19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Friday, April 17, 1914: Nothing much doing today.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I’ll share a hundred-year-old advertisement for Underwood Deviled Ham.
According to Wikipedia, the William Underwood Company first made deviled ham in 1868.
The devil logo was trademarked in 1870 and it is the oldest food trademark still in use in the United States. The red devil that debuted in 1895 and started as a demonic figure who evolved into a much friendlier version when compared to the original.
Sometimes I’m amazed which foods have lasted for more than a hundred years.
A Hundred Years Ago 
Sheryl that is so interesting. I would have not thought you would see the same brand a century later.
I also was absolutely amazed.
Amazing. I didn’t know that it had been around that long.
I tend to think that people only ate local foods a hundred years ago–but in reality there were a number of processed foods a hundred years ago.
The archaeologists working in Christchurch at the moment are finding all sorts of evidence of imported products/processed foods from that era and earlier.
It sounds like a really interesting project.
It is indeed. At the moment they have some of the artefacts on display at the National Antique Bottle and Collectables Show. Here’s an article about their processed food finds that you may enjoy http://blog.underoverarch.co.nz/2014/01/a-changing-world/
Wow – I would never have guess that to be the oldest food trademark. Now I’ll have to research to learn what the oldest trademark (of any sort) is in the US!
Now you’ve made me curious about the oldest trademark of any sort. . . 🙂
Those old ads are fascinating! And I love how this ad is urging the consumer to help in getting their grocer to carry the brand. No wonder they’ve been around for 100 years. Aggressive marketeers!
The stores much have been much smaller and responsive to customer requests back then. I can’t imagine today’s large grocery chains listening to a customer’s request that it carry a particular item.
That recipe (Little Red Devil Recipe #49) sounds good. We did do a lot with cream toast in those days…tuna, chipped beef and Red Devil!!!
My husband and I still like creamed chipped beef on toast. I probably make it at least once a month.
It has been with us a long time. Surprising.
It sure has been around a long time .
The devil was the first clue that processed food (Can’t believe it started in the late 9th century) is not good for you!
I like the way you think. . . excellent point. 🙂
I didn’t know it has been around for that long.
I didn’t either until I happened upon this ad. 🙂
Mmmm . . . I used to love deviled ham but it’s been ages since I’ve had it! Interesting post, Sheryl!
Like you, I can’t remember the last time that I had deviled ham.
I love the words in the advertisement, it seems today’s ads are less wordy and more images.
I’ve often surprised by the wordiness of both advertisements and articles in old magazines. My general sense is that most people must have had very good reading skills a hundred years ago.
What exactly IS deviled ham? What is deviling? Is it like deviled eggs?
I think that it is basically is a mixture of ground ham and spices.
Ritz Crackers, deviled ham, and potted meat were what was on the menu on our travels to Alaska. To this day I cannot eat Ritz Crackers and never go near the other stuff! LOL!
Interesting . . . similarly Spam is incredibly popular in Hawaii. When I visited there several years ago, I was surprised that it was even served at McDonald’s.
That been around that long? Wow