19th Century Products Discussion

[Johnny Lloyd]

Citizens:

As we know, the purpose of the AC is to improve our impression as well as build a repository of knowledge of 19th century citizen/militaria culture. Therefore, I feel we should be responsible users of the AC and we should each contribute positively to the site with constructive discussion.

Well, here's my 2 cents worth... perhaps this thread will become a single-repository for our information on the below topic:

I have not seen an actual solely-dedicated thread to a general-merchandising store/sutler products discussion. Yes, I have used the search engine. :)

Basically, based upon research with citations what were some of the products you might find at a sutler/"general-merchandising" store for the period? Now, you and I know the obvious generic kinds of items (salt, sugar, flour, candies, etc.) but how about specific items and brands of items invented/patented/in "common" use in the 19th century?

I ask the above question because when packing for W64 recently, I found myself questioning some items as to their being exactly period to 1864, in this instance.

Examples: Borden's Condensed Milk, mushroom ketchup, uses of rubber, polymer invention, etc.

Here's mine... I have long debated whether or not Uneeda Biscuits (trademarked by Nabisco in the 1890s, but invented way earlier) could be used at an event as an example of commercially-produced "crackers".

Bring something to the table... no pun intended ;) ... and it doesn't have to be a food product.

I figured the citizens on here might enjoy this chance to put some of their thoughts/evidence down for all to enjoy and reference.

Your thoughts?

Thanks- Johnny

PS- Good stuff about the history of cookies with specific historical references:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/CookieHistory.htm

[Hank Trent]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

That's a big topic! Especially when you're talking about brand names and packaging, not just categories of items. Some stuff is going to be under the same valuable brand name virtually nationwide, like Brandreth's Pills, others would be from the nearest wholesaler or manufacturer, like nails or rope, and might be packaged with or without a brand name.

At the Ohio Historical Society several years ago, we copied receipts and shipping records for a local store, Henking's in Gallipolis, Ohio, a small river city of a few thousand people.

Below are some examples. They show what wholesalers or manufacturers the store was purchasing from, but don't always indicate a brand name nor do they indicate what the consumer packaging was like, if any.

In other words, in the first example, the barrel of coffee from the wholesaler was presumably set in the store and the coffee was scooped out, weighed and placed in the customer's packaging, but did the customer think of it (or see a sign/label) indicating it was only generic rio coffee (no brand), or rio coffee from the Cincinnati Spice Mills (importer's brand), or rio coffee from Henking's store (retailer's brand)?

Some things were clearly sold with a brand name, like "Barlow's Indigo Blue," and I'd guess they were packaged and labelled as such for the consumer, but how about that baking powder, where the manufacturer lists no brand names for any of their chemicals or soap? Bulk unlabeled sales, or packaged brand name sales?

Here are the examples:

From Cincinnati Spice Mills, Harrison & Wilson, Manufacturers and Dealers, the store purchased a barrel of "Roasted Rio Coffee" Aug. 16, 1860. The letterhead lists other items that Cincinnati Spice Mills sold, which presumable would have been available for the store to purchase wholesale also, if interested: IXL, Prem. & Kentucky Mustard, Lightning Yeast or Baking Powder, Tomato Catsup, Pepper Sauce, Kingsford's Oswego Corn and Silver Gloss Starch, Barlow's Indigo Blue, Kellogg's Indigo Blue, Dixon's Stove Polish.

From L. L. Harding, Wholesale Grocer, Commission and Forwarding Merchant, Cincinnati, the store bought six boxes of cheese and three boxes of ham, Aug. 9, 1860. The letterhead of the wholesaler also says "Western Produce Depot, agent for the sale of Western Reserve [a geographic location in Ohio, not a brand name] cheese, butter, dried fruit, fish, and D.H. Lamb's and TH. [sic] M. Harding's pure saleratus."

From H. Bishoprick & Co., Cincinnati, St. Louis and Chicago, Importers of Cream tartar, Bi-Carb. Soda, Sal Soda, Castile Soap &c., the store bought 13 1/2 doz. [no unit listed] of Baking Powder for $44.55 plus 25 cents for a box, Aug. 2, 1860

From John Bonte & Co., Cincinnati, manufacturers and wholeseale dealers in hemp, manilla, cotton and tarred cordage, the store bought 10 bales of oakum, 2 reels of sash cord, and 2 coils "m. [manilla?] rope," Aug. 2, 1860.

