In the early 1900's farm women seldom got to

In the early 1900's farm women seldom got to town to shop. There was very little transportation, and many farms were on a rough dirt road.

The farmer usually took a team of horses and a wagon when he went to town, or to the mill to get com ground into com meal. Butter and eggs were traded for the necessary staples needed for cooking, such as soda, baking powder, sugar and flour.

Before there was a pharmacy or a gourmet shop, there was Watkins products that started in 1868 with health “remedies" that came with money back guarantees.

Our household became very familiar with the Watkins products. There were many items the salesman carried that could not be purchased from the local stores.

Our dealer was Mr. V.H. Keeler who traveled in a panel truck with most anything you needed lined on each side. His store house was at Washington, and he had certain routes to make each month.

The flavoring extracts came in different sizes and flavors which included vanilla, lemon, orange, and peppermint. I’m sure there were others, but the vanilla and lemon was what we used the most.

The spices included cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger. The black pepper was used all year and especially at butchering time to help cure the meat. The tins are collectibles today.

The powdered pie fillings w’ere packaged in large cans that held enough to make several pies. The mixtures were blended with liquid and egg yolks and cooked to make fillings for pies and puddings. Lemon and chocolate were our favorites, but there were other flavors. The egg whites were beaten with a hand beater, and used to make a meringue topping.

This was before you could get soft drinks in cans and bottles. Watkins sold powdered soft drink mixes in a can. These were available in different fruit flavors, and were mixed with