy blog,include a post about the information you requestedand from whom.

Challenge 16Check out the online library catalog of a

university. You may use one close to you, or one inthe area of your research. Colleges and universitieshave wonderful archives, many of which are valuableto historical research. Browse around the librarywebsite and investigate the various archivalcollections. Make note of ones that may assist you inyour own research. Genealogy blog authors areencouraged to write about what they find and sharethe details for benefit of their readers.

Challenge 17Get out your family photos and label them.

You’ve seen them a million times because they’reYOUR photos, but what happens when they’repassed down to others? Will those people know thenames of everyone in the pictures? Take some timeand label your photos with pertinent information. Ifyou’re working with old photos, take considerationwith their age and condition. Devise an archival-friendly labeling system. For digital photos, you canuse computer programs to tag the images with namesor other identifying information. If that’s tooconfusing, you can at least save and/or re-namedigital photos with details of your choosing. Don’t letanother generation slip by without documenting your

photos. Your ancestors will thank you. If you have agenealogy blog, share with your readers your systemfor identifying photos, and even share a photo if youlike.

Challenge 18Dip your toe in the social networking pool.

Genealogists are some of the friendliest people on theblock. Networking with them by using “social” websites will help your research and provide you withnew friends. If you’ve never used social networkingtools, this Social Networking in Plain English videoby Common Craft is a good place to start. Picture theways you can use social networking to meet andcollaborate with other genealogists. Some of themore popular social networking sites are Facebook,Twitter and even Linked-In (though this site is morebusiness-like in its purpose). You do not have to jointhese sites if you do not feel comfortable doing so,but you should at least know they exist and that theycan benefit genealogy research. Those that are well-versed in social networking can refer others to thevideo. Bloggers are encouraged to discuss how theyuse various social networking sites in their ownresearch.

Surveying Mt. San Gorgonio Memorial ParkWe really are going to start up again this month!

Would you like to help survey, take photographs andtranscribe the local cemeteries? The Society is nowin the process of trying to survey the SummitCemetery District in Riverside County. Please contactJamie Daniel or anyone on the YVGS Board if youare interested. We could use your help!

If you know of anyone who needs a little sunshine, orsomeone who would benefit from a card, please

contact Barbara Thomas, our Sunshine Chair. Shecannot do her job without our help!

4th workshop of the YearCivil War Workshop April 9, 2011at 12:00 P.M. before the meeting

If you have one or more ancestors whofought on either side of the Civil War, bring thename, and if known, the Regiment, State, Unitor Company as well as the date mustered inand the date of discharge of your ancestor.We will create a master list so that we canshare information and guide the workshopdiscussions.Floyd will have more information at theworkshop.

This month, any information you might haveabout food from the Civil War period, includingdiaries, recipes, and remembrances ofgrandparents.

Deadline for articles for the newsletter:Thursday before the first Saturday of themonth (this means Thursday May 5th)If you have articles, pictures or essays youwould like to contribute to the newsletter,please contact the editor, Jamie Daniel, at:jamiedaniel33@gmail.com

or909 792-2962

orP.O. Box 32

Yucaipa, CA 92399-0032

Family History CenterLocated at 5th and Wabash in Redlands

Hours:Tuesday - Saturday

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.Tuesday and Wednesday

6:00p.m. to 9:00p.m.

FHC Telephone Number: 909.794.3844

Civil War CookingThe problem with putting together a column aboutcooking and recipes of the Civil War period is thatthere is SO MUCH information from which tochoose. In researching for about 30 minutes on theInternet, I came up with 52 pages of recipes andstories! I have narrowed it down to some of themore interesting and appetizing, and left out some ofthe stranger and horrifying (Cow Heel, BoiledBrains, and Fried Eels, to name a few). I have alsoincluded a website that has many Civil War recipes.You might also want to look for recipes that have“Civil War” or “war” in the names, such as War Cakeor Civil War Pound Cake.

1. Sugar Cookiesfrom about.com: This was sent to

me from The Civil War Reenactor'slist: "My grandmother - born in 1880 -handed down the following "old"sugar cookie recipe, which we all finddelightful. Please note that we haveusually used twice the amount of flourcalled for - I don't know if that has to do with moderndifferences in milling flour or my capabilities.

