The Community Canning House: A Relief Enterprise

The history of preserving food through canning dates back to the French Revolution in the late 18th century. The armies suffered from limited food availability, limiting military campaigns to the summer and autumn months. In 1795, the need for a steady supply of quality food for the French army and navy led the French government to offer a reward of 12,000 francs to anyone who could develop a reliable method of food preservation.

Nicholas Appert, a Frenchman from Champagne's region who worked as a chef for French nobility, set his sights on the prize. He committed himself to study food preservation, and his experimentations led to the successful preservation of food in hermetically sealed containers sterilized by heat. His experiments began with "champagne bottles, sealed airtight with an oddly effective mixture of cheese and lime."

He then progressed to wide-necked glass containers that he had made especially for food preservation. "In 1803 his preserved foods (which came to include vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy and fish) were sent out for sea trials with the French navy." By 1809, Appert was declared the official winner; the French government gave him the award but stipulated that he publish his method. His book, The Art of Preserving, for Several Years, all Animal and Vegetable Substances, was published the following year.

That same year the use of tin for canning was introduced by an English businessman, Peter Durand, who patented the use of tin-coated iron cans instead of bottles. Another fifty-years passed before Louis Pasteur was able to explain why Appert's method was effective. That the heat killed microorganisms in the food, and the sealing kept other microorganisms from getting in. The idea to can sodas didn't happen until 1940, which is interesting considering the first soda machine was patented in 1819.

The availability of canned food has played a critical role in man's survival during non-harvest seasons, times of war, and economic recessions. During the great depression of the early 1930s, canning houses sprang up in communities across Bossier Parish, providing residents with access to canning equipment for home-growers to preserve their backyard harvest. During the Second World War, food rationing revived community canneries as people grew victory gardens to meet their nutritional needs.

Lettie VanLandingham performing one of her
many canning demonstration in Bossier Parish
Gay England Collection: 2013.041.038

Community canning houses were both educational as well as a relief enterprise. Home Demonstration Agents, like Lettie VanLandingham, spent countless hours giving canning demonstrations throughout Bossier Parish. Under her supervision, some 23 canning centers were built and operated throughout the parish as the Bossier Parish Demonstration Agent from 1929-1960.

Many of the canning houses were located within the agricultural department of schools or in a canning house built on school grounds. This allowed girls in 4-H to learn the art of canning. These 4-H'ers formed canning clubs and helped address food shortages in the community.

Canning prevents food waste, saves money, is earth-friendly, and provides healthful nutrition. In 1987, the Canned Food Information Council designated February as National Canned Food Month to break down misconceptions that canned food is less nutritious than fresh food.

By: Amy Robertson

Victory Garden Advice Holds True Today

Joe Knowles Skaggs with Terry Joe Skaggs working in the garden. Nannie Joyce Knowles Skaggs Collection: 2003.028.044.

During the second world war, victory gardens became a necessary way of life, and today, more people have begun gardening this year due to food supply anxiety related to the pandemic. For those of you who have recently taken up gardening and are wondering about what to plant for fall crops, please enjoy the following article of advice from Lettie Van Landingham, found in the Bossier Banner Thursday, Aug. 9, 1945.

“Last call for gardeners for 1945! Make wise use of your planning time during the next two months and you will have lots of fresh vegetables all fall and well into the winter.

 Purple top White Globe.

“Clear the weeds, grass and old plants from that part of your plot not in use as a fall garden and sow a winter cover crop. This crop, turned under during the early spring, will add nitrogen to the soil and help to keep the soil in good condition.

“What to plant during September and October:

“Mustard: Florida Broadleaf or Tendergreen. Sow on row. Make frequent plantings.

“Broccoli: Italian Green Sprouting. It’s too late to sow the seed, but if you can buy plants and set them out during early September, a dozen or so plants will provide all the broccoli a family can use.

“Cabbage: Charleston Wakefield. Sow in seed bed. The small plants should be ready to transplant six weeks later.

“Radishes: Scarlet Globe and White Icicle.

“Carrots: Louisiana Danvers.

“English Peas: Creole. Plant September 1st (South Louisiana Only).

“Turnips:

“Beets: Crosby’s Egyptian and Detroit Dark Red.

“Onions: Creole and Bermuda. Sow seed for later transplanting.

“Swiss Chard: Lucullus.

“Irish Potatoes: Triumph and Katahdin (certified). South Louisiana only. Between September 1st-10th. Plant whole small potatoes.”

With each type of vegetable, Van Landingham mentions the varieties that work best in Louisiana. Over the years, new and better varieties are created, to know what varieties work best today, contact a local 

nursery or the LSU Agricultural Center.

