The Next Best Thing to Sliced Bread.

 You’ve heard the saying. We all have. But have you ever stopped mid-toast and wondered when exactly did sliced bread become the yardstick by which we measure all genius innovation? I did. And let me tell you, the rabbit hole was crusty, fascinating, and even involved a wartime ban. Yep. Sliced bread was once illegal!

Let’s head to the golden days of ingenuity and carb-loading: It all began with a fella named Otto Frederick Rohwedder from Davenport, Iowa. In 1912, he built a prototype for a bread-slicing machine only to have it destroyed in a fire. (Bummer, I know. That alone deserves a moment of silence.) It wasn’t until 1928 that Otto got the gears turning again, quite literally, with a machine that sliced loaves neatly and efficiently.

The very first loaf of pre-sliced bread was sold on July 7, 1928, at the Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri. They called their newfangled product Kleen Maid Sliced Bread and advertised it as “the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped.” Yeah, not so subtle, but effective. Needless to say it caught on fast.

By 1930, Wonder Bread—already a household name—began marketing pre-sliced bread nationwide. And by 1933, over eighty percent of bread sold in the U.S. came pre-sliced. In other words, folks were hooked. It was easy, tidy, and just made life better. (And if you’ve ever tried to slice a loaf evenly before coffee, you understand.)

On a side note, we used to pass by a Wonder Bread Bakery when our dad would take us to Lloyd Center, one of the first malls ever built in the United States. He would purposely slow down so we could roll down our windows and smell the wonderful scent of bread baking!

Any hoo, good ideas tend to snowball. A St. Louis baker named Gustav Papendick bought Otto’s second slicer but ran into a snag: the slices would fall apart before he could get them wrapped. He tried rubber bands. Metal pins. Probably even prayer.

Eventually, he hit on the idea of using a cardboard tray to hold the slices together long enough to wrap

them. Voila! Bread didn’t just slice, it stayed sliced.

But the story doesn’t stop there. Enter stage left: W.E. Long, a marketing genius behind the Holsum Bread brand. He championed sliced bread like it was his personal mission, and thanks to him, sliced bread got packaged, promoted, and plunked onto grocery store shelves across America.

Now here’s where things get… well, a little weird. In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. government imposed a ban on sliced bread! Yes, you read that right. The Secretary of Agriculture, Claude R. Wickard, thought the extra wax paper required to package sliced loaves was wasteful. So, on January 18, 1943, sliced bread was pulled from shelves. 

Cue the domestic rebellion. One distraught housewife wrote a letter to The New York Times, pleading her case:
“Without ready-sliced bread I must do the slicing for toast—two pieces for each one—that's ten. For their lunches I must cut by hand at least twenty slices, for two sandwiches apiece. Afterward I make my own toast. Twenty-two slices of bread to be cut in a hurry!” Egads, that's a lot of slicing! Fortunately, the backlash was swift and loud. By March 8, just 49 days later, the ban was rescinded. Turns out, the conservation benefit wasn’t nearly as significant as the inconvenience caused. Apparently, the greatest thing since sliced bread really was sliced bread.

Then, slicing went global. Britain got its first slicing and wrapping machine in 1937, at the Wonderloaf Bakery in London. By the 1950s, eighty percent of the bread in the UK was pre-sliced. Ireland calls it “sliced pan,” and the loaves are wrapped in waxed paper like a proper gift.

And if you want to start an international debate, ask folks what the proper thickness of a bread slice should be. In Japan, they label loaves by how many slices they’re cut into: 4, 6, 8, or 10. (The higher the number, the thinner the slice.) In Canada and the U.S., Texas Toast laughs in thick-sliced superiority. And in Australia, you’ve got “toast,” “sandwich,” and the occasional “café” thickness to choose from.