As to the size and shape of the cookies: a docent at a localhistorical society showed me replica cookie stamps some six byfour inches. She told me the originals were used at least in thelater Victorian era, but I have no idea about the '60s.

Grandma Walther's Old Sugar Cookie Recipe(no oven temperature given - we set ours at 350degrees)2 cups sugar1 cup butter (or margarine)3 eggs1 cup sour cream1 teaspoon baking soda (in sour cream)About 4 cups flour (more if needed to roll)Good for animal cookies.Handle as little as possible.Happy to share this bit of my heritage!

2. Hardtack-This Civil WarRecipe was found on BackpackFever Blog

Use one part water to six partsflour. Roll dough flat and score intocracker shapes. Bake 20-25minutes and cool off until completely dry before storing incanisters. The crackers should be hard as bricks and

indestructibly unappetizing. If not consumed by hungrysoldiers, the crackers might last at least until the Lordreturns!Unappetizing, for sure!

The following two Civil War recipes are from TheHousekeeper's Encyclopedia of Useful Informationfor the Housekeeper in All Branches of Cooking andDomestic Economy by Mrs. E. F. Haskell

3. Tomato CatsupIngredients:

1 gallon tomatoes 3 tbs. salt 3 tbs. ground black

pepper 3 tbs. (dry) mustard, or ground mustard seed 1 tsp. ground allspice 4 peppers, type unspecified but “sweet”, not hot 1 onion (optional) 1 quart horseradish “juice” (roots grated and liquid

pressed out)Select tomatoes not overripe, skin and strain the

tomatoes; to every gallon add three table-spoons of salt,three of ground black pepper, three of mustard, and oneteaspoon of ground allspice; mix the spices in a part of thetomato, and strain them through a sieve; put in a small bagfour large pods of sweet peppers and, if relished,one onion, and boil them with the catsup while it is beingreduced; add the expressed juice of one quart ofhorseradish, and reduce it until it is of the properconsistency to pour from the bottles without difficulty; letthe catsup remain in the bottles, with a piece of cotton clothtied loosely on the neck, for three months to ripen, whencork and seal tightly....A lot of work, but it might be pretty tasty!

4. Civil War Lemonade RecipeRub some of the sugar on the peel of the lemon to extractthe oil; roll the lemons under the hand on the table, andpress out all the juice; add to every lemon two heapingtable-spoons of loaf-sugar; mix it thoroughly with thelemon; fill the pitcher one-quarter full of broken ice, andadd water....Sounds like a perfect drink for a hot afternoon!

The War Recipes below were found in Civil WarRecipes: Receipts from the Pages of Godey’s LadyBook

5. Barley Water (1860 Civil War Recipe)One ounce of pearl barley, half an ounce of white sugar

and the rind of a lemon; put it into a jug. Pour upon it onequart of boiling water, and let it stand for eight or ten hours;then strain off the liquor, adding a slice of lemon, ifdesirable. This infusion makes a most delicious andnutritious beverage, and will be grategul (sic) to personwho cannot drink the horrid decoction usually given. It is anadmirable basis for lemonade, negus* or weak punch, aglass of rum being the proportion for a quart.

*Negus is a drink made of wine, hot water, and lemonjuice, sweetened and flavored with spices. It wasnamed for its inventor, Col. Francis Negus (d. 1732).Negus was a popular drink in England during the1700s.

Think I'll stick to lemonade!!

6. Lettuce Soup (Civil War Recipe)Cut up the white parts of two or four lettuces as needed,

a quart of stock, free from fat, and boiling; into this throwthe lettuces and a small onion, chopped very fine, and ateaspoonful of salt; let it boil twenty minutes; thicken withtwo tablespoons of flour, first rubbed smoothly in coldwater, and a little soup added to it, then strained beforeputting it to the soup, then throw in a small bit of butter notlarger than a walnut; let the whole boil up once, and serve.Whew!...now that's a run-on sentence if I ever sawone!