From Casey & Mitchell, Pittsburgh, wholesale dealers in variety goods, the store bought hairpins, thread, steel pens, combs, etc., July 8, 1860. The letter head says they're importers and wholesale jobbers in variety goods, threads, spool cotton, buttons, pins and needles, cutler, jewelry, watches, &c.

From Peters, James & Co., Ironton Ohio, the store bought 27 kegs nails, June 15, 1855. Though it's earlier, it illustrates a local source for nails: there were iron furnaces in Ironton processing local iron ore, about fifty miles away. Peter, James & Co. were "manufacturers of every variety of nails, spikes and brads."

Coming from New York, May 5, 1863, the store had shipped by the B&O Railroad from John Laden, one case of merchandise, one bundle clo. [clothes?] baskets, two bundles willow baskets, and five coils of rope.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Hank-

Always the "wise sage" of the AC... ;)

Great stuff for a topic! This discussion is what I was looking for. Perhaps we can record specifics here...

Material culture is so fascinating- it really fleshes-out the period. Names, places, dates, documentation and evidence of material culture... etc.

We always have to remember there was a whole world wrapped around the American Civil War that our mind's eye must see to interpret events correctly and thoroughly within living history.

Good kickoff... anyone willing to run with the ball?

;) -Johnny

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Citizens:

Basically, based upon research with citations what were some of the products you might find at a sutler/"general-merchandising" store for the period? Now, you and I know the obvious generic kinds of items (salt, sugar, flour, candies, etc.) but how about specific items and brands of items invented/patented/in "common" use in the 19th century?

Here's mine... I have long debated whether or not Uneeda Biscuits (trademarked by Nabisco in the 1890s, but invented way earlier) could be used at an event as an example of commercially-produced "crackers".

Bring something to the table... no pun intended ;) ... and it doesn't have to be a food

I've done extensive research on company beginnings, brand names of foods, and their introduction. Some of the research was published in my booklet, Did They Eat That? , which is available on our website in the modern book section.

One thing to remember is that even if a item was in production does not mean that it was available all over the country. For example, Ghirardelli Chocolate was making chocolate in CA but it is doubtful that it was available on the east coast while French and English chocolate would have been imported to the east coast.

While the brand name "Undeeda Biscuits" are not period, they are very similar to many other crackers sold in bulk at the time period but they were the first sold in small packages. Nabisco "Pilot" crackers are also similar to those sold in bulk. The thick Westminster, Bremmer, OTC (Original Trenton Crackers), and Common Crackers (sold by Vermont Country Store) and all period crackers that are sold today.

Other recognizable brand names of the period that I've documented are Baker's chocolate, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, Borden's Condensed Milk, Coleman's Mustard, Kingsford Cornstarch, and Schraff's candy.

Although a number of beer companies were established before 1865 they would have been regional. Most flour companies were also regional.

Studying store ledgers and newspaper ads is a great way to find brand names of products. Unfortunately most of the brand items are lost but occasionally one will find a gem. Sometimes storekeepers will list a brand name, especially for patent medicines but that does us little good now. Many historic newspapers are now on-line and it is becoming easier to do research on material culture and to be able to see the regional differences is much less cumbersome.

[AZReenactor]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Great stuff. Now if I can just find out what they were selling and where exactly I can start looking for ways to incoroporate Ghiradelli Chocolate into my 1st California Infantry impression. I wonder if they ship to the Arizona Territory?...

For example, Ghirardelli Chocolate was making chocolate in CA but it is doubtful that it was available on the east coast while French and English chocolate would have been imported to the east coast.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Great stuff. Now if I can just find out what they were selling and where exactly I can start looking for ways to incoroporate Ghiradelli Chocolate into my 1st California Infantry impression. I wonder if they ship to the Arizona Territory?...

Their chocolate products probably consisted of cocoa, baking chocolate, and cocoa nibs. Most chocolate, especially in the US were only those products and the technology for eating chocolate had not been developed.

The Mexican style chocolate found in the ethnic sections of groceries is very similar in texture to that made in the US during the 1850s and 1860s. The conching technique that makes a smooth, velvety, melt-in-your mouth eating chocolate was not yet here so the solid chocolate had a slightly grainy texture. It was somewhat bitter, like the baking chocolate we use today. It was used in cooking and making beverages.

