Dickinson Souvenir Cookbook--or--The Lives of Women Revealed

In 1898 the Methodist Episcopal Church, incorporated in Dickinson. A few years later, maybe around 1907 or 1910, the Ladies’ Aid Society published the Dickinson Souvenir Cookbook. This cookbook is a phenomenal source of information about Dickinson in the early part of the twentieth century. The cookbook contains ads from local businesses, such as the Zenith Coal mine (not only does the coal mine no longer exist, but the town of Zenith no longer exists).

Not only are the ads fascinating, but the cookbook also proves to be a source of information for a group often overlooked by other primary source materials, the women of Dickinson. The last names are a “who’s who” of Dickinson listing the wives of area farmers, doctors, bankers, and businessmen. Found in the cookbook are recipes from women such as Mrs. L.A. Davis, Mrs. John F. Davis, Mrs. W.L. Richards, and Margaret H. Stickney. Very few of the women used their own first name, choosing instead to use their husbands name or initials. The women who did use their first names were often single (Miss Martha Deiters). Most of the women were from Dickinson, although there are recipes included from outlying towns (Oakdale, Taylor, Beach), and even from women out of state (South Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois).

Another interesting aspect about the book is what it tells us about what people were eating and how they were preparing it. Women were mostly cooking over fires in their wood burning stoves. There are no temperature settings or cooking times included in any of the recipes. The fish recipes are mostly limited to what can be done with canned salmon. However, there are multiple recipes calling for fresh fruit and vegetables, and ways to preserve fresh fruit and vegetables. Lemons, pineapples, and grapes are called for in several recipes, indicating these items may not have been as exotic in Dickinson as one might think. There are also recipes for other luxuries such as ice cream (chocolate and neapolitan) and sherbet. However, most of the recipes call for basic prairie staples such as chicken, beef, flour, sugar, gooseberries, and buffaloberries. A lot of the recipes include rather interesting instructions. There are several references to “butter, size of an egg” and “butter the size of a walnut.” Another method used in a few recipes is to indicate an amount by how much it cost such as “5 cents worth of turmeric powder.”

Here are a few recipes from the Dickinson Souvenir Cookbook:

Sour Cream Frosting.—One cup sour cream boiled with 1 cup sugar until it strings. Add cup of chopped nuts and one cup chopped raisins. Remove sugar and cream from stove and beat well before adding nuts and raisins.
Mrs. L.A. Davis.

Spice Cake.—One half cup butter (scant), 2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup sour milk, 2 yolks of eggs, 1 white of egg, 2 1-2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1-2 teaspoon cloves, 1-2 nutmeg grated.
Mrs. John F. Davis.

Buffaloberry Pie.—Cook cup of berries with a cup of sugar. When cold stir in 1 cup of good sweet cream. Bake with 1 crust.
Mrs. L.A. Davis.

Lemon Pie.—Baked in 1 crust without frosting.—Mix cup sugar with 2 tablespoons flour, add the juice of one large lemon and the grated rind. 2 egg yolks slightly beaten, 1 cup sweet milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, little salt. When well mixed add stiffly beaten whites of two eggs. Bake in undercrust.
Margaret H. Stickney.

Chocolate Jumbles.—One-half cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 cup grated chocolate, 1 teaspoon baking powder, flour to stiffen. Roll and bake as cookies.
Mrs. W.L. Richards

Rocks.—One cup butter, 1 1-2 cups brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 lb. walnuts, 1 lb. raisins, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon soda dissolved in 1-2 cup warm water, 3 cups flour sifted.
Mrs. W. Soules.