7. Potato Chips (1865 Civil War Recipe)Wash and peel some potatoes, then pare them, ribbon

like, into long lengths; put them into cold water to removethe strong potato flavor; drain them, and throw them into apan with a little butter, and fry them a light brown. Takethem out of the pan, and place them close to the fire on asieve lined with clean writing paper to dry, before they areserved up. A little salt may be sprinkled over them.

*This recipe marks one of the earliest appearancesin print of potato chips

I'll take a bag, please!

taken fromhttp://homecooking.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm

?site=http://xmucane.tripod.com/During the War there were shortages of many foodstuffs

in the South, what with being cut off from the supplies ofwheat from the North and with transportation problemscaused by those Yankees tearing up the railroads. Theblockade of the 3,000 mile Southern coast by the Unionnavy did not help matters either. With limited resources theSouth had not only the civilian population to feed, but alsokeep the troops in the field supplied. Southerners just hadto make the best of what they had and they came up withsome very interesting recipes.

One recipe from the War that will not be listed here is for‘Acorn Coffee’. You have to roast acorns in a little oil andthen grind them up to use as coffee. Well, it does taste alittle bit like coffee and would be fine if you had nothingelse.

8.Corn Bread was a very popular Confederate food and to

commemorate this, here are two Corn Bread recipes; twostandard ones and one with molasses. Ordinary CornBread tastes best when warm, but Molasses Corn Breadtastes great warm or cold.What you need1 cup of yellow cornmeal1 cup of flour2 teaspoons of sugar1/2 teaspoon of salt4 teaspoons of baking powder1 egg1 cup of milk1/4 cup of butter or margarine (melted)

What you doSift the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder

into a bowl. Beat the egg and stir in along with the milkand melted butter until the dry ingredients are justmoistened. Preheat oven to 425 F.

Heat a lightly greased 8 inch square baking pan on thetop of the stove. Spoon in the corn mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Cut intosquares to serve.

This recipe is courtesy of Jan Anderson. . . . and another recipeWhat you need1 1/2 cups of yellow cornmeal1/2 cup of flour1 tablespoon of sugar1/2 teaspoon of salt1/2 teaspoon of baking soda2 eggs1 1/2 cups of sour milk1/4 cup of butter or margarine (melted)What you do

Sift the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking soda intoa bowl. Beat the eggs and stir in along with the sour milkand melted butter until the dry ingredients are justmoistened. Preheat oven to 425 F.

Heat a lightly greased 8 inch square baking pan on thetop of the stove. Spoon in the corn mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Cut intosquares to serve.

. . . . and one more - this time with molassesWhat you need1/2 cups of yellowcornmeal1 cup of flour1 1/2 cups of bran1/4 cup of sugar1/4 teaspoon of salt1 tablespoon of bakingpowder1/3 cup of vegetable oil2 eggs1/3 cup of molasses1 cup of milk

What you doSift the cornmeal, flour, bran, sugar, salt and bakingpowder into a bowl. Beat the eggs and stir in along withthe milk and molasses. Preheat oven to 425 F.

Heat a lightly greased 8 inch square baking pan on thetop of the stove. Spoon in the corn mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Cut intosquares to serve.

9.

During the Warmeat was often inshort supply and BeanPie makes is a simplefilling meal with cheapand readily availableingredients. Thisrecipe comes from old soldier Bob Lewis.

What you needOne 9 inch pie plate or two 7x5 plates (pictured)4 potatoes1 two inch square of cheese2 onions1 standard can of baked beans1 teaspoon of chili powder or spice of your choice.

What you doRoughly mash the potatoes - it is important that they arenot mashed too smoothly. Grate the cheese and finelychop the onions. Mix together half of the grated cheese,the chopped onions , chili and the potatoes. Pour thebeans into the pie dish. Evenly spoon the potato mixtureonto the beans and spread loosely - do not compact.Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese onto the top of thepie. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 F or until golden brown.

The remainder of the recipes in this article weretaken from the websitehttp://www.civilwarinteractive.com/recipeindex.htmPlease take the time to visit this wonderful site. Ithas a whole array of recipes, some of which you maywant to try, at least for the meeting in April. Thereare plenty of others that are almost too terriblesounding to read to the end. But all in all, it kept myinterest for more time than I would like to admit!