In another article, Van Landingham advises what chores to do during the fall and winter for a better garden. She admonishes that “First, a garden must have a good fence, tight enough to keep out chickens, live stock, and rabbits. So, if the fence is in poor condition, get busy. The fence doesn’t have to be expensive woven wire. Good fences can be made of hand-spilt pickets placed close together.”

Next, she instructs the readers that they “should get the soil in good condition. That part of the garden not planted in winter vegetables, or in cover crop, should be cleared of all old plants, grass and weeds and then plowed. Barnyard manure, if available in quantity, can be cast over the ground to be worked into the soil later. Loads of leaf mold from the woods, scattered over the garden help to add necessary humus and keep the garden soil in good condition.”

Finally, she recommends to “get out the seed catalogues, pencil and paper. Plan a garden for next year which will provide an adequate supply of fresh vegetables and a surplus for canning, so that you and your family may do your part toward America’s first line of defense by being well fed, healthy and happy. For your garden to be adequate you must plan to have available at all times (either fresh, stored or canned) something from each of these five groups:

“Group I: green leafy and yellow vegetables, such as mustard, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, collards, kale, Swiss chard, carrots, yellow squash, yellow sweet corn.

“Group II: Other vegetables, such as turnips, eggplant, beets, English peas, green butter beans.

“Group III: tomatoes (enough to serve them five times a week) either fresh, canned or in tomato juice.

“Group IV: Dried beans or peas, and Group V: Irish and sweet potatoes.”

Lettie Van Landingham was the first Bossier Parish home demonstration agent, serving the community for decades. Her sage advice was always available in The Bossier Banner. To learn more about her work, visit the Bossier Parish Library History Center at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City.

By: Amy Robertson

19th Century Bossier Parish Picnic Cuisine

A picnic at Gregg's Landing in Koran, La., c. 1902.
Bossier Parish Library Collection: 0000.001.052.

According to an article in The Bossier Banner, Aug. 6, 1885, which gives insight to the American picnic of the 19th Century, the writer explains that “the distinctive American badge for a day’s out-of door recreation is the basket. It is democratic in character and has a wonderful significance of freedom and independence. It is representative of a day when the cares of business or the household are put aside.”

July is national picnic month and culinary arts month, too. To celebrate these two observances, this writer has compiled some popular recipes from the Bossier Banner, that were commonly found in a 19th Century picnicker’s basket.

Mrs. Julia Zachary on a picnic with grandchildren, c. 1910.
Beulah Findley Collection: 1997.054.051.

Sep. 16, 1880 – “Picnic Buns. – Eight ounces butter, fourteen ounces flour, six ounces sifted sugar, two eggs, half a nutmeg, teaspoonful of sifted ginger, large spoonful of caraway seeds. Beat the butter to a cream; add the eggs, well beaten; mix the other ingredients together and work them well into the butter; add a tablespoonful of flavoring essence. Bake in tin patty-pans, in a moderately hot oven.”

Oct. 2, 1879 – “Potted Beef – Boil a round of beef well, and cut very fine, as fine as for mince pies; season with sage, allspice, salt and pepper; melt butter enough to knead it all together, pack it closely in bowls, and pour melted butter over it. It will keep a week in cool weather.”

Dec. 18, 1890 – “A stoned olive stuffed with a well-flavored chicken force-meat is a delicious tid-bit at a picnic, or for any cold luncheon. Select the large queen olives for this purpose, cut with a penknife a slanting lengthwise cut in each olive, and continue to hold the knife next to the stone and thus remove it. It will come out easily. Stone a number, fill the opening with chicken force-meat, and if you wish to keep them perfectly in shape tie each one up and remove the string after a few hours and just before serving.”

Apr. 29, 1871 – “May Haw Jelly – Simmer the fruit in a brass or earthen vessel with just enough water to prevent burning, in the beginning. When done, and the juice runs from the fruit freely, strain through a flannel cloth. To a cupful of the juice put a cupful of sugar. Boil together in a brass or earthen vessel for twenty minutes. Pour into small vessels as cups, tumblers, &c. When cool cover nicely with writing paper dipped in whisky, the paper dipped in whisky, the paper to lie immediately on the jelly. Sun the vessels a few days. The common plum also makes an excellent jelly when treated in the same way.”

May 25, 1872 – “Sweet Pickle (peaches) - Boil a pickle made of one pint and a half of cider vinegar, three pounds and a half of sugar, with mace, cloves and cinnamon. Pour this boiling hot over six pounds of fruit; plums require five pounds of sugar to six of fruit.”

Picnic in Plain Dealing, might be a Zachary family reunion, c. 1910.
Beulah Findley Collection: 1997.054.052.

