A Snapshot of Women during WWII

I've always been fascinated by the women of Britain and the United States during WWII. From cooking on rations to the restrictions on clothing and beauty products, it has always been a keen interest of mine.  The value placed on a stiff upper lip 'Keep Calm and Carry On' and the charge of waste not want not in  'Make Do and Mend'  is something of an enigma in our modern time. And although in our current atmosphere we do have great recycling programs and are starting to put emphasis on renewable energy sources - how many of us throw out items when they become well worn or torn? I know I certainly do! And how many of us place more value on home grown foods and preservation's over heading to our local grocery store? I think heading to the store for a couple of items is pretty darn easy, I'll admit.  I guess in a way, what I've come to realize, is I am fascinated by these strong and industrious women because I, myself, lack the same skill set and industriousness as they did.  I certainly wouldn't do well in the stiff upper lip category. And, admittedly so, I am modern in almost every way - sometimes to a fault.

Housewife Patriotism in WWII

Rationing is always the first thing on my mind when I think of women living during wartime.  Since cooking and dining were an everyday task, is it little wonder why rationing was such an overwhelming part of life on the homefront?  And as the war continued onwards, so did restrictions on such things as gasoline, hosiery, rubber and food products.

Food, being a concern to many a housewife, was a very real and critical part of learning to live during the war. How they went about feeding their families and staving off malnutrition became a focus of  both the British government and the United State's government. Governmental programs such as The United State's 'Office of Price Administration' and Great Britain's 'Food Ministry' concerned themselves not only with rationing but also with instructing the public on ways to make food last and how to cook with what they had.  Ration booklets were distributed to each house with explicit instructions on how to use them and what they could and could not buy during a given period of time.

An example of a ration book given out to American citizens during WWII (ameshistory).

Rationing was crucial during WWII and was considered extremely patriotic, although there was a black market for certain products, most women made do under rationing.  And there were plenty of pamphlets and cookbooks in order to help the housewives of wartime Britain and USA with running a home on such restrictions.

Above is a an example of wartime rations.  There were certain allowances for pregnant women, infants and children. For example, children were given cod liver oil in order to maintain proper nutrition.  Many modern day experts believe that the wartime rations actually made for a fitter, healthier public (Health and Medicine Guardian Newspaper).  

The above snapshot gives a very real picture of what a family had for rationing.  To find out more about how one family lived on wartime rations explore the link provided! "Could a Modern Family Live on Wartime Rations?" One British family's quest for health: UK Dailymail

Women played a crucial role in WWII both at home as well as in newly created jobs such as those of the Land Army and Auxiliary Corps, "Nearly 350,000 American women served in uniform, both at home and abroad, volunteering for the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs, later renamed the Women’s Army Corps), the Navy Women’s Reserve (WAVES), the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS), the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS), the Army Nurses Corps, and the Navy Nurse Corps. General Eisenhower felt that he could not win the war without the aid of the women in uniform. “The contribution of the women of America, whether on the farm or in the factory or in uniform, to D-Day was a sine qua non of the invasion effort.” (Ambrose, D-Day 489, National WWII Museum).  In other words, women not only maintained the home under rationing and restrictions, often with the very real threat of bombardments, they also served as important military and civilian contributors. Talk about strength under enormous pressure!

One of my favorite pictures of Rosie the Riveter, the icon of wartime women, using a blow torch to heat her lunch.  With a great population of men off fighting, women stepped into the workforce and were crucial in keeping the factories open and assembly lines rolling.  Contributing to the creation of many wartime devices, everything from bombs to airplanes, women were now needed outside of the home like never before. 

Many women joined various uniformed services to help fight the war. This poster, as well as many others, showcased the importance of women volunteering. blitzkriegbaby

The enormous boost for patriotism both in Britain and in the United States, carried over into fashion. Going utilitarian was considered important because it meant using less materials which could be better suited elsewhere and incorporating newly synthetic fabrics.  "In the year 1942, a group known as the Incorporated Society of Fashion Designers created over 30 different new utility clothing designs. This particular group most likely was the one that made the most out of the simplistic clothing style trend of this time.  For the women, the suits that this company made were not as broad-shoulders as others (but were still squared). The jackets and skirts of these suits were more contoured to the shape of a woman’s body, and looked more feminine than other box-cut patterned women’s suits of the time" (thepeoplehistory).