10. BAKED HOMINY1 c. cold boiled small hominy2 c. milk1 tsp. butter1 tsp. white sugarSalt3 eggs

To a cupful of cold boiledhominy (small kind) allow twocups of milk, a heaping teaspoonful of butter, a teaspoonfulof white sugar, a little salt, and three eggs. Beat the eggsvery light, yolks and whites separately. Work the yolks first

into the hominy, alternately with the melted butter. Whenthoroughly mixed, put in sugar and salt, and go on beatingwhile you soften the batter gradually with the milk. Becareful to leave no lumps in the hominy. Lastly stir in thewhites, and bake in a buttered pudding-dish until light, firmand delicately browned.

This can be eaten as a dessert, but it is a delightfulvegetable, and the best substitute that can be devised forgreen corn pudding.From Common Sense in the Household by Marion Harland, New York,1871

Comment: While grits are making something of aresurgence (or at least expanding their range from theirnative habitat in the South where they never went away)hominy continues its slow sleepy slide into obscurity. Gritsare ground corn, while hominy is more often whole, or atmost cracked, kernels. The process of hominy-making iscomplicated and somewhat nasty (soaking in lye isinvolved) and corn is easy enough to preserve by simpledrying that the latter is more commonly practiced. Mrs.Harland makes a lengthy note about the differencesbetween "small" and "large" hominy, but we find noindication that this distinction is still made today. Use whatyou can find.

Hominy can occasionally be found in canned form insupermarkets, which would probably be the easiest way tomake this recipe. It is a form of simple soufflé, as you mighthave guessed from the folded-in egg whites. While it isunlikely to rise nearly as much as a "regular" soufflé, thisalso eliminates concerns about the delicate version'stendency to collapse upon removal from the oven.

11. HOMINY CROQUETTES1 c. cold boiled hominy (small)1 tbs. butter, melted1 c. milk1 tsp. sugar, white1 egg, beatenFlour1 egg, beaten (for dipping)Cracker crumbs

To a cupful of cold boiled hominy (small-grained), add atablespoonful melted butter and stir hard, moistening, bydegrees, with a cupful of milk, beating to a soft light paste.Put in a teaspoonful of white sugar, and lastly, a well-beaten egg. Roll into oval balls with floured hands, dip inbeaten egg, then cracker-crumbs, and fry in hot lard.Very good!From Common Sense in the Household by Marion Harland, New York,1871

Comment: Mrs. Harland devotes several paragraphs inher book to the distinction between "small" and "large"hominy, which can be pretty safely ignored nowadayswhen finding hominy of any sort or dimensions is difficult

enough. Hominy is simply whole-kernel corn (as opposedto cracked or ground forms of the vegetable) which hasbeen preserved by a lengthy process that in the 19thcentury home version including soaking in lye. As thiscustom is no longer followed, hominy today is usually foundin canned form. This is a whole-kernel form of hush puppy.

A croquette is a small patty or cylinder, usually made ofgrain and some sort of binder to allow it to be formed, andthen deep fried. It is not to be confused with croquet, a yardgame involving the knocking of large wooden balls throughmetal hoops with a large wooden mallet. Attempting to playcroquet with croquettes would be interesting if sufficientquantities of Ardent Spirits were involved, but somewhatmessy.

12. MUSHROOMS BAKEDMushrooms, freshPepperSaltMaceButterMaitre d’hôtel sauce

Take fresh ones,--the size is not very important,--cut offnearly all the stalks, and wipe off the skin with wet flannel.Arrange neatly in a pie-dish, pepper and salt, sprinkle alittle mace among them, and lay a bit of butter upon each.Bake about half an hour, basting now and then with butterand water, that they may not be too dry. Serve in the dishin which they were baked, with maitre d’hôtel sauce pouredover them.Common Sense in the Household by Marion Harland, New York, 1871

Comment: Unless you gather your mushrooms yourselfin the wild, you can skip the wiping-with-wet-flannel stepcalled for here. The complication will come not from therecipe, which is very plain when compared to the stuffedmushrooms for which chain restaurants so notoriouslyovercharge, but the maitre d’hôtel sauce, which iscomplicated in the extreme. We will not tell anybody if youquietly use Worcester sauce or something else to yourtaste instead.