So the next time you hear someone say, “It’s the best thing since sliced bread,” tip your hat to Otto Rohwedder. The man took a simple concept—cutting bread—and turned it into a revolution of convenience, consumption, and marketing magic.
Not bad for a guy from Iowa with a fire-singed dream. Now, if you’ll excuse me, all this talk of bread has me eyeing the toaster. And maybe a little jam. Or butter. Or both. Definitely both. No wait! Where's my peanut butter? 

Until next time,

Kit Morgan

I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD by Marisa Masterson

NY Central Railroad 1884 (Library of Congress)

Bang! Smash! Squish! 

Photo from Wayne County Public Library Collection

Quincy, MA Derailment 1890

Those words describe railroads and travel by train in the last half of the nineteenth century. It was a dangerous time to travel on the rails. 

Between 1890 and 1900, six thousand incidents involving postal cars alone were reported. According to the National Postal Museum, over eighty clerks were killed and 2,072 were injured in those accidents. (Mail cars and the clerks inside them caught the worst of an accident, often, since they were placed immediately behind the steam engine. It was believed that this protected the people in the passenger cars.) 

In 1875, there were 104 head-on collisions--nicknamed cornfield meets--in the United States. Imagine two trains ramming each other at high speed!

 

Mid-Continent Railway Museum
in North Freedom, WI
(Visit if you have never been! I recommend it!)

Another shocking statistic was included in the Note from the Frontier. They report that there were over 8,200 train accidents in 1880. When compared to 1,202 in 1875, it is obvious that something was terribly wrong with the system in place. 

Another issue was wood. Most passenger cars were made from wood frames. These easily split apart in an accident. Worse, some actually filled with scalding water from the steam engine during a catastrophe. Also, wood tracks splintered. Wooden bridges collapsed. These needed to be more frequently updated and better maintained. The wood-framed cars caught fire from the stoves or kerosene lanterns.

And it could be as dangerous to work for the railroad as it was to be a passenger. Coupling the cars killed many people.Between July 1884 and June 1885 in Colorado, 9% of employees with reported injuries died, with coupling cars being the most dangerous job. (Google)

What caused these dangers? In the latter half of the century, as railroads built and expanded rapidly, the combination of high-speed, heavy trains, primitive technology, and human error led to frequent, often fatal, collisions and derailments. The emphasis was on having the means to travel without monitoring to be sure it was safely accomplished. In response, air brakes and metal-framed cars came into being. In the late 1800s, the government demanded a better system for monitoring tracks and automatic signaling devices. 

Why this look at railroad issues? The composer of the hymn Bringing in the Sheaves was killed in such a disaster. The train jumped the track, and the car in which Knowles Shaw sat rolled down an embankment. The forty-three-year-old evangelist died in the crash.

His hymn becomes the inspiration for my newest historical wholesome romance, releasing in April.

Click to Discover More!

Salves, Ointments, Liniments, and Balms - Cure-alls in the 18th & 19 Centuries

Research for a writer is a never-ending process--which admittedly--I can, and usually do, get lost in for hours. Such is the case for a new book I'm writing about a Confederate nurse during the Civil War.

It's widely recognized that the rural South suffered some of the most horrendous battles and loss of life, both in the ranks and in innocent lives. The Union Blockade prevented the Confederacy from trading, significantly impacting the Southern economy and the war's outcome. This led to food shortages and supplies, particularly life-saving medicines, prompting civilian doctors and medical corps to improvise with natural remedies they prepared from herbs.

Cure-alls

Patent medicines--a common name for proprietary "over-the-counter" products--were hugely popular in the United States from the mid19th century until the early twentieth century. During this time, drugs and remedies were largely unregulated, and manufacturers were free to make any health claims they wished about their products. Many patent medicines were "cure-alls." Thus, manufacturers could claim they cured an enormous number of disparate diseases.

Frequently, these cure-alls also promised to remedy problems with the skin, complexion, hair, eyes, or even the shapeliness of the figure...anything that affected one's physical beauty or health. Cure-alls began to disappear from the market after legislation was enacted in 1912 that prohibited manufacturers from making false and fraudulent therapeutic claims.