The Utilitarian look of many service women was not only used by those employed but also on the homefront.  To get a better understanding of how important clothing was during wartime here is a link to an article regarding proper undergarments for women in uniform: The Daily Telegraph, Sept 2, 1939: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/6082232/World-War-2-Underwear-and-uniform.html

Reflecting that life in wartime was both dark and industrious, fashion went simple.  Practical and stylish shoes, broad shouldered fitted jackets, and tightly hugging skirts in simple and muted colors reflected the wartime need for diligence and steadfastness. 

Women in wartime had it tough yet they were industrious, oft-fearless, smart, diligent, hardworking and courageous.  There is a reason why we call the folks from that era 'the greatest generation' because they simply were amazing.  They came together and rallied together in a unique and awe-inspiring way.  If I could utilize just a fraction of their courage and industriousness I think I would be so much better off in life.
XOXO,
TheHistoryGirl



WAIT!!!!!!
Don't go anywhere yet!!
I made Lord Woolton Pie tonight and I just have to share it...
I haven't had a meal this good in a long time and it really is a hearty and filling meal.

**I did do some minor alterations to the above recipe:  I didn't use any vegetable extract because I didn't have any on hand.  The only veggies I used were a baggie of baby carrots chopped, one yellow onion chopped, a handful of cauliflowers (they were leftovers) and a bunch of green onions chopped.  I also used 2 tablespoons of oatmeal.  For the topping I mixed 1 tablespoon of shortening, a couple tablespoons of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and about 2 tablespoons of cooked potatoes.  I mashed everything together until it formed a dough (sprinkle with water and additional flour until it forms a sort of dough).  I then flattened out the dough and placed it over the pie. However, if you wanted to do a more simplified version of the topping just follow the directions above.  The pie came out great and I topped each personal serving with some Bistro Brand Brown Onion Gravy!

Lord Woolton Pie! So yummy and hearty.

Okay, now I am really finished.
XOXO,
TheHistoryGirl

For additional information about WWII life on the Homefront check out these links:
http://www.vintag.es/2014/10/a-day-in-life-of-wartime-housewife.html
http://www.blitzkriegbaby.de/ (one of my favorite sites about women during WW2)
https://1940sexperiment.wordpress.com/ (Another favorite of mine - tons of great recipes)


There are literally too many movies, documentaries and TV series to make a list regarding WWII so here are just a few I found offered through Netflix streaming and Amazon Prime:

Netflix (may or may not be available at any given time):
Land Girls
Bomb Girls
Foyle's War
The Bletchley Circle
Murder on the Homefront
Island at War

Amazon Prime (may or may not be available for Prime at any given time):
WWII in HD
Silent Wings
Band of Brothers
Patton
Defiance

Britain's Love of Curry + Super Easy Coconut Curry Recipe

Curry is a complex dish that can trace it's origins to Eastern and Southern Asia.  And using spices, herbs, and chilies, curry is a very robust and flavorful dish, one that is extremely popular all over Britain.  Featured as either dry or wet, curry is cooked utilizing a variety of techniques depending upon who is making the dish. But where did Britain's love of curry come from?

Curry can, in some form, trace it's roots back in ancient history, "Archaeological evidence dating to 2600 BCE from Mohenjo-daro suggests the use of mortar and pestle to pound spices including mustard, fennel, cumin, and tamarind pods with which they flavoured food. Such dishes are also recorded during the Vedic Period of Indian history, roughly 1700 to 500 BCE" (Wikipedia).  So, when and how did curry become so intertwined in the British landscape?  

Coat of Arms of The East India Trading Company (Wiki Picture)

According to 'Go For An English, website' "When the British first established trading posts in India in the mid 17th century they were simply trading partners. The food eaten by the employees of the East India Company would have been largely the same as the food eaten by the local Indian population. And there appears to have been plenty of choice; one East India Company employee wrote in 1759 "The currees are infinitely various". By the time the British had become the colonial rulers of India in the mid 1800's there had been a huge influx of British nationals into India to administer British affairs. The British colonials were by now eating predominantly British-style food although they found that they had to adapt to local conditions and use local produce. Numerous books were written to help newly arrived young British wives advising them how and what to cook and how to manage a household in India" (goforanenglish). 