Aug. 28, 1879 – “Chow-Chow - 1 peck green tomatoes, well chopped; sprinkle a handful of salt and let remain over night; in the morning drain off the water and add 1 cabbage chopped fine, 1 cauliflower picked fine from the stalk, 2 red peppers, 2 green peppers, 2 onions, ½ cup salt, 2 tablespoons celery seed, 4 ounces white mustard seed, 2 teaspoonfuls whole cloves, 2 teaspoonfuls allspice, 2 sticks cinnamon. Boil the cabbage and cauliflower in a little vinegar 20 minutes; then put the rest of the ingredients together and boil 10 minutes longer. Cover with cold vinegar and set away. The chow-chow made in this way keeps excellently well.”

Jan. 2, 1896 – “Sponge Cake – Two cups of sugar, two cups of flour, eight eggs, one teaspoon of lemon. Beat well together and bake in dripping pan.”

Aug. 31, 1882 – “Cakes which are particularly nice for picnics, as they can be carried in a basket without much danger of crumbling, are made of one cup of sugar, half a cup of butter, two eggs, half a cup of sweet milk, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, a half a tablespoonful of soda (or two even teaspoonfuls of baking powder.) Mix with flour enough to make the dough as stiff as for sugar cookies. Roll out, or cut in strips, twist these strips like old-fashioned doughnuts, bake till they are a light brown. They may be flavored with lemon, or with cinnamon, or they may be dipped in cocoanut and sugar while hot. - N. Y. Post.”

These recipes are just a sampling of ideal picnic foods, no matter what century it is. Other everyday items were bread and butter, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, crackers, pickles of any variety, cold meat, and salad fillings, such as chicken or egg salad. For beverages, lemonade was a favorite in the 1800s, as well as tea and coffee.

By: Amy Robertson

Bossier Parish Conserves to Help Feed Starving Nations

Public Domain

World War II left famine in its’ wake with dozens of nations and millions of people on the brink of starvation. These nations turned to the United States of America for help.  President Harry S. Truman assembled a Famine Emergency Committee and appointed former President Herbert Hoover as the honorary chairman.  

The committee did not waste any time in setting out to do what they could to help bring relief to these starving nations.  In the committees’ first meeting on March 1, 1946, Hoover asserted, “Mr. President, the inevitable aftermath of war is famine, and with famine civilization itself is jeopardized. The last great reservoir from which starvation can be halted is in the United States.” 

As advised by Hoover, Clinton P. Anderson, Secretary of Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture secured cooperation on the State and local levels. 

In response the Bossier Parish Home Demonstration Agent, Lettie Van Landingham worked with school officials to get school children and their parents involved in saving food. She went to Benton and Plain Dealing where they collected and weighed the food waste. They gathered the students and teachers, and Van Landingham demonstrated how the bread in these meals could be saved. Administrators and others, including ex-servicemen, spoke on the need for food in foreign countries and the need to conserve so that American’s can help give to those in desperate need of food. 

A few days later they weighed the food waste again to find that Benton students and teachers reduced their food waste from 14.5 to 9 pounds and Plain Dealing reduced theirs from 22 to 12 pounds. Van Landingham then shared their efforts in the Plain Dealing Progress on April 12, 1946, where she urged other schools in the Parish to do the same and to report their results to T. A. Tidwell, Chairman of the Bossier Parish Agricultural Conservation Committee.  

On May 10, 1946, in the Plain Dealing Progress, the following article appeared with the headline “Local Plan For Saving Food Is Here Commended: State Worker Writes In Praise of Program Inaugurated In Parish.” 

“Under date of April 26th, L. A. Mullin, of Baton Rouge, state director of the Field Service Branch of the Production and Marketing Administration, has directed the following letter to Mr. T. A. Tidwell, of Vanceville, chairman of the Bossier Parish ACC:” 

“’Dear Mr. Tidwell: Under date of April 15th Mr. Coleman submitted to this office a newspaper clipping outlining the food conservation program being carried on in Benton and Plain Dealing. I am referring to the program under which the waste food was weighed before the children’s attention was called to the necessity of conserving food in order that it may be diverted to the starving people abroad. It is noted from this article that the food waste was reduced in Plain Dealing from 22 to 12 pounds.’” 

“’I think this is a very unique idea and is a good example of what can be done when an effort is made. We have taken the liberty of submitting this idea to our Washington office as being one of the most outstanding articles that developed in connection with this program.’” 

“’Please extend my sincere appreciation to the person responsible for this particular program as I believe it is a very effective way of having school children realize what can be done.’” 

To learn more about the history of Bossier Parish during and after World War II visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City.

