Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - November 22, 1998
By Barbara Carney
Vigo County Historical Society

1904 cookbook on display

Among the many traditions associated with the Thanksgiving holiday, the most treasured is the gathering together of family and friends. While socializing is an important part of this occasion, the culmination is inevitably a dinner of turkey with all the trimmings, ending with the customary pumpkin pie.

To make sure that everyone has the "perfect" dessert recipe for this year’s holiday, a cookbook was chosen as the Historical Treasure.

Called "The Up To Date Cookbook of Choice and Tested Recipes," it was a project of the YWCA in 1904 and is made up of recipes from its members.

This pumpkin pie recipe is one that a Thanksgiving Day cook would have been preparing at the turn of the century--no shortcuts, no mixes and certainly no Sara Lee or Mrs. Smith to step in and lend a hand.

Mrs. J.A. Parker sent the following to be included in the cookbook: 4 heaping iron spoons of pumpkin, 2 full iron spoons of N.O. molasses, 2 heaping iron spoons of sugar, yolks of three eggs, then with milk; 1 heaping tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg.

Beat whites separately and stir in last. This quantity makes filling for two pies. So, this year, be a little adventuresome, find an iron spoon, allow just a bit more time and you can tell your guests you did it the "old-fashioned" way.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.