Due to large demand for the new dish, back home in the British empire, but the lack of ingredients needed to reproduce the curries found within the colony of India, a curry powder, which could be transported easily, became the 'go-to' staple for much of the British curries in the late colonial and up into the Victorian era.  Mrs. Beeton's Victorian book of Household Management, which wiggled it's way into many a households and kitchens had a prized recipe for curry beef using the powder (MrsBeetonHousehold):

CURRIED BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).

620. INGREDIENTS – A few slices of tolerably lean cold roast or boiled beef, 3 oz. of butter, 2 onions, 1 wineglassful of beer, 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder.

Mode.—Cut up the beef into pieces about 1 inch square, put the butter into a stewpan with the onions sliced, and fry them of a lightly-brown colour. Add all the other ingredients, and stir gently over a brisk fire for about 10 minutes. Should this be thought too dry, more beer, or a spoonful or two of gravy or water, may be added; but a good curry should not be very thin. Place it in a deep dish, with an edging of dry boiled rice, in the same manner as for other curries.

Time.—10 minutes. Average cost, exclusive of the meat, 4d.

Seasonable in winter.

Curry was just about everywhere in Britain, including at the table of Queen Victoria, "Kitchen archives at the Queen’s favourite residence, Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, reveal that curries featured on the menu every Sunday during lunchtime. “Had some excellent curry, prepared by one of my Indian servants,” the Queen remarked in her diary later that summer" (Revealed).  

Queen Victoria with Family (note the Indian servants behind)

With the influx of Britain's going to and from India, as well as the influx of Indian's arriving in Britain and soon opening restaurants and becoming chefs and cooks, it is no large surprise that curry became an integral dish of Britain. 

Wiki Picture

Sake Dean Mahomed by Thomas Mann Baynes (c. 1810) Wiki Picture

And it has remained an integral part of the British food scene ever since, "Almost 200 years before the Indian restaurant became a fixture on the British high street, [Sake Dean] Mahomed, a Muslim soldier, founded the first curry establishment in Britain, the Hindoostane Coffee House in Portman Square, London. It gave the gentry of Georgian England their first taste of spicy dishes. Two centuries later, the British are still in love with dishes flavoured with cumin, coriander, ginger, fenugreek, cayenne pepper and caraway. We spend an extraordinary £2.5bn in Indian restaurants every year. Around 80 per cent of "Indian" restaurants are actually owned by Bangladeshis, and their cuisine derives not just from India but Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. And curry describes not just one dish, but a meal and the cooking of an entire subcontinent" (Independent).  

In keeping with our curry theme, I present an easy (and I mean EASY) coconut curry recipe.  All ingredients are from Trader Joe's.

 Ingredients:
1 Can Coconut Cream (you'll only need 1/2)
1 Jar Thai Red Curry Sauce
1 Package of Rice (the box comes with 3, just use 1 packet)
1/2 an onion, chopped
Salt and pepper, optional
1 package of garlic naan bread
1 package of chicken, 2 lbs or thereabouts, cubed
Pat of butter or olive oil for frying

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 (or whatever your naan bread directions say).  Shake a little pepper over the cubed chicken.  Fry the chicken in butter or olive oil, when nearly cooked, toss in onions and cook until translucent. Cook rice per package directions. Toss rice, 1/2 can of coconut cream, and 1 jar of Thai Red Curry Sauce in the pan.  Mix well and bring the curry sauce to boiling. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.  Put naan bread in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Once done, serve and enjoy.  Super easy and feeds 3-4 (ingredients can be doubled as needed).

Curry simmering away.

Curry always smells so delicious and it is truly one of my favorite dishes to make.  Of course, I always plan to make an elaborate curry but, like everyone else, time slips away from me and in the end I use Trader Joe's ingredients and to be honest, it's just as tasty! Plus, knowing that Queen Victoria had her own love of curry makes me smile even more.
It warms my little Anglophile heart...
XOXO,
TheHistoryGirl

Sources: 

http://www.goforanenglish.com/oldenglish/curry.html

http://www.mrsbeeton.com/13-chapter13.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Karim_(the_Munshi)

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-revealed-queen-victorias-secret-love-for-her-indian-servant-1679137

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/sake-dean-mahomed-the-man-who-opened-britains-first-curry-house-nearly-200-yars-ago-509028.html

(And many more than are linked within the blog post). 