By: Amy Robertson

Lorain Cooking

We have a small cookbook from 1930 in our collection entitled "Lorain Cooking". The cover shows a simple red wheel, which was a revolutionary tool for the kitchen that we take for granted today. The Lorain Oven Heat Regulator with its signature Red Wheel allowed cooks to maintain a constant temperature inside the oven during any baking period. The wheel is marked at intervals of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. After setting the Red Wheel, the flow of gas is automatically reduced when the oven registers the desired temperature. Can you imagine what baking would have been like prior to the introduction of the Lorain Oven? The Red Wheel eliminated the burning of food (except for in the case of chef error!) and assured uniform results each time a recipe was cooked. The thermostat control freed cooks from watching the food as it baked.

Here are some recipes from the Lorain Cooking book.

Homemade and Homeraised in Bossier Parish

Dairy - Food that you could get at the source, such as your own milking cow, didn’t just afford the luxury of a fresher taste, it also meant having to store food for as short a time as possible in the days prior to modern refrigerators. Milk, often served as buttermilk, not “sweet milk” like we drink now, might be kept in a well. The first electric service came to Bossier Parish (Bossier City) in 1912, but some rural families were still without it in the 1940’s. They had ice box refrigerators, kept cold by the blocks of ice an “ice man” would deliver, sometimes with ‘kool aid’ for the children.

Photo: Unidentified children, most likely in Plain Dealing, enjoying ice cream cones. Do you you know these children? Please respond if you do! Photo by Dr. Scott Coyle, who was a Plain Dealing resident and physician, courtesy of Kitty Coyle.

Homemade and Homeraised in Bossier Parish

Photo of a community Christmas party in 1949 at Bossier High School.
Local residents have fond memories of local produce, but exotic oranges were special enough to be tempting Christmas presents.

1998.047.201 Photo by Bacon’s Studio; Bossier Chamber of Commerce Collection


Bossier Parish Food 1910's - 1960's

An exhibit coming soon to the Plain Dealing branch library


Eating across the food groups without going to the store, cont...

Fruits and Veggies - Some of the fondest food memories of people who grew up in the country in Bossier Parish are of fresh vegetables and fruit. If residents had a garden when they were growing up, they would point out how well they ate and that they always had enough to eat. They can yearningly list what came out of their gardens: Melons, turnip greens, cabbage, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and peas. Their mothers would cook from the garden "whatever they had a mess of"and would also preserve food to last them through the year.

Homemade and Homeraised in Bossier Parish

An exhibit coming soon to the Plain Dealing branch library

Hardly a local memoir goes by without mention of food – how it was grown, processed and prepared at home, deliciously fresh and plentiful. The price of it was an entire family’s labor, supplemented by the efforts of a whole community. Bossier Parish residents could eat across the food groups without going to the store.

Meat – Bacon, sausage or ham was for breakfast, a slice of meat between biscuit halves was for lunch and for dinner it was ham, hamburger or chops. Since one cow could feed eight families, and the meat would go bad before consumed by a single family, neighbors formed “beef clubs”. Members took turns slaughtering a cow each week. People also raised their own hogs and chickens and supplemented these with fish, squirrel or hogs taken from the woods. Plain Dealing folks could bring their meat to the Food Preservation Center at Plain Dealing High School and get their meat canned and cured. The best cured meat could win a prize at the Bossier Parish Fair, usually held in Plain Dealing, from 1906 to the 1940’s. Next post: Fruits and Veggies

Photo: Unidentified squirrel hunters from the Beulah Findley Collection of Plain Dealing and North Bossier Parish photos by John Allen

Old Gardens and Gardening

The rich soils of Bossier Parish have always produced memorable abundances of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Many letters archived at the Historical Center contain references to foods and flowers grown in local gardens.

In September of 1900 a letter from Mary Peabody to friends in this area related the following:

"The wind blew cool this morning, but it is hot now. It is so very dusty. We have some sweet potatoes in the garden but it is so dry that it is hard work to get any. We had a nice garden this year, more vegetables than we could use. Mamma gave some away nearly everyday. She put up some kraut and made some chili sauce and chow-chow. We put up some peaches and pears. We haven't had any turnip greens yet, nor I haven't seen any. Yes, I will give you some violets. Will send them when I have a chance ... We had some very pretty morning glories and some roses."

A wide variety of flowers grew in Bossier gardens. In a May 1934 issue of The Bossier Banner, a local poet known as "Ladye Bird" recalled an old-fashioned garden containing boxwood hedges, beautiful pure-white lilies, violets, bridal wreath, yellow jasmine, heartsease, pansies, and thyme.

In Bossier's early days, as now, gardens were a great source of pride. Gardener's efforts might be rewarded at the Bossier Parish Fair with prizes for the best pecans, peanuts, pears, apples, pomegranates, figs, pumpkins, cushaws, beets, or radishes. Prizes in the floral division might be awarded to those who grew the finest chrysanthemums, roses, cacti, or ferns.