A Hundred Years Ago hit a milestone today. It’s 10 years old. I did the very first post on January 1, 2011. When I started this blog, my goal was to do it for four years – but I wasn’t sure that it would last more than a month.
My grandmother, Helena Muffly, kept a diary from January 1, 1911- December 31, 1914 when she was a teen living on a farm in central Pennsylvania. The blog’s original purpose was to post my grandmother’s diary entries a hundred years to the day after she wrote them to share with family members. I also often posted additional information to explain and flesh out some of the entries. I planned to do a post every day during the four years of the diary. But, that felt very ambitious to me – and I thought I’d burn out quickly.
Was I ever wrong-
I had a blast researching and preparing the posts. And, over time more and more people found A Hundred Year Ago, and enjoyed reading about my grandmother’s daily experiences.
After I posted the last diary entry on December 31, 2014, I discovered that I missed blogging. So, about eight month later, I reinvented A Hundred Years Ago as a place to post recipes and other tidbits about food and cooking a hundred years ago. And, the rest is history.
Some of you have been with A Hundred Years Ago since almost the beginning; others have been part of this blogging community for a few years, months, or days. Thank you! I’m humbled by your caring and support across the years. I am so fortunate to have wonderful readers like you.
In case you’re interested, here’s the very first post:
Christmas and New Years Day
Posted on January 1, 2011 by Sheryl
15-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Mid ice and snow,
and wintry glow
The happy new year rings.
So now I’ll commence,
And not with pretense,
My diary of interesting things
Sunday, January 1, 1911: The old year has passed, and the new year is ushered in with its joys and possibilities. To me the old year has been quite a pleasant one. May this year be as pleasant. Christmas brought me no fatal grievances, and it really proved to be enjoyable and merry. I received quite a small number of Christmas presents although none of them were very costly. Judging none of them to exceed the modest price of fifty cents. (By this no one should think I am ungrateful for I really mean to be a grateful girl.)
This afternoon I went to Sunday school and attended catechize after church. On my way home I received a charming new year’s gift. (Thanks to the donor.) The first day of the new year is almost spent and I feel rather sad.
A Hundred Years Ago 
Congratulations on a decade!
This is a great blog and one of the few blogs for which I check every entry. I don’t always comment, but I always read them, and I always enjoy them. Moreover, its a blog I’ve learned a great deal from. I’m glad you kept at it.
Thanks! Similarly I’ve learned a lot from many of your comments. You know a lot about the early 1900s and many other topics.
Congratulations! I can’t believe so much time has gone by. I started loving your blog at about the same time I started researching “My Father’s House.” We’ve both com a long way baby! And may this New Year hold ever more new surprises for you — for both/all of us.
We sure have come a long way! Best wishes for the new year, and for your positive thoughts. May the new year hold wonderful new surprises for both/all of us.
I wasn’t among your first readers, but I did discover your blog quite early on. What an opportunity that diary provided you with! It was truly fascinating, and backed up by your research, your blog has proved enduringly interesting. Well done! Here’s to the next decade!
I’ve enjoyed getting to know you across the years. It’s wonderful to hear that this blog has been enduringly interesting.
Congratulations. That is quite an achievement.xxx
Thank you – I still can hardly believe that this blog is 10 years old. Time sure has flown.
Congratulations on the decade of 100 years ago! I think Helena Muffly knew something at 15 that some do not learn in a lifetime: “I really mean to be a grateful girl.” I enjoy your writing, and the fun of seeing all the comments all kinds of readers add. Happy New Year, Sheryl and everyone here.
Happy New Year! I learned a lot about both myself and my grandmother during the years that I was going through the diary one day at a time. I have so much fun doing this blog, and I’m so appreciative that wonderful readers like you enjoy it.
And I appreciate that you do it–all that baking for us! But yes, we do enjoy as evidenced by the many consistent comments from consistent readers. Thank you, Sheryl for sharing, and I look forward to the first recipe from 1921!