Charles Luther Scates

Sorry it has been so long since my last post but life gets in the way sometimes and a blog has to take a backseat! Well, I'm back and today I am doing a very special, incredibly personal blog about a particular family member named Charles Luther Scates.  He wasn't famous and you won't find his name in any history textbooks but I thought I'd make this blog post dedicated to him.  He was, after all, my third great grandfather!

Charles Luther Scates

Charles Luther Scates

Charles Luther Scates was born in Batavia, Genesee, New York** on May 4th of 1844 (Please see end note).  

Batavia, Genesee County, New York 

He was born to Charles M Scates and Elizabeth Betsy Cowden.  The Scates lived and worked the land near Dryden, Lapeer, Michigan.  Charles Luther helped his father as a laborer on the family farm. 

Dryden, Michigan at the turn of the century.

Charles M. and Elizabeth Betsy Scates's Family consisted of 6 sons and 5 daughters: Samuel born 1832 and died 1870, Mary S. born 1834, Charles W. born in 1836 and died in infancy (approx. 1836), Elizabeth Caroline born 1838 and died 1913, Mary Ann born 1842, Charles Luther born 1844 and died in 1899, Elnora (or Eliza) born 1846 and died 1890, James W. born 1848 and died in 1870, George Wallace born in 1850 and died in 1934, Frank H. born in 1852 and died in 1920, Alice L. born in 1854.  (Names and dates are approximate). 

Charles Luther Scates was 18 when he volunteered for Company C 20th Michigan Infantry at the outbreak of the American Civil War. Company C 20th Michigan Infantry was organized in Jackson, Michigan on August 15th through August 19th.  Charles Scates was one of those who enlisted during this time and began his official service on August 16th of 1862.  While in service with the 20th Michigan Infantry, Charles Scates advanced on Culpepper November 2-15th of 1862 and Falmouth, Virginia in November from the 16th through the 19th.  The 20th Michigan Infantry was also in the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia.  

Battle of Fredericksburg: The Army of the Potomac crossing the Rappahannock: in the morning of December 13, 1862, under the command of Generals Burnside, Sumner, Hooker & Franklin. Wiki Picture

According to Wikipedia, "The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside. The Union Army's futile frontal attacks on December 13 against entrenched Confederate defenders on the heights behind the city is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the American Civil War, with Union casualties more than twice as heavy as those suffered by the Confederates. Burnside's plan was to cross the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg in mid-November and race to the Confederate capital of Richmond before Lee's army could stop him. Bureaucratic delays prevented Burnside from receiving the necessary pontoon bridges in time and Lee moved his army to block the crossings. When the Union army was finally able to build its bridges and cross under fire, urban combat in the city resulted on December 11–12. Union troops prepared to assault Confederate defensive positions south of the city and on a strongly fortified ridge just west of the city known as Marye's Heights. On December 13, the "grand division" of Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin was able to pierce the first defensive line of Confederate Lieutenant General Stonewall Jackson to the south, but was finally repulsed. Burnside ordered the grand divisions of Maj. Gens. Edwin V. Sumner and Joseph Hooker to make multiple frontal assaults against Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's position on Marye's Heights, all of which were repulsed with heavy losses. On December 15, Burnside withdrew his army, ending another failed Union campaign in the Eastern Theater" (Wikipedia ).

The confederacy won that particular battle.  And not soon after that battle Charles Luther Scates was mustered out at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on December 31st of 1862 as disabled.  He had dropsy and asthma. Both very hard and strenuous conditions to have during a war. Dropsy is defined as, "An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. In years gone by, a person might have been said to have dropsy. Today one would be more descriptive and specify the cause. Thus, the person might have edema due to congestive heart failure. Edema is often more prominent in the lower legs and feet toward the end of the day as a result of pooling of fluid from the upright position usually maintained during the day. Upon awakening from sleeping, people can have swelling around the eyes referred to as periorbital edema. The Middle English dropesie came through the Old French hydropsie from the Greek hydrops which in turn came from the Greek hydor meaning water" (MedicineNet ). 

