1914 Carbolated Vaseline Advertisement

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

Thursday, February 12, 1914: Cut a gash an inch long, while drying the dishes, in my hand.

Picked out nuts for a cake. Ruthie made it. It got most too stiff. Could hear her rumbling and grumbling about it for half an hour afterwards at least.

Source: Ladies Home Journal (February, 1914)

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

How the heck did Grandma get a one-inch gash while drying dishes? I don’t think that I’ve ever been injured while drying dishes.

Maybe Grandma treated her injury with Carbolated Vaseline. It was a popular ointment a hundred years ago.

Nuts and Nut Cake

What kind of nuts was Grandma picking out—black walnuts? . . .butternuts? . . hickory nuts?

Several previous posts that you might find interesting include:

Old-Time Black Walnut Cake Recipe

What is the Difference Between Butternuts and Black Walnuts?

Hulling Black Walnuts

How to Crack Black Walnuts

“Move to Montana” Advertisement

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

Tuesday, February 10, 1914: Nothing doing.

Kimball's Dairy Farmer Magazine (February 1, 1914) — Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine (February 1, 1914)

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

Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I’ll share a fun ad that encouraged families to homestead to Montana.

Whew, it’s hard to believe that there still was “unbroken” land a hundred years ago that could be had for very little money. At least the people were able to get there in relative comfort via train, and didn’t need the covered wagons that were used in prior years.

1914 Steero Bouillon Advertisement

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

Sunday, February 8, 1914: Went to Sunday school this afternoon. Had an awful time coming home. The wind was simply terrific.

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

Brrr.. . I bet Grandma was ready for a hot drink by the time she got home. . . .maybe a “modern” drink like Steero Bouillon.

1914 Kenyon Weatherproofs Raincoat Advertisement

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

Saturday, January 31, 1914: This day presented a swelled appearance. First it rained and then rained some more until at last all these little streamlets around here just had to spread out and get big.

Source: Ladies Home Journal (April, 1914)

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

Brrr. . . it sounds like a cold, wet, miserable rain. Did it rain enough to cause some minor flooding?

I hope that Grandma had a good raincoat. I bet she wished that she had a stylish raincoat—like a Kenyon.

1914 Biltmore Hotel Advertisement

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

Wednesday, January 21, 1914: Can’t give much of an account of myself for today.

Source: National Food Magazine (April, 1914)

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

Winter gets long. It’s time to start thinking about a vacation. During the 3+ years that I’ve been posting the diary entries, Grandma has never traveled more than 15 miles or so from her home. Did Grandma ever dream of visiting a city? . . . Maybe New York City?

Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I’ll share a fun advertisement for the Biltmore Hotel in New York City that was on the back cover of the April, 1914 issue of National Food Magazine.

I’ll take one of those $2.50 a night rooms. . . . well, now that I’m thinking about it, I’d be willing to pay a little extra for a room with a bath. 🙂

1914 Libby’s Canned Fruit Advertisement

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

Sunday, January 18, 1914: A couple of girlfriends called this afternoon.

Source: National Food Magazine (December, 1914)

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

Since I don’t think that the Muffly’s had a phone, I assume that “called” means “visited.”

Did Grandma serve a snack to her girlfriends? . . .Maybe some Libby’s California canned fruits?

Thiery Pianos “Help Keep Boys and Girls on the Farm”

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

Friday, January 2, 1914: Have a hard piece of music on hand now, which will mean some work for me if ever I am to get it in some kind of a creditable condition.

Source: Kimball's Dairy Farmer Magazine (March 1, 1914) — Source: Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine (March 1, 1914)

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

Grandma’s lesson must have gone well since her teacher decided she was able to handle a harder piece of music.

Grandma’s mother bought the piano the previous spring—and Grandma began lesson shortly thereafter. Did her mother buy the piano to in an attempt to make Grandma feel more content on the farm?

A very wordy advertisement for Tiery pianos in the March 1, 1914 issue of Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine encouraged parents to buy a piano to help keep their boys and girls on the farm.

A hundred years ago farmers worried a lot about their children leaving the farm for more urban areas. Advertisers often picked up on that fear to market a product. A previous post contained an ad for Harley Davison Motorcycles that also promised to keep the kids on the farm.