No one intentionally writes history.  Instead, time is spent reconstructing the past; determining what events occurred and why, what people's thoughts were, how cultures were changing, and so on. How, then, do we reconstruct this picture? News articles, journals, books, and other media obviously help provide a great deal of information, especially starting in the 20th century an onward, but even these resources can leave important details missing. In this way, historians must be like detectives. They must study details and clues hidden among what we know about the past in order to fully comprehend an era. Often times the significance of these details isn't immediately obvious, such as architectural changes, developments in fashion, and subtle changes in language. However, when analyzed thoroughly, they can do better to illuminate a subject than a written history. That is why, in order to further understand the culture of urbanization at the turn of the 20th century, I have chosen to study food in the United States. Food was a clear choice because it literally powers the world. Changes in the way food is prepared, stored, and sold are constantly occurring, and they can sometimes reflect certain issues of the time, such as the issue of genetic modification in the present day. In this article, the various aspects of food as they relate to urban life from 1880-1920 in the United States are discussed.

Miner with a lunch pail

                Perhaps the first thing that caught my attention was a picture in the book, Breaker Boys. The picture showed men descending into a dingy coal mine carrying lunch pails. The first question that came to my mind was "what was in the lunch pails?" Another showed children carrying lunch pails on their way to work. Child labor and industrialization were two huge issues during the turn of the century. Industrialization fueled the blossoming economy and fed the fast pace lifestyle of the US. Without rapid industrialization such as what occurred in the late 1800’s, America would be vastly different today. So what fueled the industrial laborers? The answer is most likely sandwiches. Sandwiches, more specifically the ham sandwich, were actually invented in the mid to late 1800’s in Europe. They were popularized in the US as they closely fit the fast pace lifestyle. Ham sandwiches were quick and easy to make, and could even be nutritious. Sandwiches could be quickly made at home and eaten with one hand while on a short lunch break.

                Other foods that were either invented or popularized in the United States at the time were macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, corn muffins, eggs Benedict, soda pop, and strawberry shortcake. The diversity of these recipes lends itself to the influx of immigrants from all over the world. As urban centers diversified, so did their food. People of the same ethnic background tended to gravitate toward each other in neighborhoods in order to find comfort foods. For Jews, it was necessary in order to find kosher meals. In fact, Jewish culture at the time contributed many words to American culture, such as “bagel” and “schmaltz.” Related to this, cookbooks shifted to catering to upper class leisure to lower class necessities. High school cookbooks contained bland, white recipes that reflected the idea of a “melting pot.” These cookbooks were not designed to cater to one class of people, rather they were designed to be useful to many cultures.

Miniature replica of an icebox

                In urban areas with a constant ice supply, jellies, similar to jello as we know it today, became a popular dessert item among middle and upper class families.  However, for most an icebox was too impractical. Most people favored buying their food day to day. The invention of the train allowed for more people to move into urban areas and still have access to fresh meat and dairy products. The meat and dairy could be harvested at a farm or different city and shipped in overnight. This made consumption much safer, as before products like milk had to be harvested in the middle of the city. Cows were kept in cramped and unhealthy spaces, and the open milk jars had to be carried through a dusty and unsanitary city center to be delivered. Railroads lines also directly influenced the invention of strawberry shortcakes, as they expanded the strawberry season for the North East. More strawberries were available for a longer period of time, so people began to get creative.

Example of early cans from a grocery website

                The move of individuals away from an agrarian lifestyle to a city lifestyle necessitated an improvement in large-scale farming. The expansion of food production was made possible by railways as discussed earlier, fast ships, and developments in canning, chilling, and freezing. A mechanical cooler was developed in the 1860’s that allowed better and more sanitary milk to be transported to cities by rail. With respect to the improvements in agricultural technology, in 1840 it had taken 233 man-hours to grow 100 bushels of wheat. By 1920, it only took 87. There was such a sudden excess in food in the US that large amounts of wheat was exported to Europe to feed factory workers. Canning was invented in the early 19^th century in Europe and was soon dominated by Australia. However, after the Civil War the US took over Australia was the world’s primary producer of canned food. Canned foods were heated before being sealed, which was thought to force out the air to increase shelf life but actually killed off bacteria in the food. Meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables were canned and eaten. There was criticism of the flavor, but many people had never tasted the fresh product, so few complained.

                Much of the consumerism attitude of the US at the time is summed up in the Sears and Roebuck catalog from the 1890’s. It contains literally thousands of mail-order entries, bringing the feel of urban life to isolated places. It contains mail order groceries, such as canned items and raw meat. The Sears and Roebuck catalog claimed to be working for the consumer, saving them time and money and providing them with the highest quality product. The catalog reflected the rise of leisure in the US, as a result of growing excess money and time. Along with this came the rise of health foods. Dr. Kellogg’s diets and programs indicated a rise in the standard of living. Coupled with the advancement of water purification in cities, these diets reflected a shift in the US, from growing to optimizing. 

Example of a Sears and Roebuck catalog

Sources:

Food in History

This source provided a great overview on the changes in food and food technology at the turn of the century.

Breaker Boys

This source provided images of boys working in mines descending with lunchboxes in their hands. It led me to wonder what they ate for lunch on the job.

 The American History Cookbook
This source was invaluable because it contained many recipes from different time periods in the US and commentaries on their cultural significance.

The City

Provided some examples on cultural changes with regards to food in the city

Sears and Roebuck Catalog from the 1890’s

This reproduction of a catalog from the 1890's provided many examples of the goods being traded at the time. The wording of the paragraphs was very interesting and reflected several aspects of the changing culture.