I’ve also been looking forward to the 1921 recipes. Near the end of each year, I tend to feel a bit tired of looking through the same cookbooks and magazines for another recipe to make – and always feel re-energized by a whole new set of recipes that I can consider as I move into a new year’s cookbooks and magazines. Tomorrow you’ll see what I selected for my first recipe 1921 recipe. 🙂
I’m so glad you decided to keep blogging after you shared all of your grandmother’s journal entries. I truly enjoy this blog.
I’m also glad that I decided to keep blogging. For me it’s a fun and relaxing activity. And, I’ve gotten to know many nice people like you.
Happy 10th Anniversary! What a marvelous collection of an entire decade of 100-year-old recipes, and I love the 100-year-old poem and diary entry.
Thank you! Someday I’ll have to count how many recipes I’ve posted across the years. I’ve enjoyed trying the many “new” recipes that I make for this blog. My grandmother wrote a poem on the first day of each month for the entire four years of the diary. I was always surprised by her discipline – I probably would have just put a poem on any old day whenever I felt like it. 🙂
you’ve probably posted a lot more than you think! You’ve done a remarkable job of sampling the offerings of an entire decade a hundred years ago! Your grandmother certainly was disciplined. I would be more random like you!
This is wonderful Sheryl. I joined you rather recently and didn’t know about this background. Congrats on 10 years!
Thanks! I’ve enjoyed getting to know you via our blogs in recent months.
I’m so glad you reposted this first post. It has been a wonderful ten years. I can’t remember exactly when or how I found you, but it wasn’t long before I was hooked, and never missed an entry. Congratulations on your ten years; here’s to many more, as well as a healthy and satisfying 2021.
It’s been wonderful getting to know you via our blogs. I really appreciate your support across the years. Here’s to us both having a healthy and satisfying 2021!
I am so glad I found your blog as I love the history of the everyday person and I can really relate to central PA. (Yes, I’ll be eating sauerkraut today.) Congratulations!
It’s been fun how you have similar food memories to me, and can relate to many of the same things that I do. I didn’t have sauerkraut today –but I may have to buy some this week-end. 🙂
Time sure does fly!
It sure does. Great picture! Happy New Year.
That was great to read your first post. Thanks for putting it out there for us again. I didn’t follow you until 2015 when I began blogging, but I’ve enjoyed your posts ever since. Please keep it going!
It’s nice to hear that you enjoyed the first post. I definitely plan to keep blogging. I have lots of fun doing these posts – and have really enjoyed to getting to know wonderful people like you.
I’m always eager to see what you have written. Blog friends are super!
Congratulations. An amazing milestone.
Thank you! The years have gone by so quickly – and when I realized a few days ago that I was coming up on 10 years as I blogger I could barely believe it myself.
Congratulations! 🙂
Thank you! I’ve enjoyed getting to know you virtually. You are such a knowledgeable and thoughtful food blogger. I’ve learned a lot from you.
Thank you Sheryl, so nice to hear. I’m learning a lot from your blog as well. 🙂
Ten years is quite the milestone! Congratulations. I’m rather new to your blog but I’ve enjoyed it and hope to continue to enjoy for another 10 years!!
Thanks! You might be relatively new to the blog, but you feel like an old friend. I’ve enjoyed your thoughtful comments, as well as your blog.
Congratulations! You have a unique and interesting blog. I’m glad you’ve kept it up.
Thanks! It’s nice to hear that you enjoy this blog. I always enjoy your comments. They have added a lot to the comment section in the last year or so.
Thanks.
I have been reading and saving these posts for the longest time seems like. Love them to pieces. Some remind me of when I was a kid, some are so much older and yet familiar in many ways.
Thanks for the kind note. It’s nice to hear that this blog has brought back some good memories.
WOW! That’s amazing! Happy 10 year anniversary – or birthday – or whatever a blog is LOL
Blogiversary?? Thanks for the nice wishes.
