(01-16-2015 02:55 PM)Donna McCreary Wrote:  Oysters were often served in Springfield, IL pre-Civil War era. John Todd Stuart wrote to his daughter about the food served at a spring wedding. The guests dined on oyster salad, cake and ice cream.
When a new attorney opened his own practice, it was his social duty to take his fellow attorneys to the oyster bar for a celebrational feast.
When the Long Nine were able to rally enough votes to move the state capital to Springfield in 1837, that evening, all of the legislatures were invited
to Capp’s Tavern for a victory celebration. Ninian Edwards paid the total bill of $223.50 for “cigars, oysters, almonds, and raisins.”
I don't know if oysters were cheap in Springfield, but they were readily available.

Do you know if there was a local source for the bivalves, or did they come by train from Maryland and Virginia?

I really do not know how they were transported. There were "oyster cars" from the east coast. Also, river boats coming from New Orleans would hang nets full of oysters along the side and keep them slightly submerged in the colder waters.

I asked the question because my daughter once did a paper on oyster production in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The amounts obtained from those sources were astounding, and with the growth of railroads that could carry the products into the Midwest, it led to over-harvesting and destroying most of our oyster beds here in Maryland by the WWII period. I was surprised, however, to see dates such as 1837, indicating an ample supply in Springfield at that early a time.

Laurie,

As you know, by the mid 19th century, you could not swing a dead cat in Washington City without hitting an oyster bar.

I read once, and cannot remember the source, that some oyster bars had a carry out service of a kind; purchase a bucket of oysters and a bucket of beer on the premises and take them where you will to enjoy. I suppose that there was a deposit for the buckets? It sounds real good to me.

I wonder if Wilkes and friends ever partook of this service?

Rick

(01-17-2015 10:04 AM)Rick Smith Wrote:  Laurie,

As you know, by the mid 19th century, you could not swing a dead cat in Washington City without hitting an oyster bar.

I read once, and cannot remember the source, that some oyster bars had a carry out service of a kind; purchase a bucket of oysters and a bucket of beer on the premises and take them where you will to enjoy. I suppose that there was a deposit for the buckets? It sounds real good to me.

I wonder if Wilkes and friends ever partook of this service?

Rick

Rick, I love the information about the carry-out oysters. Even if Wilkes never partook of the service, I am sure they had their fill of oysters.

(01-17-2015 10:52 AM)Donna McCreary Wrote:  

(01-17-2015 10:04 AM)Rick Smith Wrote:  Laurie,

As you know, by the mid 19th century, you could not swing a dead cat in Washington City without hitting an oyster bar.

I read once, and cannot remember the source, that some oyster bars had a carry out service of a kind; purchase a bucket of oysters and a bucket of beer on the premises and take them where you will to enjoy. I suppose that there was a deposit for the buckets? It sounds real good to me.

I wonder if Wilkes and friends ever partook of this service?

Rick

Rick, I love the information about the carry-out oysters. Even if Wilkes never partook of the service, I am sure they had their fill of oysters.

Donna,

I am sure you are right. I can just imagine it all.

Rick

Quote:I read once, and cannot remember the source, that some oyster bars had a carry out service of a kind; purchase a bucket of oysters and a bucket of beer on the premises and take them where you will to enjoy. I suppose that there was a deposit for the buckets? It sounds real good to me.

I wonder if Wilkes and friends ever partook of this service?

I can just imagine it all.

Great subject! I can imagine it as well....perfect subject for a cartoon!

Thanks for a facinating topic - I decided to do some research "digging" and found these great websites regarding Oysters, and their use in the 19th Century; shipping; eating of them, etc...

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/dec/26/...o-oyster26

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/24/nyregi...gewanted=2

http://www.oysters.us/18-19.html

http://nonabrooklyn.com/bear-meat-ice-ce...LqmrUfF-So

(01-17-2015 01:55 PM)BettyO Wrote:  

Quote:I read once, and cannot remember the source, that some oyster bars had a carry out service of a kind; purchase a bucket of oysters and a bucket of beer on the premises and take them where you will to enjoy. I suppose that there was a deposit for the buckets? It sounds real good to me.

I wonder if Wilkes and friends ever partook of this service?

I can just imagine it all.

Great subject! I can imagine it as well....perfect subject for a cartoon!

Thanks for a facinating topic - I decided to do some research "digging" and found these great websites regarding Oysters, and their use in the 19th Century; shipping; eating of them, etc...

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/dec/26/...o-oyster26

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/24/nyregi...gewanted=2

http://www.oysters.us/18-19.html

http://nonabrooklyn.com/bear-meat-ice-ce...LqmrUfF-So

I love these articles, Betty, and they bring back great memories of my childhood when oysters were always around. Nearly every Saturday in the fall, we would go to a ham or fried chicken and oyster dinner at a church (remember the White Elephant Tables, grab bags, and bake sales at the same event?). My mother fried a mean oyster and made a great oyster stew. She also occasionally made scalloped oysters, but I didn't like them as much as the fried ones. Now, as for raw oysters -- I have tried them with every condiment known to man and still cannot get them into my mouth.

There is still one church within ten miles of me that has an oyster dinner every Saturday before Thanksgiving. My daughter brought me a carry-out dinner from there this year to keep me happy.

All this talk of oysters reminds me of a catchy tune called "Oyster Girls"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3bTi4BrjZM

Do we have a thread about Lincoln and food? We should start one. There have been at least three books written about Lincoln and his eating habits. It seems that several of the topics have included discussions about food and recipes.