12. SCALLOP OF TOMATOES AND GREEN CORNFresh tomatoes, slicedBread crumbsButterSaltPepperSugarShallot, minced fineBackfat or fat bacon, mincedfineFresh ripe corn

This is made as above [Scalloped Tomatoes],

substituting for the bread-crumbs in the force-meat, greencorn cut from the cob, and seasoned with some fat porkchopped very fine, a minced shallot, pepper, salt andsugar. Let the top layer be tomatoes, butter and season,and sift grated bread-crumbs over it to brown the scallop.Bake covered half an hour; uncover and leave in the ovenas much longer. This time is for a large dishful.From Common Sense in the Household by Marion Harland, New York,1871

Comment: "Green corn" did not mean corn which wasunripe, which would be disgusting and cause digestiveproblems besides. It simply meant corn which had justbecome ripe, whose husks were bright green in color. Mostcorn was not intended to be eaten as a fresh tablevegetable, but rather to be dried and then ground into corn("Indian") meal for use in bread products. The developmentof different strains of "sweet corn" versus "field corn" lay inthe future. The notion of growing corn as feed for livestock,aside from very minor amounts for horses undergoingheavy labor such as in military service, was entirelyunknown. Anyone proposing such a notion would mostlikely have been put away in an asylum by his family for hisown protection until the balance of his mind was restored.

13. POTATO PIE1 lb. potatoes3/4 oz. onion2 oz. butter2 layers of pie crustPepperSalt4 egg yolks, hard boiled(optional)1 tbs. mushroom catsup (optional)Cauliflower (optional)Tiny onions rolled in curry powder (optional)

Peel and slice your potatoes very thin into a pie-dish;between each layer of potatoes put a little chopped onion(three-quarters of an ounce of onion is sufficient for apound of potatoes); between each layer sprinkle a littlepepper and salt; put in a little water, and cut about twoounces of fresh butter into little bits, and lay them on thetop: cover it close with puff paste. It will take about an hourand a half to bake it.N.B.: The yelks (sic) of four eggs (boiled hard) may beadded; and when baked, a table-spoonful of goodmushroom catchup poured in through a funnel.Obs.--Cauliflowers divided into mouthfuls, and buttononions, seasoned with curry powder, make a favoritevegetable pie.From The Cook's Oracle by William Kitchiner MD, New York, 1829

Comment: This is a fairly unusual vegetable pie in that itdoes not call for any layers of meat products at all. Most

that we have seen in books of the time have eithercomplete layers or at least random bits, usually of leftovermeat from the previous day, added as flavoring if not aprime ingredient. The final "Obs[ervation]" is somewhatunclear, as we are not sure if Dr. Kitchiner isrecommending the cauliflower and/or curried onions as anaddition to the potato recipe or as a separate pie of theirown. The former seems more probable to us, because ifthere was a chance to list "Cauliflower and Curried OnionPie" as a separate entry Dr. K would have almost certainlytaken it. He was a somewhat wordy chap.

13. COMMON FAMILY APPLE-SAUCEApples with small defects, such asbruises, with the bad parts cut off1 pint brown sugarTartaric acid (optional)

Let your stock of apples be pickedover several times in the course ofthe winter, and all the defective ones taken out. Let thegood parts of these be pared, and if not used for pies, bemade into apple-sauce. Boil it in a preserving kettle. After itis tender, add a pint bowl of brown sugar, and boil it gentlyfifteen minutes longer. Towards spring, when applesbecome tasteless, a teaspoonful of tartaric acid, dissolvedin a little water, should be added to a gallon of apple .From The Young Housekeeper's Friend by Mrs. [M. H.] Cornelius, 1863

Comment: Apples were a popular and valued fruit inpart because they are sturdy enough to keep withoutexpensive, time-consuming processing such as canning.They will wither from loss of moisture but remain otherwisesound. Unless of course you get "one bad apple" with rot init. To avoid this disaster we follow Mrs. Cornelius'directions. Even those bad apples can be salvaged ifcaught in time and the rotted parts cut off. The tartaric acidcalled for can be found at shops stocking winemakingsupplies. This is not the same product as cream of tartar soget the real thing or skip this step altogether.