[amity]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Article on condensed milk.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/milkproducts/a/canmilkhistory.htm

Someone had said that what was called "condensed milk" in 1860s was more similar to our evaporated milk, i.e. without sugar, but according to this article that is not so. It was thick and sweet.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Virginia-

Your post above reminded me how hard (or easy) it can be to locate modern items that have the same look/feel/equivalent of their 1860's counterparts for living history or even as PEC haversack/knapsack fare for certain events in certain locations.

Perhaps we can additionally expand this thread toward identifying companies/products that are still in existance to make searching for these items easier for those on the forum?

Thanks... good discussion.

-Johnny Lloyd

[Jeff Prechtel]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

I'm sure Tabasco or hot sauce of some sort
dates to ACW time frame McIlhenney's dates to
post CW, but I'm sure there had to be some sort
of a chili sauce around during the war....i can't
believe McIlhenny just invented that in 1868.

Anybody have any research on useage that dates to wartime?

[shmhistorylive]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Add to that the cargos of the steamboats "Arabia" (1856) http://www.1856.co and the steamboat "Bertrand" (1865) http://www.fws.gov/Refuges/generalIn...tBertrand.html ad well as the contents of the gunboat "Cairo" http://www.nps.gov/archive/vick/cairo/cairo.htm and you have at least the beginnings of a snap shot of what was available.

[Rmhisteach]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Johnny,

If you have interest in period canned goods etc. You need to go to Kansa City , Mo and check out the steamboat arabia mueseum. They call themseleves the equilivelant of an 1850's Wal Mart. Really awesome. Pickels that are still green and edible. Really cool. I too am interested in period labels and caned goods.

RM

http://www.1856.com/

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

I'm sure Tabasco or hot sauce of some sort
dates to ACW time frame McIlhenney's dates to
post CW, but I'm sure there had to be some sort
of a chili sauce around during the war....i can't
believe McIlhenny just invented that in 1868.

Anybody have any research on useage that dates to wartime?

There were bottles of pepper sauce on both the Steamboats Arabia (1856) and Bertrand (1865) but not the "Tabasco" brand. McIlhenny didn't invent the sauce, he just popularized it to the extent that it became a household name that survives today. He also had all the raw ingredients at hand - the peppers and the salt so all he needed was the vinegar.

Both pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce were listed in the ledger I transcribed for Historic Accounts (1859 -1861)

There are a number of "store sauce" recipes in cookbooks that mimic store bought sauces of the time period but I'm not sure if there was similar pepper sauce to Tabasco since it has to sit for three years. It is not something that I've researched but many different sauces were in period cookbooks.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Article on condensed milk.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/milkproducts/a/canmilkhistory.htm

Someone had said that what was called "condensed milk" in 1860s was more similar to our evaporated milk, i.e. without sugar, but according to this article that is not so. It was thick and sweet.

Borden developed and sold both condensed (like our evaporated milk) and preserved milk (sweetened condensed milk). The period condensed milk did not keep very long and that is why he experimented and was ultimately successful with the sweetened condensed milk. The sugar helped preserve the milk.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

I'm sure Tabasco or hot sauce of some sort
dates to ACW time frame McIlhenney's dates to
post CW, but I'm sure there had to be some sort
of a chili sauce around during the war....i can't
believe McIlhenny just invented that in 1868.

Anybody have any research on useage that dates to wartime?

According to their website: www.tabasco.com

Sowing the Seeds
According to family tradition, TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce was created in the mid-to-late 1860s by Edmund McIlhenny. A food lover and avid gardener, McIlhenny was given seeds of Capsicum frutescens peppers that had come from Mexico or Central America. On Avery Island in south Louisiana, he sowed the seeds, nurtured the plants, and delighted in the spicy flavor of the peppers they bore.

Invented in the mid to late 1860s, but the company was not founded until 1868.

I've seen pepper sauce elsewhere in references before. See Hank's earlier post on this thread. I would think pepper sauce like it would have been period-correct, just not brand name.

You could bring pepper sauce to an event in a period, nondescript bottle, I'd think. ;)

Great Steamboat Arabia website! I loved the video and pictures. Even though I have heard of the museum, I thought I was looking at reproductions in some of the pics.

Thanks- Johnny

[Material Culture]

Re: 19th Century Products Discussion

Canned Lobster was one of those things that left New England and made it all the way across the US. Champagne from France and Lobster is one of the things I would like to see at more events. If I could only find a Label.

Sam Hayle
Delicacy Mess