Cure-alls were manufactured both as liquid tonics, which were taken internally, and as salves, balms or liniments, which were applied to the skin. Some products were labelled with directions for both internal and external use.

Salves, Ointments, Liniments and Balms

Other salves, liniments and ointments produced during the same period stopped short of making cure-all claims. These preparations were generally used to treat common skin, scalp, and hair problems and can be seen as precursors to the over-the-counter skin care and first-aid ointments in use today. Some brands, Mentholatum, Bag Balm, and White Cloverine, remain in use today.

Robert Chesebrough patented petroleum jelly under the name Vaseline in 1872, and

many of these salves have a base of petrolatum, or petroleum jelly. Salves were packaged in tins, while liniments were generally bottled. Liniments were liquids that often had a high alcohol content, which suspended oils of min or pepper. The oils' aimed to lessen pain or inflammation in other areas of the body.

Salves and liniments addressed ailments that often brought with them concerns. Beauty standards of 19 and early 20th century America placed a high priority on clear skin and full, thick hair. People used these salves to remedy complexion issues such as pimples, as well as scalp conditions, such as ringworm and mange, that cause patchy hair loss.  These products served the whole family and provided both health and beauty help for one price. But they were specifically cosmetic preparations. 

For Man or Beast 

Older salves, ointments, and liniments were sometimes marketed as for "man or beast." This tactic was especially applicable for products that claimed to cure or soothe minor skin irritations such as cuts, scrapes, burns, insect bites, bruises, and chafing that are common to humans and their pets and livestock. Humans and their animals shared some skin ailments because they shared a common environment and were often in physical contact with one another. For example, fungal infections such as ringworm and parasitic infections such as mange could be easily passed between the family dog and children. Though the directions for administering the products to domestic animals versus were different, the healing action described is basically the same.

Common Herbs for Salve-Making

Arnica is used to treat wounds, bruises and blunt injuries. It is rarely taken orally as it may cause dizziness and heart irregularities. It should be taken as an infusion to relieve muscle strain and internal inflammation in small amounts.

Applied to soothe and reduce itching in chicken pox, fresh Marigold flowers are also good for treating eczema, and skin allergies. 

Lavender is used for calming the senses and inducing a sound sleep, neurological problems, and dermatological conditions. Usually as a massage oil or balm to promote relaxation.

Aloe Vera is a proven plant that brings therapeutic benefits to all sorts of skin problems. It is a popular ingredient in many cosmetic creams and salves.

Witch Hazel has a high concentration of tannins, which help remove oils and clear skin blemishes. In the past, people used witch hazel as a poultice to reduce fever and inflammation. Currently, it is an ingredient in cosmetic products for treating bruises and sunburns.

A salve of Rosemary may help stimulate hair growth. It is applied directly on the scalp to increase the hair count in both genders.

Peppermint salve contains an analgesic that helps with sore muscles and body pains. It also is used for alleviating respiratory problems and digestive distress.

Cayenne Pepper powder can be infused in an oil and mixed with beeswax to treat pregnancy-related joint and body pains.

***************

Coming March 6th...

“Your journey doesn’t have to end in disappointment.”

Lila Hartley had waited for hours on the frozen train platform, a mail-order bride no one came to claim, her trunk beside her like a tombstone. The man who'd promised her marriage, a home, and a future, left her stranded two thousand miles from Boston with nothing but the clothes on her back and a heart full of shattered dreams.

Just when hope was fading, a man emerged from the white curtain of snow like an apparition, took off his coat, and changed her life.

Clay McCallister viewed every woman who had taken a chance on the frontier as the sister he’d failed…a woman who’d risked everything for the possibility of something better, much like the woman standing on the platform in the bitter cold.

Sometimes warmth doesn’t always come from fire — sometimes it comes from the heart.

