Stevenson Memorial Cook Book

In Short

Compiled in 1919 by Mrs. William D. Hurlbut and an executive committee of Chicago women, this volume serves as a charitable fundraiser for the Sarah Hackett Stevenson Memorial Lodging House. It brings together hundreds of household recipes contributed by local women, ranging from basic soups, meats, and breads to regional seafood, elaborate cakes, and candies. Interspersed with merchant advertisements, household measurements, and local historical context, the text functions both as an active kitchen manual and as a historical snapshot of Midwestern domestic life, civic organization, and community-driven social support during the early post-World War I era.

The Story

The book opens with historical context establishing its philanthropic purpose. In 1893, widespread unemployment in Chicago left numerous women without income or shelter. Dr. Sarah Hackett Stevenson appealed directly to the Chicago Woman's Club, urging the organization to establish a refuge for destitute women willing to work. Her appeal secured immediate financial contributions, leading to the creation of the Woman's Model Lodging House, later renamed in her honor. To maintain ongoing support for the lodging house, Mrs. William D. Hurlbut, assisted by an executive committee and board of trustees, compiled this collection of donated recipes and local business advertisements to generate revenue for the institution.

Following this dedication, the text proceeds through a systematic organization of the early-twentieth-century American kitchen. Beginning with foundational courses, it presents recipes for appetizers, bouillons, and soups—such as clam soup, mock chicken soup, and court bouillon—before moving into sea and freshwater dishes, including broiled oysters and shrimp fricassee. The meat section stresses economy and home preparation, detailing various treatments for pork chops, roasts, and stews alongside specialty sauces ranging from simple mint and horseradish to mushroom and Bernaise.

The middle sequence of the volume focuses on farm produce, baked goods, and light meals. Vegetable dishes highlight regional ingredients and techniques, featuring stuffed peppers, egg plant with shrimp, and fried options. Salad selections combine fresh greens, gelatins, and heavy dressings, leading into a extensive bread section filled with variations of nut breads, graham loaves, and brown breads. Desserts occupy a significant portion of the text, moving from fruit marmalades, jellies, and puddings to intricate layer cakes, fruit icings, and homemade candies like caramels and chocolate creams.

The closing sections offer practical home management guidance, including charts for weights, measures, and cooking times, alongside general household hints. Interspersed throughout and concluding the volume are commercial advertisements from Chicago groceries, banks, laundries, and appliance companies. The book finishes as a completed civic effort, where daily home cooking directly funds social welfare for the city's vulnerable women.

How It Unfolds

The charity is established The text opens with the account of Dr. Sarah Hackett Stevenson addressing the Chicago Woman's Club in 1893 to address unemployed, homeless women. Her plea results in immediate subscriptions, leading directly to the founding of the lodging house.

The kitchen work begins The initial recipe chapters outline foundational first courses, featuring clear bouillons, fish dishes, and heartier fare. Contributors detail exact preparations for local and regional dishes, from Louisiana court bouillons to broiled oyster savories.

Main dishes and sauces take shape Subsequent chapters focus on meats, fowl, and complementary sauces, emphasizing versatile methods for pork chops, roasts, and stews. Instructions balance basic daily meals with dressed-up entrees designed for family dining or entertaining.

Garden produce and baked goods expand Vegetables, salads, and quick breads form the central culinary chapters, combining simple farm produce with molded jellies and rich dressings. Multiple variations of nut breads and graham loaves highlight household economy and baking skills.

Confections and daily hints close the work The final instructional chapters turn to sweets, detailing layer cakes, icings, puddings, and hand-rolled candies. Household measurement tables, cooking time charts, and local commercial advertisements complete the volume's functional purpose.

The People

Dr. Sarah Hackett Stevenson A physician and former president of the Chicago Woman's Club who initiates the charitable cause. Driven by the sight of destitute, unemployed women on Chicago streets in 1893, she demands immediate social intervention from her civic peers. Her effort establishes the shelter that bears her name.

Mrs. William D. Hurlbut The primary compiler of the cookbook. She organizes the collection, coordinates with executive committee members, and collects personal recipes from local women to create a published volume that yields ongoing revenue for the memorial lodging house.

The Executive Committee and Contributors A network of Chicago women, including Mrs. Herbert D. Sheldon, Mrs. Carl S. Junge, Mrs. Ada Woods, and numerous others. They supply their own tested recipes—ranging from simple family stews to complex party desserts—shaping the book's domestic character.

The Board of Trustees and Local Merchants Civic leaders, judges, and local business owners who back the lodging house. Merchants fund the book's publication by purchasing advertisements for groceries, electric washing machines, printing services, and banking, directly enabling the fundraising effort.

In Its Own Voice

"She went before this club and stated that there was no place in this great city where a woman without funds could find shelter--a woman who would work if given an opportunity."

The opening foreword recounts Dr. Stevenson's original appeal to the Chicago Woman's Club, setting the book's social purpose.

"Cut pork into small bits and fry until nicely browned; add onion juice and milk and potatoes, which have been boiled in salted water until tender; corn, salt and pepper."

A contributor details the practical, direct steps for constructing a standard home-cooked corn chowder.

"To show the original charm of this book, it was transcribed exactly as printed."

A introductory note highlights the historic nature of the text, preserving its period spelling variations and individual contributor names.

What It's Really About

Beneath its collection of recipes, the book explores how women leverage traditional domestic knowledge for collective social action. By gathering private recipes into a public volume, the contributors convert everyday home management into institutional support for impoverished women. The text reflects early-twentieth-century Midwestern food habits, showing how regional availability, industrial canned goods, and traditional heritage influences merged in middle-class kitchens. It argues that civic responsibility begins within local communities, demonstrating how small, individual contributions combine to maintain essential social safety nets.

Why Read It Today

Historians, food enthusiasts, and readers interested in women's history will find this volume a genuine record of American home life in 1919. The text offers a unvarnished look at historical cooking methods, period tastes, and middle-class kitchen management. Readers will encounter archaic culinary terminology, unstandardized instructions, and older spelling errors preserved directly from the original print, alongside ingredients like beef stock, lard, and early commercial products like Kitchen Bouquet or Knox gelatine.

The charm of the book lies in its personal details: every recipe carries a woman's name, connecting specific individuals to the broader charitable movement. Reading through its pages feels like leafing through a community ledger, where simple daily instructions for nut breads, fried oysters, and marmalades carry a lasting legacy of civic care and mutual aid.