Update: from Cara Duley Shelton "For the Scates side cousins this morning (I started tagging, but I'm on my phone...Please tag your siblings & others!): I may be late to the party (as I'm late to the family, so please forgive me if you all know this) but I just found out that Charles L. Scates was a survivor of the Sultana disaster. Did you guys know this?  A Union soldier out of Michigan, captured in Virginia and imprisoned at Andersonville, GA., he managed to survive that notorious prison until the end of the war.  Then, all the POWs were put on the steamboat Sultana and sent back up the Mississippi towards home on April 27, 1865. This picture was taken in Arkansas. The boat had a legal capacity of 376 passengers, but it held nearly 2,500 prisoners - the U.S. gov't was paying $5 per soldier and $10 per officer to get them home. Just south of Memphis, TN, a boiler burst, the fire ignited other boilers and the steamboat exploded, looking like a volcano in the middle of the river. 1800 of these men, in weakened and frail condition as POWS, died either in the explosion or of drowning before they could be rescued.  Of the 700 survivors, 200 more died of burns in Memphis area hospitals.  Somehow through all that, your gg-grandfather survived.  It was the worst American maritime disaster in history, but it was totally overshadowed ..coming the day after Lincoln's assassination.   Ok. So if I've bored you to tears, that's enough. There are books and books, and many documentaries, made on the disaster. I have the papers that prove Charles L. Scates was a Sultana survivor. Let me know if you want copies.The papers are on ancestry, or I can email them."

Pretty incredible.

The best summation of life after the war for Charles Luther Scates comes from his daughter Alice Elizabeth Allen (née Scates) in her short memors, "My father was a soldier throughout the war, but at the close of the war he was mustered out at "Fort Leavenworth."  From there he joined a wagon train to cross the plains - from Leveanworth to Fort Laramie, Wyoming.  I think he made two trips and on returning settled near Topeka where he met my mother, where later they married."  

 Fort Leavenworth Artillery Barracks (Wiki )

Fort Laramie 1874 Calvary Barracks (Wiki )

Alice Elizabeth Scates (née Lampson)

Alice Elizabeth Lampson was made a widow when her husband Elijah Hatch James died on Septmber 15th of 1864.  She had, had three children with Mr. James: Charles, Emma and Flora.  Alice Elizabeth was born September 9th of 1833 in Athens, Ohio making her eleven years older than Charles Luther Scates.  The Kansas farm, located in "Kaw Valley" upon which Elizabeth lived first as the wife of Elijah and then as a widow with her three children was paid off, although she had no money herself.  As Alice Elizabeth Allen (née Scates) states about her mother, "She worked, skimped, and economized until she paid the bills and finished her house."  The house that she and Elijah had shared was a small structure built on the back of their pioneering wagon.

Charles and Elizabeth married September 9th of 1867 in Jefferson County, Kansas.  In the 1870 census, Charles Luther Scates is listed as a 26 year old farmer with a farm valued at approximately $1,600.00.  The agriculture census in July of 1870 gives a further image of the family farm:
Acres: Land Improved: 30; Woodland: 10; Other (unimproved): 40
Cash Value: Farm: $1600; Farming Equipment and Machinery: $460
Livestock: Horses: 6; Milk Cows: 2; Swine: Unidentifiable number
Value of all Livestock: $600
Wheat in Bushels: Spring: 86
Indian Corn in Bushels: 50
Oats in Bushels: 500

Even though the farm was in good standing the family moved in 1874.  According to Alice Elizabeth Allen (née Scates), "...in 1874 we went to the new part of the state and again meant living on the "frontier." But to me they were happy days where one learns to think for himself, meet emergencies in an instant and fear nothing.  From 9 years old I rode half-broken ponies and do anything else that came up.  I did not know the meaning of the world can't."  However, not all times were easy living in the frontier of Kansas.  In 1874, grasshoppers literally engulfed the region and covered everything, eating anything they landed on including the crops from the Scates Farm.  They ate all of the cabbage, trees, and corn down to the stalk.  "Times were so hard we could not stay there.  This was on the west side of the "Flint Hills," which was along a line of hills which was called the "foothills" of the Wichita Mountains.  So we went east over the hills and strange to say the hoppers did not go over to any great extent and there was great orchards of fruit and wheat so we had bread even if we did not have much else at the time.  My father was able to get work for the wheat and take it to the little water mill and get it ground for a "toll" (Alice Elizabeth Allen née Scates).

