Introduction
Food is an integral part of the human experience. Not only is food necessary for survival, but it has become a way to bring people together.
What began as hunting and gathering and cooking outside over a fire, has become an experience that is made easier and more accessible thanks to modern technology and innovation.
The kitchen at East Terrace House is a great example of productivity and innovation in an early 1900’s kitchen. As life in America, and more specifically Waco, Texas, was becoming busier, people wanted to spend less time in the kitchen. New inventions allowed for this to become a reality.
Early Cooking in Texas
Kitchens began as the bare essentials for cooking food and thus survival. A fire and skillet, or dutch oven, was all that was needed. Early settlers cooked outside their homes over an open fire. Often times, semi-permanent fire pits were created with stones to designate a cooking space. This ensured the safety of their home from accidental burning.
Photo Credit: Early Texas settlers cooking. Image Courtesy of UTSA Special Collections
Early Cooking Tools
Cast iron skillets were a staple to any kitchen, a tradition that continues today. This cooking essential is virtually indestructible and can withstand the extreme temperatures within a fire. Many cooks prize this pan for its ‘seasoned’ abilities and non-stick nature when used
While Dutch ovens became the hallmark of cowboy cooking, they had already been in existence for decades. Englishman Abraham Darby traveled to Holland to learn their technique of casting metal cookware and in 1708 secured a patent for a ‘Dutch’ oven. Some Dutch Ovens featured a handle, allowing it to be suspended over a fire. Legs were added to many models allowing it to stand in the hearth and keep warm. The lid enabled the pot to be used for slow cooking or even be covered in coals.
The Path To Innovation
Innovation
As the American people became busier from the demands of every day life, modifications were made to save time in the kitchen. These modifications to kitchen equipment made life easier.
Changes were seen around the home from new kitchen appliances like the stove and the ice box, to gadgets that made food preparation quicker and easier. A great linear example of this progress is the butter churn.
Wooden butter churns were used by early settlers and pioneers. These churns were difficult to clean and time intensive, but they produced a large amount of butter that could be used in cooking, baking, and serving. As ceramic became more accessible, ceramic churns became a popular replacement to the wooden churn. These ceramic churns allowed for better temperature regulation as well as easier clean up.
Increased Productivity
Originally kitchen space lacked proper storage and organization. Early cabinets and storage solutions made meal production difficult and time-consuming.
The idea of an all-in-one cabinet was pioneered by Hoosier. They adapted an existing piece of furniture, the baker's cabinet, adding flour bins beneath and adapting the surface materials. In their advertising, Hoosier cabinets were touted as 'scientific' for their ability to save time and quicken food production.
This McDougall advertisement from 1906 states that the all-in-one cabinets purpose is to "bring together in one convenient place, every needed thing in the kitchen, both utensils and food materials, so that in the preparation of a meal all that is necessary can be reached without taking a single step"
The Possum Belly Cabinet
This possum belly cabinet is a great example of the all-in-one cabinets made popular in the early 1900's. These cabinets were simple, often homemade furnishings, with a set of shelves for storage, a work top, and featured 'possum belly' drawers made of tin to hold flour and sugar. Many cabinets also had wheels, allowing the cabinet to be relocated for easy cleaning.
Credit: Possum belly cabinet. 1900s. East Terrace Fund. 2010.13.2
Ice Boxes
The Icebox was invented by American farmer and cabinet maker Thomas Moore in 1802. It was invented to transport butter from his farm to the market and keep the bricks firm, instead of the melted tubs of his competitors at the time. Iceboxes worked by storing a large block of ice in a tray at the top of the box, allowing cold air to circulate around the cabinet. An icebox allowed perishable foods to be stored longer, increasing productivity.
As touted by this advertisement in an early Waco City Directory, the Geyser Ice Company manufactured ice from pure distilled artisan water. Geyser Ice Co. had a fleet of red-horse drawn wagons, like the one pictured in the ad, to deliver ice around Waco.
The Geyser Ice Company was built in 1829 at 927 Webster St. According to an article published in the Waco News-Tribune in May of 1924, the building featured a multistory cold storage facility insulated with cork. The plant was capable of producing 200 tons of ice a day in the 1920's
The Stove
Featuring cast iron construction with electroplated decorations, footed base, multiple burners and three doors, this 1889 Andes Stove No. 9 from the Phillips & Clark Stove Company was the hallmark of innovation. Cast iron was a durable metal that could take the temperature fluctuation of the burning coal.
Credit: Andes Stove No. 9 by Phillips & Clark Stove Co. 1889. Purchased with Donation from the John C. and Joyce O. Bowden Foundation, in memorial of Joyce Oliver Bowden
The Dry Sink
The Dry Sink was a unique innovation for the kitchen. While it did not have running water, it was a dramatic improvement over a pitcher and small wash basin or bucket. The target surface area made washing vegetables and dishes far easier than before. This dry sink features a small drain board to the right of the sink. The cabinet underneath was also useful to store kitchen items within easy reach.
Pie Safes
Pie safes are believed to have been introduced to the United States in the 1800's by German immigrants. They are known as pie safes because they keep pies or other goods "safe" from pests while cooling. Ventilation from either a screen or punched tin prevented mold growth and allowed food to cool gradually.
This pie safe, originally owned by Senator William Robert Poage is made of walnut wood and features a hexagram and floral design within the punch tin panels.
Credit: Pie safe. 1800's. Gift of Billie Brownfield. 2012.2.1
In addition to larger kitchen appliances that increased productivity, a number of smaller kitchen gadgets were developed. Science and innovation helped create tools that allowed for faster food preparation as well as little luxuries in the kitchen.
Inventors patented items like waffle makers and nutcrackers that brought innovation and modern progress into the home. Smaller gadgets such as apple peelers allowed home cooks to be more productive in the kitchen, as well as keep up with the increased stock of apples that came along with the expansion of orchards in the late 1800’s.
The Nutcracker
Waco's own Foster W. Fort filed a patent in 1913 for a nutcracker. This was the second of three nutcracker patents to be filed with the US patent office, the first being in 1910 and another in 1916. Fort's nutcracker patent was designed to "positively crack a nut with a comparatively small amount of applied power.
Below is a nutcracker made in 19144 by the Perfection Nutcracker Co. of Waco, TX. This nutcracker increased productivity in the kitchen by simplifying the process of cracking nuts.
Progress Continues
The American kitchen has seen waves of innovation over time, but this progress is not complete.
Many of the tools and appliances seen here have now been replaced by more advanced models. Kitchen appliances like ice boxes and dry sinks, once revolutionary in the home, have become obsolete in today's modern kitchen.
One thing that remains the same though, is the necessity of food in our lives. For many, food is more than survival. Food is a way to connect with loved ones, and an opportunity to gather. The kitchen remains the heart of the home, and as life continues to become busier, kitchens will adapt to reflect the human desire for productivity.