14. STEWED ARTICHOKESArtichokesSaltMelted butter

Soak them in cold water, wash themwell, then put them into plenty of boiling water, with ahandful of salt, and let them boil gently till they are tender,which will take an hour and a half, or two hours; the surestway to know when they are done enough, is to draw out aleaf; trim them and drain them on a sieve; and set upmelted butter with them, which some put into small cups,so that each guest may have one.The Cook's Oracle by William Kitchiner, MD, New York, 1829

Comment: The cooking of artichokes is a delicate

subject, depending on such variables as the way thevegetable has been trimmed before putting on to heat andof course on the preferences of the diners. Dr. Kitchinergives excellent advice on matters of presentation as well ascooking itself--take to heart the suggestion about separatemelted-butter cups for each diner whether the artichokesare being served at a fancy party or a regular family meal.It is not a substance you want to have being passed backand forth around the table if you value your linens, or yourguests their clothing.

15. MASHED TURNIPSTurnips, boiledButter

When they are boiled quite tender, squeeze them as dryas possible between two trenchers; put them into a sauce-pan; mash them with a wooden spoon, and rub themthrough a colander; add a little bit of butter; keep stirringthem till the butter is melted and well mixed with them, andthey are ready for table.From The Cook's Oracle by William Kitchiner MD New York, 1829

Comment: Turnips may be grown more for their greensthan their roots nowadays, but in the 19th century theywere at least as popular as parsnips, if not quite asuniversal as potatoes. "Trenchers" are slabs of flat bread,used since ancient times as edible dinner plates. In thissituation it may be considerably easier to dry one's turnipswith a clean absorbent cloth. We would also think it easierto grate the turnips through a colander or similar devicefirst, then do the mashing-with-butter routine in the potafter, but we must defer to Dr. Kitchiner's expertise in thematter.

16. STEWED CUCUMBERS IISeveral cucumbers, sliced thickchopped onion (optional)Salt1/2 c. vinegarPepper2 tbs. butter1 tbs. flour

Cut your cucumbers into thick slices, add somechopped onions, if liked, and some salt; let them simmerover a slow fire, till done enough; then pour off a largeportion of the liquor [water in which vegetables cooked],and add a little vinegar, pepper, butter and flour; let themstew a few minutes longer, and serve them up with thesauce.From The Carolina Housewife by Sarah Rutledge, 1847

Comment: Rare indeed today is the notion of cooking acucumber. The vast majority, of course, are made intopickles, and the remainder doomed to decorate restaurantsalads from which they are quietly picked off and ignored

or pushed down to drown under the dressing.Boiled or stewed cucumbers were recommended to

those who suffered digestive upset upon eating thevegetable in its raw state. Considering what else peopleate in those days we doubt that cucumbers were the mainculprit in the epidemic of "dyspepsia" which ravaged thepopulace, but it couldn't have helped either.

17. APPLE BLACK-CAP12 apples, cored and peeledSeveral cloves, wholeLemon peel, cut in shredsCinnamon

Pare the apples, lay them in your pan, strew a fewcloves over them, a little lemon-peel cut very small, two orthree blades of cinnamon, and some coarse sugar; coverthe pan with brown paper, set it in an oven with the bread,and let it stand till the oven is cold.From The Cook's Own Book by "A Boston Housekeeper" (Mrs. N. K. M.Lee), Boston, 1832

Comment: This is nothing in the world but baked apples,and we have no idea where the "black-cap" nameoriginated as Mrs. Lee is not kind enough to explain it. Wewill concede that it lends a considerably more dramatic airto an otherwise humble dish. And you might want toconsider ground cloves rather than whole lest you or yourdiners break a tooth on dessert.