Flint Hills in Southeast Kansas (Wiki )

After the great grasshopper disaster, the family once again moved to the eastern area of Kansas and rented a small farm.  However, due to the low amount of work on the farm, Charles Luther Scates ventured to Joplin, Missouri where a lead mining boom was taking place.  Charles worked hauling ore from Galina to Joplin.  The family made yet another move when Charles Luther Scates's team of horses was stolen, prompting the family to head a little further west in Kansas (although not really western Kansas).  The government reserved land in certain areas of Kansas for settlers who demonstrated that they were authentic in their desire to be prosperous.  The settlers could obtain land if they built a house, plowed and planted acres of crops and dug wells.  Determined to do just that, the Scates family settled in Elk County, Kansas near the towns of Howard and Union Center.  Once in Elk County, Charles and Alice Elizabeth, "...call(ed) a meeting to organize a school district as the only schools up until that time was a subscription school where each one paid so much for each child and hire a teacher who held school in an old log house that was vacant.  After the organization of the district that voted a tax levy and proceed to build a school house, hauling the lumber 50 miles and the men built it gratis.  There was no money for a teacher, neither could they see any public money until school had been established, so again a subscription school.  Each parent furnishing his quota of wood also boarding a teacher.  I believe one week for each child attending"  (Alice Elizabeth Allen née Scates).  

Charles Scates and his family rented their farm near Union Center, Elk County, Kansas and in June of 1880 the farm was surveyed. This Federal Selected Census of the Population in Kansas  provides an interesting picture of what type of farm the Scates held and what kind of work they must have done.  Here is a summery of the farm they rented and worked:

Acres of land imroved: 28 (including tilled land) and acres of land unimproved: 160 (including woodland and "old fields").

Farm Value: Land $1000, Machinery and Equipment: $100, Livestock: $200

Value of Production: $135

Acres of Mowed Grassland: 6

Acres of Hay: 10

Horses: 3

Milk Cows: 4

Other Cattle: 3

Calves Delivered: 4

Sold Living: 2

Died: 1

Butter Churned: 300 Pounds (holy arm power!)

Swine: 2

Poultry: 51

Eggs Produced: 100 dozen

Indian Corn: Acres 27; Bushels: 600

Molasses: 5 gallons

Potatoes: 25 bushels

While living and working around the Elk County area, Charles Luther Scates was also enrolled in the Grand Army of the Republic, which served the "veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, Marines and Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died. Linking men through their experience of the war, the GAR became among the first organized advocacy groups in American politics, supporting voting rights for black veterans, lobbying the US Congress to establish veterans' pensions, and supporting Republican political candidates. Its peak membership, at more than 490,000, was in 1890, a high point of Civil War commemorative ceremonies. It was succeeded by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), composed of male descendants of Union veterans" (The Grand Army of the Republic ).

Enrollment of Ex-Soldiers and Sailors of the Late Armies of the United States, Residing in the State of Kansas.

Muster Roll of Members of E.M. Stanton Post 23 located at Howard, County of Elk, Department of Kansas Grand Army of the Republic, mustered or admitted by transfer during the quarter ending the 30 day of June 1884. 

Charles Luther Scates passed away at the young age of 55 on November 3rd or 22nd of 1899.  He was buried in Farmington Cemetery in Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas.  Alice Elizabeth Scates, now a widow, requested a pension shortly after his death.

Pension Application for Charles Scates, Feb 16, 1900.  Filed by Alice Elizabeth Scates.  It does list another service of A 5 Michigan Calvary but because I do not have any documents proving this service as of yet, that part of his service is still being investigated on my part and therefore, I didn't include it in my bio.

And because Charles Luther Scates served in the American Civil War in the Union Army his daughter, who has provided an amazing snapshot of her family life, applied to the War Department for a headstone recognizing his service.  It was granted. 

Application for Headstone to the War Department, applied May 26th of 1930 by Alice Elizabeth Allen (nee Scates)

Charles Luther Scates, Co. C 20th Michigan Infantry, Headstone located in Farmington Cemetery in Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas

I was touched by the stories from Alice Elizabeth Allen (nee Scates) about her parents and I thought it only fitting that I include a picture of Alice, her brother (my 2nd great grandfather) Luther and his wife Emma Pitzer. 