Pre-Order Link

 

 

Talk about 'Money'

Post (C) Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Image (C) Doris McCraw

To say Colorado attracted or created millionaires at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries might be considered an understatement. And what did some of these folks do? Why, they built places for other wealthy people to stay.

Brown Palace from Wikipedia

1. The Brown Palace in Denver, Colorado. Building began in 1888 and was completed in 1892. Built by Henry Cordes Brown, it was intended to be the finest luxury hotel between Chicago and the West Coast. It is also noted as one of the early fireproof hotels. Its unique design was formed by the triangular piece of property it was situated on. 

Redstone Castle from Wikipedia

2. Redstone Castle near Redstone, Colorado, was built by John C. Osgood, founder of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, as a place to entertain his wealthy peers. Construction began in 1899 and was completed in 1902. Its history is varied and fraught with so many challenges.

Stanley Hotel from Wikipedia

3. Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, began construction in 1907 and opened in 1909. Built by F.O. Stanley on property purchased from Lord Dunraven, an Irish aristocrat. Stanley and his twin brother made their fortunes from their various inventions, including the Stanley Steamer car. It was built to entertain wealthy tourists drawn to the area's beauty. Most people now remember it as the place where Stephen King wrote his book "The Shining" and where the movie of the same name was filmed.

Broadmoor Hotel from Wikipedia

4. The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Completed in 1918, the Broadmoor was built by mining millionaire Spencer Penrose with the idea that it would be the premier resort in America. Over the years, it has strived to be just that. Beyond being a 5-star, 5-diamond hotel for over forty years, it has continued to expand its footprint and the base of Cheyenne Mountain.

In my forthcoming book, "Verna Kate", Estes Park and the Stanley Hotel play a role.

For more information on these properties, see the links below.

Brown Palace - Wikipedia

Redstone Castle - Wikipedia

Stanley Hotel

Broadmoor Hotel

Until next time,

Stay safe - Doris

Angela Raines - Amazon

Doris A. McCraw - Amazon

English Step Dancing Emigrates to America by Zina Abbott

Once again, I used an incident from one of my ancestors’ histories to inspire my upcoming release, The Bride Who Step Dances. The following is my book dedication:

 

This book is dedicated to my second great-grandparents, George Sellman Fox and Elizabeth Mary Jones Fox. This snippet from the family history of Elizabeth Fox is the inspiration for my heroine. At the time, the couple lived in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England:

“…George and Elizabeth enjoyed dancing. In the summer of 1846, when they had two children, they were entertaining at a party in their home. …George was performing a step-dance for the guests when they were interrupted by a knock at the door that was to change their lives….”

What is step dancing? Many cultures throughout the world have developed step dancing styles which have emigrated to North America. Even the dances generally performed by the Native Americans may be considered step dancing.

 

The English form of step dancing performed by my great-great-grandparents had its origins in Northern England in the sixteenth century. From there, it spread south and east. By the seventeenth century, step dancing became quite popular in Scotland and then in Ireland.

This dance style is also called the jig. In England, the name “jig” is believed to have come from the French word gigier, meaning “to jump.” (The French-speaking Normans were already in the British Isles by then.)  In Ireland, the word jig was probably derived from the Irish Gaelic word jigeánnai, which had its origins in the Old English word, giga, meaning “old dance.”

 

Even in today’s Ireland, the Irish Jig—which has developed into a highly stylized dance form with elaborate footwork, a stiff torso, and arms held rigidly downward—is the second most popular form of folk dance. In contrast, the Scottish jig dancers use a lot of arm movement.

English step dancing was not a partner's dance. In fact, the church at the time opposed dancing, especially when men and women partnered. The objective was first, to distance the common folk from their previously-held pagan beliefs. Also, there was a concern that partner dancing was too suggestive of sexual intercourse. Keep in mind that when the waltz first became popular--lace cravats and rich silk gowns notwithstanding--the dance was considered scandalous. It took some time before waltzes were finally allowed during the Regency era--with conditions attached.