Bread was normally the last thing baked in thesequence of generating the day's meals from a wood firedstove or hearth. Roasting and broiling would be done firstwhile the fire was new and very hot; then baking and otherprocesses requiring a longer period but lesser heat. Theusual definitions, according to Karen Hess, the premierculinary history working today, are:

~Slow: 250 to 300 degrees~Moderate: 325 to 375 degrees~"Moderately hot": 400 to 425 degrees~Hot, also called "brisk": 450 to 500. (All degrees

Fahrenheit)

18. BRANDIED PEACHES OR PEARS4 lb. fruit4 lb. sugar1 pint best white brandy

Make a syrup of the sugar and enoughwater to dissolve it. Let this come to a boil;put the fruit in and boil five minutes. Having removed thefruit carefully, let the syrup boil fifteen minutes longer, oruntil it thickens well; add the brandy, and take the kettle atonce from the fire; pour the hot syrup over the fruit, andseal.

If, after the fruit is taken from the fire, a reddish liquoroozes from it, drain this off before adding the clear syrup.

Put up in glass jars.Peaches and pears should be peeled for brandying.

Plums should be pricked and watched carefully for fear ofbursting.Common Sense in the Household by Marion Harland, New York, 1871

Comment: Mrs. Harland clearly intends these brandiedfruits to be not simply preserved but preserved in pristinecondition for future use in some fancy dessert. If one isinterested more in the flavor than the appearance (or if oneactively enjoys a red tint to one's brandied fruit) then thedirections concerning reddish oozes should be ignored.While the recipe does not call for it, it would simplify latercooking to remove the pits from peaches and cores frompears before commencing. Plums are intended to remainwhole and so their pits will have to be dealt with later, orsimply left for the diner to discreetly spit out and put on apit plate.

I will have a handout at the meeting withmore recipes and facts about Civil War foodand recipes. In the meantime, research somerecipes for yourself, and see what you can

come up with for the potluck!

Thank you Arlene Allsopp and Donna Hunter forthe delicious goodies you shared at the Februarymeeting. At the April meeting, we will be having apotluck. Please bring a Civil War era dish to share,along with the recipe.

Sue Wolfe, Hospitality

Our Speaker this month:Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, CG,

has a doctorate in folklore and a masters degree inspeech communication; she has been doinggenealogy research for over 30 years and serves asthe staff trainer for the Corona, California FamilyHistory Center; teaches the genealogy class for theSoboba Indians; and holds the following offices inthe genealogy community: President, CoronaGenealogical Society; President, Southern Calif.Chapter of the Assoc. of Professional Genealogists;and secretary, Genealogical Speakers Guild. Jean isa staff writer for the on-line magazine, GenWeekly,and contributing author for a number of otherpublications in the field. She blogs about music andancestry at www.circlemending.blogspot.com andcan be reached through her websitewww.circlemending.org. She lives in the LakeMathews area of Riverside County with her husbandof 35years.

Following the Sacred TrailAuthor: Oren Lyons,

Faithkeeper of the Onondaga Nation

In our way of life,

with every decision we make,

we always keep in mind

the Seventh Generation

of children to come.

When we walk upon Mother Earth,

we always plant our feet carefully,

because we know that the faces

of future generations are looking up at us

from beneath the ground.

We never forget them.

Family Jewel

I hold in my hands a treasure so rare, I close my eyes and imagine I'm there

When she wrote each name with care, Not knowing with me some day she'd share.

Could she have known what a jewel it would be? That it would be something I waited to see?

That one hundred years later the Bible I'd hold, that in its pages more than God's story is told.

I imagine she was proud of her family, for what greater gift could there be?

Did she imagine the family to come? That I would be from the family of her son?

This family heirloom I will handle with care, So that in another hundred years it will be there.

For my great great grandchildren may it be, a gift they are searching for ~to add to the family tree.

By Kelly Taft Krauseupon receipt of the Swan/Perry Family Bible given to me by my cousin,

Eileen Witherow Mitchell (March 1998)

Yucaipa Valley Genealogical SocietyFloyd K. Ferguson, PresidentP.O. Box 32Yucaipa, CA 92399-0032

FIRST CLASS

ISSN#1069-9333