Alice "Allie" Elizabeth Allen (nee Scates), Luther Bertcell Scates, and his wife Emma Catherine Scates (nee Pitzer)

I love investigating my family and learning all kinds of new and interesting stories.  And, like all genealogy it is an ongoing and never ending process.  I tried to have the most accurate information that is available by cross checking and cross referencing many sources and many sites.  But, it will never be perfect and perhaps someone else has conflicting or different information.  It happens.  Census records are notoriously shaky when it comes to exact dates and names but they are an invaluable tool.  And I love that I have Allie Allen's (Alice Elizabeth Allen) personal stories but those too can have some discrepancies. At any rate, Charles Luther Scates was pretty amazing.  In fact, so was his whole family (I deeply admire Alice Elizabeth Scates, his wife. Talk about a strong woman!).  These folks were just a drop in the bucket of the steadfastness and determined folks that make up the pioneers and I couldn't be more proud to have them in the family line.  

XOXO,

TheHistoryGirl

Sources:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=13311

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Army_of_the_Republic

http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_Leavenworth

http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_Laramie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fredericksburg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesee_County,_New_York

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_Hills

ancestry.com

http://mediasvc.ancestry.com/v2/image/namespaces/1093/media/b6b33cb8-2250-4c53-b122-bcaa2cbb70c7?client=TreesUI (Page 1 of Allie Allen's Memoirs)

http://mediasvc.ancestry.com/v2/image/namespaces/1093/media/33603c93-6a52-4003-9528-bfab405d7595?client=TreesUI (Page 2 of Allie Allen's Memoirs)

http://mediasvc.ancestry.com/v2/image/namespaces/1093/media/9e0adf2c-3d23-4cd9-a3bb-fc27a5aeb966?client=TreesUI (Page 3 of Allie Allen's Memoirs)

http://mediasvc.ancestry.com/v2/image/namespaces/1093/media/f0b54158-4b95-4d4f-abbd-3dff68a2ef1e?client=TreesUI (Page 4 of Allie Allen's Memoirs)

**A little note about his birth: Although on a few census records he lists his birthplace as having been Vermont as well as Canada, on a map, these locations are all extremely close together and since we are still dealing with very early days of carving up the American states, he might have thought he was born there or the census taker may have just wrote what he felt was correct.  Who knows?!

Leftover Italian Bake

So, I originally set out to bake a WWII Wartime Loaf today, however, much to my sadness, when I tested the yeast it had gone bad & I simply didn't have the energy to go to the store to get more. So it was a no go. Total bummer because I was looking forward to some bread and jam for my breakfast tomorrow. I guess I’ll be having cereal like the kiddos! Anyways, I decided to take a break from history and instead bring you an easy recipe that I concocted using leftovers from last night and stuff I had in my fridge.

In the spirit of frugality --- which was, historically speaking, very important ---

…and in the love I have for Italian food, I bring you...

Leftover Italian Bake!

Ingredients:

Left over noodles with sauce **any noodle that has spaghetti sauce cooked from the night before will do (I had approx. 5 cups of Penne Rigate noodles with meatballs)

1 cup tomato purée or sauce (about 1-10.75 can)

2 Tablespoons of cream cheese, cubed

1 egg

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (for top)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella (for top)

Casserole dish - approx. 2 qt.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F. Cube cream cheese. Toss cream cheese, egg, leftover spaghetti, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, 1/2 cup Parmesan & 1/2 cup cheddar (or mozzarella) in a bowl & mix well. Place the mix into a casserole dish. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven. Mix the bake -- mixing the cream cheese well. Place remaining cheese on top of casserole. And cook an additional 10 minutes.

Mix all the Ingredients together. Bake 375 for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes in oven, mix ingredients once again and top with cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes.

 

Once done, let the bake rest for a couple of minutes. I broiled old hamburger buns topped with butter and garlic for a frugal garlic-bread side dish while the bake cooled. 

Voila! A Tasty second-day meal from leftover pasta.  

You'll notice that I used Penne Rigate with sauce and meatballs for my base, truly, this recipe can be altered, added too, and changed based on your tastes & what you have on hand. All in all it's a great way to use up those spaghetti leftovers.

So put on some Luciano Pavarotti, pour a glass of your favorite Italian red wine and enjoy some second-day Italian cuisine! 

