[PW] ? Size of a pork-barrel

[Mary Henning]

Hi Jeff,

Sorry for that earlier "spam"  ;-)  

My mail client stripped all formatting and URL's.  It's that kind ofday.  **sigh**

Let's try again (no time for citations, so have pasted URL's to end ofeach bullet item)...



Hi Jeff,

No definitive answer, but have attached some web resources that mighthelp:

*  A recent article in the "History Now" of AmericanHeritage Magazine indicates the pork barrel was large, butdoesn't state its size.  For more info, seehttp://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2007/2/2007_2_9.shtml.

*  A web article describing the killingof wild hogs in Currituck County, NC states that folks brined thepork in whiskey barrels (or coke barrels, if whiskey barrels weren'tavailable).  NOTE:  other web sources mention using whiskey barrels tosalt pork.  For more info, seehttp://www.currituck.com/history/memory/hogkilling.shtml

*  An online excerpt from TheWisconsin Lumberman (published 1874) notes that lumbermills werequite busy manufacturing staves for whiskey and pork barrels, andincludes the physical specs for barrel staves and beading.  For moreinfo, see http://www.currituck.com/history/memory/hogkilling.shtml

*  There may be more info in an article by Sarah McMahon in theSpring 1989 issue of Agricultural History (sorry, EBSCOHostdatabase didn't include this issue):
For brining hams and the use of the pork barrel, see SarahF. McMahon,"'All Things in Their Proper Season': Seasonal Rhythms of Diet inNineteenth-Century New England," Agricultural History 63:2(Spring 1989).

Hope this helps!
Mary Henning



Cramer, Jeff wrote:  
Would anyone happen to know if a nineteenth century pork barrel was of a standard size and, if so, what it was.  Jeffrey S. Cramer, Curator of Collections The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods 44 Baker Farm, Lincoln, MA 01773-3004 Telephone/Fax: (781) 259-4730E-mail: Jeff.Cramer at walden.org <mailto:Jeff.Cramer at walden.org> Website: www.walden.org/Institute <http://www.walden.org/Institute> "I have sometimes imagined a library, i.e. a collection of the works of true poets, philosophers, naturalists, etc., deposited not in a brick and marble edifice in a crowded and dusty city. . . but rather far away in the depths of the primitive forest. . ." -- Henry D. Thoreau, 3 February 1852The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods is owned and managed by the Walden Woods Project&#65533;&#65533; Stay informed. The THOREAU UPDATE offers periodic updates on special items, new material, events and other information relevant to the Library at the Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods. To receive the
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