What’s a Dollar a Hundred Years Ago Worth Now?

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

Friday, December 27, 1912: Sold Mollie’s calf today. It wasn’t a very big one and I rather feared my fortune would be pretty small, but after all it weighed one hundred and forty-four lbs. Received a neat sum of $11.56. I am real proud over what my purse that Ruth gave me contains. Over fourteen dollars.

Source: Kimball's Dairy Farmer Magazine (June 15, 1911) — Source: Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine (June 15, 1911)

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

Mollie was Grandma’s cow, and it had a calf on November 15.

Grandma’s parents apparently taught their children the value of money by giving each child a cow. I think that if the cow had a male calf, the child got the money from the sale of the calf—and their personal herd grew if a female calf was born. (See previous post on teaching farm kids that value of money.)

And, we now know that Grandma’s sister Ruth was the person who gave her the purse. I bet it was stylish—and that it looked great filled with cash. Grandma was in the money. I hope she spent it wisely.

According to an online Inflation Calculator website, a dollar a hundred years ago is worth about $23.40 today.

So in real dollars Grandma sold the calf for the equivalent of $240 now. And if she had $14 in her purse, she’d have $328 today.

Scalloped Turkey Recipe

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

Thursday, December 26, 1912: Took a rest today. Expected to have a sad night of it last night, but contrary to my expectations I didn’t. We’re trying to get away with yesterday’s left-overs.

Both a hundred years ago and now December 26 is a good day to put your feet up and relax. — Both a hundred years ago and now, December 26 is a good day to put your feet up and relax.

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

Some things haven’t changed much across the years. December 26 is a relaxing day (if you don’t do the Christmas sales and return things).

Sounds like Christmas left-overs weren’t Grandma’s favorite food. Scalloped Turkey is an old way of using some of the left-overs.

Scalloped Turkey

Stuffing and Turkey Mixture

Approximately 6 cups stuffing

Approximately 4 cups turkey, coarsely chopped

Use approximately 3 1/2 cups Gravy or make Turkey White Sauce

2 heaping tablespoons flour

1 stick butter

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups milk

1 cup turkey meat stock

Use left-over stuffing or make more stuffing as you would to fill a fowl, and put alternate layers of coarsely chopped turkey and stuffing in a large baking dish.

Use left-over gravy or make some using these directions. To make white sauce, melt butter in skillet. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add milk and meat stock while stirring constantly. Heat until sauce thickens.

Pour gravy/white sauce over each layer of turkey and top with a final layer of stuffing. Bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.

Yield: 6 – 8 servings

I apologize for not having a photo of the Scalloped Turkey. I’ve made this recipe many times and it always turns out fine, but in the hustle and bustle of my own life, I didn’t get it made in time to get a photo for this post.

I’m doing no work today, and am putting my feet up and relaxing. Hope you can do the same.

Christmas Table Decorations and Centerpieces a Hundred Years Ago

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

Wednesday, December 25, 1912: Xmas: I got a few presents: a purse, one dollar, an apron, a pinholder, a book, a bow, and a pair of slippers. Aunt Lizzie and Uncle George were here and Mrs. Besse to be sure.

We had a turkey and some ice cream. At present I feel like a stuffed toad from too much gourmandizing of a lot of good things. Guess I may call my Christmas a happy one and hoping everyone else has enjoyed the same likewise I’ll bring my entry to a close.

DSC06818.crop — Click on picture to enlarge. Source: Ladies Home Journal (December, 1912)

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

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Grandma got the De Luxe slippers in her favorite color. 🙂

slipper a hundred years ago — Source: Ladies Home Journal (December, 1912)

Nice gifts, good food, family. . . It sounds like end of a perfect Christmas day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Tree Decorations A Hundred Years Ago

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

Tuesday, December 24, 1912: Cleaned this morning. Trimmed the tree this evening and await the coming of tomorrow’s dawn impatience.

Lightweight glass balls on tinsel strands gives the effect.

Ladies Home Journal (December, 1911)

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

It’s almost Christmas!

What did the Muffly’s trimmed tree look like?

The butterflies are of spun glass in myriad colors and marking. The birds are lifelike celluloid models.

The tree of snow is the latest contribution to the science of Christmas festivities. The tree is bleached white, made fireproof, and chemically preserved so that it can be used year after year, thereby aiding the campaign against the devastation of our evergreens. The decorations of rose garlands is as unusual as the tree, and the crimson of the flowers forms a brilliant contrast to the dazzling whiteness.

Ladies Home Journal (December, 1911)

Who would have guessed that some people had reusable trees a hundred years ago!!

Got the Christmas Tree

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

Monday, December 23, 1912: I got the Christmas tree this afternoon, nor did it take me long. Pass it along, Ruth has the pink eye, and now tis my turn to laugh. She looks so terrible funny. I know what it’s like, but I can’t keep from thinking what a joke it is on her.

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

Did Grandma go out into the woods on the farm by herself and cut a tree? I always picture tree cutting as a family project—but I guess that one person could do it by herself.

Interesting how people waited until the last-minute to get their tree a hundred years ago. They put candles on trees back then—and there was a real fire risk. So I suppose that they wanted a very fresh tree on Christmas day that might be less likely to catch fire.

Poor Ruth—she was Grandma’s older sister. It’s no fun to be sick during the holidays. Pink eye was going through the family. Grandma had it on December 10 and their brother Jimmie had it on December 15.

Doll Clothes A Hundred Years Ago

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

Sunday, December 22, 1912: Went to Sunday School this morning. Ruth and I went up to hear the Xmas services this evening. Twas tonight moonlit.

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

Sounds like a lovely day—and a walk home in the moonlight sounds like a nice way to end it .

Between Sunday School and the evening service did Grandma manage to find time to finish making last-minute gifts? . . perhaps some quickly made doll clothes for young people on her gift list.

Both then and now, there’s a mad dash at the end to finish making gifts. I found an article in the December, 1912 issue of Ladies Home Journal called “Quickly Made Doll Clothes” which featured outfits made from some patterns that the magazine sold.

These quickly and easily made doll clothes should be especially welcome at this busy season, when the dressing of the children’s dolls is generally a last and hurried task.

All the little clothes both for the girl and boy dolls have been cut from one piece or kimono shaping, thus eliminating the difficult making and adjusting of little sleeves, and each garment has few seams and may be cut from a very small piece of material.

Old-fashioned Coffee Candy Recipe

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

Saturday, December 21, 1912: Had quite a time putting things in order this morning, but how long they will stay that way I can’t tell. Ruth made some Christmas candy this afternoon.

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

What kind of candy did Grandma’s sister Ruth make? . . .Maybe old-fashioned Coffee Candy? . . . Dare I suggest it? . . . I tried making Coffee Candy last December and it was a disaster that crumbled into tiny pieces. (See Interpreting Old Recipes: The Case of Coffee Candy.)

Usually when I have a cooking failure I never make the recipe again. But, bolstered by everyone’s comments and suggestions last year, I decided to give it another try.

I made some adaptations to the recipe I used last year. Here’s what I did:

Old-fashioned Coffee Candy

Boil together over moderate heat, without stirring, one-half cup strong coffee, two tablespoons butter, and two cups sugar. Boil to soft ball stage (238 degrees). Remove the pan from stove. Beat rapidly until it creams. Stir in a cup of chopped walnuts, press firmly into a buttered pan and cut into squares. (I used a 6 1/2-inch square pan.)

This Coffee Candy turned out much better this year. It had a nice coffee flavor, and a texture similar to pralines. It still had a slight tendency to crumble when I cut it, but most pieces came out of the pan just fine.