English step dancing is a individual performance dance. Often dancers took turns, each entering and leaving the center of the dance area--often a platform--in time to the music. Sometimes, several dancers might perform synchronized steps at the same time, but seldom did males and female perform at the same time and the dancers did not touch hands or arms. 

Step dancing is a percussive form of dance. To be effective, step dancing requires three important elements.

Red Lancaster Clogs

One is hard-soled shoes, such as the wooden-soled work shoes worn in the Lancaster mills, although any heavy, hard-soled shoes like my ancestors would have worn work well, too. 

Charlwood Music Festival 2024 Surrey England Anocalypse Now Appalachian traditional step dance

The second element is a hard wooden platform—preferably slightly raised—that allows the dancers’ steps to echo. The percussion comes from strikes against the dance platform by the heels, toes, and foot sole.

The third element is that the steps are synchronized with music with specific tempos traditionally played on instruments like a fiddle, pipes, whistles, or other mouth instruments. 

 

(In my book, the step dancers performed to music created by either a fiddle or a jaw harp.)

For an example of step dancing to music played on a jaw harp in Scotland, please click on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBFeEP_xQHQ   

 

Kickapoo Cloggers at the International Culture Festival, Hammond IN 2014

Clogging, often associated with the Appalachian region full of descendants of early Scots-Irish and English settlers, is a form of step dancing. Like has often happened with the passage of time, cloggers have added other musical instruments to accompany the performers. The dance routines might include more arm movements. Also, unlike step dancing of an earlier era, today's clogging routines include elements of couples pairing off similar to round or square dances.

(In my story, a recently hired ranch hand from the Ozarks asks the English immigrant step dancers for a turn to dance. He uses more arm movements, plus adds a bent-knee ankle twirl sometimes seen in American step dancing.) 

For an example of contemporary clogging performed by couples, please click on this YouTube link by the Feet First Appalachian dancing Red Arrows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZK8hVO8Aeg  

  

Clogging at Texas Folklife Festival 2013

Clog dancers still use the elements common to the step dancing brought from the British Isles—an emphasis on percussion created by the feet, hard-soled shoes on a raised wooden platform that allows the sound to resonate, and steps synchronized with accompanying instruments. In many parts of the world, the term clogging or clog dancing has become synonymous with step dancing. 

Here is another example of clogging which more closely resembles how English step dancing performances took place in my great-great grandparents’ era. Please enjoy watching The Red River Jig!! The Nothern Prairie Dancers at Molanosa Cultural Days 2013 (That "Nothern" might be either a typo or a nod to the dancers’ Southern origins, but that is how it is spelled on YouTube.) Either be patient through the three minute, ten second introduction, or move your time slider to 3:10 before starting the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMqBCFzvUEU

Other than clogging, does step dancing still exist in America?

Yes.

 

Just like much of the world, in recent decades, Americans have enjoyed line dancing. So, grab your cowboy hats, step into your cowboy boots, and join the line dancing crowd. One of my daughters learned clogging while attending college, but I suspect line dancing would be more my speed.

 

 

My next release, The Bride Who Step Dances, is not on pre-order, and I do not have a firm release date. I am shooting for sometime in February. The best way to receive notification of when this book releases is by either "friending" me on Facebook, or signing up to receive my NEWSLETTER.

For an excerpt from a dance scene in the book, please CLICK HERE 

 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_dance

https://musictales.club/article/jig-dance-tradition-five-centuries-old-and-still-counting

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Line_dancing_troupe_at_Esino_Lario,_Wikimania_2016,_evening_of_Day_1.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Texas_folklife_festival_clogging_2013.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kickapoo_Cloggers_0103.jpg

https://www.carvedculture.com/blogs/articles/mouth-jaw-harp-the-complete-guide

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Concertina_and_fiddle_(26549694562).jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WroughtIronJewsHarp.jpg