Ciao XOXO, 

TheHistoryGirl

Baked "Fried" Chicken Recipe

Ah, the family.  Gathered around the table on a Sunday after church, eating mama's Fried Chicken. 

Fried Chicken brings us all home and it is a true comfort food.  

It's also one of my favorites.  It reminds me of a certain kind of kitsch.  A yearning for days past when life was easy and not so very complicated.  

So, today I invite you to a not-so-long ago past, during a time of family meals with no cell phones or laptops.  When we all had a hankering for a home cooked meal that hit us right in our soul.  

I invite you to a Sunday dinner of yesteryear....

Retro "Fried" Chicken Dinner

Yesteryear's Sunday Family Tradition

In truth, I don't often have the patience to cook long meals and it is a true shame because when I put in a little effort it almost always turns out for the best.  And today, I really wanted to make our meal special -- call it a hankering for some good ol' homecookin'.  I came across a recipe from RecipeCurio that I knew I had to try.  It got me thinking, though about Fried Chicken, and, although fried chicken is nothing new, I really wanted to focus on our love of all things vintage-kitsch Fried Chicken.  

(Image: Judy Garland frying Chicken in 1955). 

Think KFC in the 1960s...

(Retro KFC Bucket, KFC Ad circa 1968, Early KFC Restaurant)

Quick versions of fried chicken entered the "fast food" world in the 1950's and 1960's with the rise of deep freezers and fast food restaurants.  At the beginning of the upward trend in all things convenient, fried chicken was right there along with hamburgers and french fries. KFC, local fried chicken shacks and the ever-so-kitsch TV dinners were extremely popular. 

However, convenience fried chicken could never replace the homecooked versions.  And recipes, coming out in magazines (from the 1920s through the 1960s and beyond) as well as in new fangled cookbooks, were a dime a dozen: 

I love to look through old recipes, and, fried chicken recipes are always eye catching.  Each family has their own version and their own kind: Southern, Spicy, Corn-Flaked, Breadcrumb-Breaded, and finally, the version I tried, Rice Crispy coated. The different kinds of Fried Chicken may be various in cooking methodology with fans of each but they all have one thing in common: a delicious & comforting homecooked-taste.

And now on with the recipe...

Baked Fried Chicken

Recipe Provided by RecipeCurio.com

(A Printable Version Link Provided at End of Blog)

I stayed pretty true to the recipe with the ingredients, only subbing out two packages of chicken breast for the fryer chicken and the garlic clove for dried.  It was super delicious and it has since been added to my family's meal rotation.  

Ingredients: 

• 2 Packages of thin cut chicken breast OR 1 package of thick cut chicken breast OR 1 Fryer chicken. 
• 4 Cups Rice Krispie Cereal
• 3/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano or mixed)
• 2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1/8 Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon each: Garlic Salt and Garlic Powder (or 1 Clove Garlic)
• 1/4 chopped parsley (I used dried)
• 1/2 Cup Butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.  Melt Butter in microwave for 45 seconds or until melted. *Here is where I differed in methods from the above handwritten recipe: I did the shake'n'bake method.* Combine dry ingredients in a large ziplock bag.  Crush the Rice Krispie Cereal in the bag and make sure all the Parmesan Cheese is clump free. Dip chicken in butter and add to the ziplock bag. Once all the chicken is in the bag, seal it up, and toss until all the chicken is well-coated with the Rice Krispie mixture. 

Once the chicken is coated add to a baking pan in an even layer (if using Fryer Chicken - place skin side up).  I covered the chicken with remaining Krispie mix.

Place Aluminum foil over the baking dish and pop it in the oven. 

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.  Do not turn the pan once in the oven.  

It came out perfect, and I made some truly vintage sides to go with the baked "fried" chicken.  And it really did taste like I had fried it!

Some good old fashioned mashed potatoes and gravy with green beans and country white bread rounded out the baked "fried" chicken meal.  It was a real winner!

(All recipe's provided by http://recipecurio.com/ and images from Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mamanikkiwilson/)

Sources: http://recipecurio.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_chicken

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonliebigstuff/5599655321/

http://www.pinterest.com/ (Searched Images)

Judy Garland Image: http://www.buzzfeed.com/maceyjforonda/awesome-vintage-photos-of-celebrities-eating#31iase3

Enjoy this very vintage KFC commerical!

Click for the Printable Recipe