10/19/2023 | Angela Whitlock, CSRA

FEATURED VENDOR: Bear Wallow Books

The Museum Store is proud to feature Bear Wallow Books this week, because they further the history of food through their collection of recipe books!

Bear Wallow Books was actually founded by a historian in 1978! How cool is that? This historian lived in southern Indiana. She was teaching at the University of Indiana and researching Early American History, "when she realized that she saw recipes everywhere she looked; on scraps of paper that had been carried by immigrants crossing the sea, by pioneers leaving behind families and friends to settle a new country, and in letters containing family recipes to be handed down to new generations." Her first book was a response to a family member's request, and became a collection of recipes centered around persimmons. This became the first edition of Old-Fashioned Persimmon Recipes. 

The company was acquired by new owners in 1998, when the historian retired. At the time, she had published 27 books. With the new owners, their list of recipe books grew to 40.

Each of the books contains recipes that mainly span the 18th and 19th centuries, with some also from the early 20th century. Some recipes are even older than that! 

These recipe books provide insights into history from a unique perspective, in telling about the culture of people through the foods they made. They make fantastic gifts, but also are a great addition to anyone's home, especially for the holiday season! 

Check out our wide selection of Bear Wallow Books at the Museum Store!