Ten years that’s quite an achievement, Sheryl…I myself am coming into my 8th year will it be 10 who knows… all the time I enjoy it I will blog…Happy New Year 🙂 xx
You have a wonderful blog. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you continue to enjoy blogging – and reach 10 years and more. Happy New Year!
Thank you, Sheryl for your kind words 🙂 x
I’ve been reading since very near the beginning. (My 10th blogiversary is coming up in April.) I need to get inspired to blog again. So glad you did. I enjoy thinking about the things you share from 100 years ago.
I think that you were one of the first non-family members to put a comment on my blog. Thank you for the support over the years. Blogcations can sometimes be just what is needed, but I hope that you get inspired to blog again soon. From Maine to Kentucky is a wonderful blog.
Oh wow.. that’s a great accomplishment!👏👏 love your blogs, please keep on finding those interesting recipes,and other interesting things from years ago.
Thanks for the kind words. Now that it’s a new year, I have a whole new group of old recipes that I’m looking forward to making. 🙂
I don’t remember how or when I discovered your blog, but it must have been near the beginning. I am so glad you didn’t burn out!
Yes, it was near the beginning. You were one of the early people to put a comment on my blog. And, I’m so glad you didn’t burn out. It seems like so many who commented on our blogs in the early years, have quit over the years. It’s been wonderful getting to know you.
I feel that way too.
Congratulations to reaching your 10th anniversary.
Thanks for the congrats, and thank you for all of your support across the years. I think that you’ve been a reader for most of the life of this blog.
Ten years! This calls for a Cake! Congrats and happy New Year.
The cake will have to wait a few weeks. Right now I’m on my annual New Year’s diet – but it won’t be long before I start looking at 1921 cake recipes. 🙂
Congratulations. I met you well into your writing, and have enjoyed the recipes and reading about you trying them out. What will you be doing for the new year?
Well, for starters, I’ve been browsing through 1921 cookbooks and magazines for recipes to make this year. 🙂 I’ve enjoyed getting to know you via our blogs.
And me you. I think I would be interested in family and marriage advice from those issues too. That would be a fun addition now and then.
What wonderful way to start the new year!
Yes, reaching this milestone is a wonderful way to start the new year. Happy New Year.
Sheryl, I remember those early days of your posting your grandmother’s diary entries, one hundred years later, to the day. I thought it was such an intriguing idea–not to mention, such a valuable resource. You were so fortunate to inherit that gem from your grandmother. Of course, I realized your grandmother wasn’t going to continue writing forever, but so missed it when her notes came to an end. Congratulations on re-inventing your blogging persona–and especially for hitting the ten year mark!
Thank you for your support across the years. You’re so right – I am very fortunate to have my grandmother’s diary. I also missed the diary once it ended. I really enjoyed getting to know my grandmother as a teen via her diary, and I wish I’d been able to get to know her as an older woman in a similar way.
I don’t think I have met any 10-year-old bloggers until now. You are an inspiration, Sheryl. I love reading the back story to your blog. I also greatly enjoy reading your blog on many levels. The food is part of it. The story significantly adds to the posts.
I extra love your sentence about “tidbits” and the rest is history. Very witty. Fascinating about your very first post sharing 15-year-old Helena’s words. I also appreciate how you are carrying forward Helena’s spirit. Thank you for sharing a great post and your continual sharing of a fun blog.
I’m sometimes surprised myself that it’s been 10 years. The years sure have flown by. It’s nice to hear that you enjoyed learning more about the history of this blog.
10 years is a wonderful milestone. I am so pleased that you have continued this blog!! Here is to 10 more! xoxo
Thanks for the good wishes and the kind words.
Congratulations! I didn’t know it started with a diary. How wonderful!
The time period has been the constant (a hundred years ago); the topic has evolved. I had a lot of fun posting the diary, and I’m currently having fun posting about food.
Congratulations on your 10 year anniversary. Your blog is certainly an interesting one. I love to see how very much some things have changed especially when cooking and yet somethings remain so very similar. I look forward to all that you will be sharing in this new year and hope it will be a good one for you.