Packing School Lunches a Hundred Years Ago

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Sheryl

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Monday, March 3, 1913:  Nothing much for today.

Source: Kimball's Dairy Farmer Magazine (September 15, 1913)

Source: Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine (September 15, 1913)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Since Grandma didn’t’ write much a hundred years ago today, I’m going to go off on a tangent.

I’ve often wondered what children ate for lunch a hundred years ago. Today we hear so much about how unhealthy school lunches are—and that even children who bring their own lunch often don’t bring nutritious foods.

.Of course, in the small rural schools a hundred years ago all students needed  to bring their own lunches. I found a great article on packing school lunches in a 1913 magazine:

The School Lunch Pail

Great care is essential in making the lunch and the lunch pail appear attractive, not only for the sake of the child’s appetite, but for his pride as well. Many a lunch has been surreptitiously thrown under a convenient hedge, because the child was ashamed to open it before the critical eyes of his playmate. . .

The foundation of a lunch is always the reliable bread sandwich. There are many dainty and appetizing sandwich fillings to be made from left-overs. . .

You can make the most appetizing custards and puddings in little ramekins. These are easily prepared the day before when you are getting dinner for the home folks. . .

There are a variety of simple cookies and cakes which delight the child’s heart, particularly when baked in “animal” fancy shapes.

No lunch pail is complete without fruit. If it is impossible to obtain fresh fruits, the dried stewed ones may be substituted. Figs, prunes or dates are wholesome and may be made doubly so when stuffed with nuts, peanut butter, or the puffed grains.

Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine (September 15, 1913)

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Sunday Visitors

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Sheryl

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Sunday, March 2, 1913: Went to Sunday School this morning. Besse and Curt were out this afternoon. Went to church this evening.

House Besse and Curt lived in. (I'm not sure whether they lived there as early as 1913).

Recent picture of house Besse and Curt lived in. It’s just outside of nearby Watsontown. (I’m not sure whether they lived in this house as early as 1913).

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Grandma’s oldest sister Besse was married to Curt Hester. They were frequent Sunday visitors.

When I was young, Sunday afternoon was considered the perfect time to visit friends and relatives. People generally didn’t work on Sunday, or clean house on Sunday. Stores were closed.

We’d often get unexpected “company” on Sunday afternoons. We looked forward to getting these visitors. There was no expectation that people would call ahead to see if we were busy. No matter what we were doing (and we were probably just reading or playing games), we’d welcome the guests—and would consider ourselves fortunate that people liked us enough to visit. I picture that the customs were similar a hundred years ago.

Today, it’s considered impolite to stop by someone’s house without first texting, emailing, or calling first. Sometimes I think that people were more hospitable years ago (or maybe they were just less polite).

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School Dismissed Early

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Sheryl

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Friday, February 28, 1913:  We got out of school real early this afternoon, so I visited the Primary awhile.

Recent photo of abandoned building that once housed McEwensville High School.

Recent photo of  building that once housed the McEwensville Schools.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

This diary entry reminds me of how different the school Grandma attended was from  schools today.

The McEwensville School building housed both a primary school (grades 1-8) on the first floor and a high school on the second floor. There were just two teachers in the building—a primary teacher and a high school teacher. Both teachers would have taught multiple grades and subjects.

Since Grandma was writing in the diary for herself (and not for readers a hundred years later) she skipped many of the details. Here’s my interpretation of this entry—

Although Grandma got out of school early, she probably needed to stay until the primary students were dismissed.  Her 7-year-old brother Jimmie was in second grade.  Even though she almost never mentioned walking to and from school with her little brother in the diary—they probably walked together every day.

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A Good Day, But Raining Cats and Dogs

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Sheryl

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Monday, February 24, 1913:  Had an exam in Geometry this morning. Wasn’t hard after all. Tis raining cats and dogs tonight.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Yeah! Grandma, I hope you got a 100%. Easy tests are the best.

—

In spite of the evening rain, it sounds like a good day.  I picture Grandma listening to the rain drops hit the window as she drifted  peacefully off to sleep.

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A Typical Day for a Farm Kid a Hundred Years Ago

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Sheryl

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Wednesday, February 26, 1913:  We practiced tonight.

Source: Kimball's Dairy Farmer Magazine (April 1, 1913)

Source: Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine (April 1, 1913)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Grandma was referring to play practice. She had the role of Chloe, the servant, in the class play.

Here’s my best guess as to what Grandma’s schedule looked like on this date a hundred years ago:

  1. It was probably still dark when Grandma got  up and dressed in work clothes.
  2. Went to the barn to feed and milk the cows.
  3. Came back to the house, ate a quick breakfast, and changed into school clothes.
  4. Walked 1 1/2 miles to  McEwensville.
  5. Attended school.
  6. Walked 1 1/2 miles home after school.
  7. Grabbed a quick snack—and changed  into work clothes.
  8. Went to the barn to do the evening chores (clean the cow stalls, feed cows, milk cows). She may have also fed the chickens and gathered eggs.
  9. Went back to the house and ate a quick supper.
  10. Changed into clean clothes and walked 1 1/2 miles to McEwensville.
  11. Participated in play practice.
  12. Walked 1 1/2 miles home.
  13. Did homework.
  14. Wrote this brief entry in the diary.
  15. Went to bed.

Whew, I’m exhausted just thinking about Grandma’s schedule.  I probably don’t have all the details exactly right—maybe someone gave her a ride home after play practice . . . or maybe her little brother Jimmie gathered the eggs. . . or. . . . maybe she didn’t do any homework. . .

But, even if Grandma only did three-quarters of the things on this list (and my gut feeling is that she did most of them),  she had one crazy, busy day.

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1913 Perspectives on the Importance of the American Revolution

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Sheryl

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Monday, February 24, 1913:  My essay is almost done, all but the conclusion. Think it will be finished by tomorrow night.

Surrender of Cornwallis at YorktownPicture Caption: The Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, October 19, 1781; From the painting by Turnbull in the Capitol at Washington (Source: American History for Schools, 1913)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Grandma was writing an essay on the American Revolution. I always think that the Introduction and the Conclusion are the hardest parts to write.

A few days ago, I told you how the chapter on the Revolutionary War in a 1913 history textbook began. Today, I’ll share the concluding paragraph of the same chapter:

The peace concluded at Paris in 1783 closed one of the most heroic struggles for human liberty that the world has known; but it opened, for the Americans, problems of peace no less serious and difficult of solution than those of war.

American History for Schools (1913) by R.B. Cousins and J.A. Hill

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Having Fun Being the President

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Sheryl

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Friday, February 21, 1913:  Our Literary Society met again today. It is rather fun being president.

McEwensville School (in the background)

McEwensville School (in the background)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Two weeks earlier, on February 7, Grandma wrote:

We had our literary meeting this afternoon and also elected officers to take the place of the old ones. They had to go and elect me president.

When I posted that entry, I was uncertain whether Grandma was secretly pleased that she was the new president or if she had qualms.

In any case, I’m glad Grandma was now enjoying her new role.

I wonder what she liked about being president:

  • Did she like being able to choose what the Society did?
  • Did the presidency may her feel more popular?
  • Did she like the power?
  • Did she . . . ?

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