Vigo County Historical Society

Coffee grinding popular then and now

In the early 1800s a large iron coffee grinder was very important to a person’s way of life.

Trappers, hunters, men on the way to the California Gold Rush all needed ground coffee to take with them on their journey. The ground coffee was placed in a cloth bag and placed behind the saddle of a horse or over the back of a pack mule. Coffee was considered their one luxury.

In the country store some coffee was ground for farmers but the majority had their own small grinders at home. People would congregate close to the counter, inhaling the aroma of the coffee beans.

Usually there wasn’t any money to pay for tea, coffee, flour and sugar, so eggs, milk and freshly churned butter were used as barter to pay for those necessary staples.

By 1873 when my grandparents were married, they had a small wooden coffee grinder made of cherry wood that was 6 1/2 by 7 inches in size. A large metal handle, when turned, would grind fresh coffee into a small box or drawer at the bottom of the grinder, thus ensuring fresh brewed coffee each time it was made.

Grandma Stroup would put grounds into a large metal coffeepot, add water and start the process of boiling. Grampa didn’t allow the old grounds to be thrown away; new grounds were added on top of the original, thus building a strong black drink.

He would then pour some into a big saucer, bow across the dish several times and then noisily but happily sip his drink.

In the mid-1930s Grampa passed away so Grandma decided to buy some coffee already ground, which came in one-pound packages and kept shut by wires encased in heavy paper. The wires were then used to hold freshly washed hair, trying to make curls like Shirley Temple’s. This was during the Great Depression and recycling was a necessity.

Hobos roamed the United States and seemed to have our house marked for a handout during this time. Mom bought some new coffee called Rex. We didn’t care for the taste so Mom decided to save it for the hobos. One soon came and she made Rex but her Christian conscience got the best of her. So she threw out the Rex and gave him some of our family grounds.

Several years after I married, something called instant coffee came on the market; coffee crystals were packed in a glass jar. You would use one teaspoon to a cup of water and I tried this several times in my new microwave oven but my husband, Paul, said there were more things to put in a microwave oven than just water.

There is a saying, "What goes around, comes around," but last week while visiting my daughter, I notices she took some coffee beans, but them into a large glass container (which is the modern version, run by electricity) to grind enough coffee for a pot of brew.

In the downstairs country store at the museum you may see the large coffee grinder which bring back lots of memories.