Stepping Back in Time: American Catering in the 1800s
In 1881, a former slave named Abby Fisher made history: She became the second Black woman in the U.S. to publish a cookbook (Malinda Russell was the first). And publishing “What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking” was only one of Fisher’s many notable achievements.
“In California, where she and her family moved after the Civil War, she opened a successful catering business,” Amanda Moniz wrote for NPR “She won medals for her cooking, and it is her professional accomplishment that she stresses (in her book).”
Fisher’s legacy helps illustrate an important chapter of U.S. catering history.
As we wrote in our first blog about the history of catering, many of America’s first and most successful caterers were Black. That trend continued from the Revolutionary War era well into the 1800s.
Seizing Opportunity
“In the early 19th century, the title of caterer encompassed anything from being the master of ceremonies at an event to the preparer of the food and manager of service,” The Lowcountry Digital History Initiative (LDHI) wrote for an exhibit about Charleston caterer Nat Fuller. “Caterer was also one of the few, and most lucrative, prominent public positions that could be acceptably filled by an African American during slavery…These men and women had the training and skills to cook for large numbers; manage books to minimize costs; transport china, silver, tables, linen, tents, and foodstuffs; hire reliable wait staff and cooking assistants; contract for entertainment; and speak eloquently at major gatherings.”
Many of these entrepreneurs became local celebrities. Fuller, for example, made news when he, his wife, Diana, and an assistant named Tom R. Tully prepared a feast for the 600 guests attending the Jubilee of Southern Union, which celebrated the completion of a rail line between Memphis and Charleston.
According to LDHI, one newspaper wrote, "All hands and the cook were busy from an early hour in preparation at the Military Hall, which had been generously tendered for the reception dinner, which was contracted and built up by that well known caterer, Nat Fuller.”
Another Black caterer of the era, Emeline Jones, was credited in her 1912 obituary with inventing Saratoga chips, or potato chips, while she was a cook in Baltimore, though we can’t confirm the accuracy of that claim. We can tell you Jones was a tremendously sought-after caterer.
“By the 1880s, she had settled in Manhattan, where she built up a formidable catering business,” Food Tells a Story wrote. “Her obituary lists a number of prominent New York chefs who had trained under her. It is said that Presidents Arthur and Cleveland, both of New York, were so fond of her cooking that both had offered her a big salary to come to Washington and be the White House chef, but she turned down their offers.”
While small entrepreneurs have remained an important part of the catering industry over the years, they started facing stiff competition as the 1900s approached.
According to a blog on Restaurant-ing through history, “Black caterers started becoming less numerous by the end of the nineteenth century, with much catering having been taken over by the big hotels that by then were dominant in the field, particularly for large banquets.”
Cuisine of the Era
Wondering what people ate during America’s 19th-century catered affairs? The answer, just like today, varies by location, decade, and circumstances.
In his book, American Restaurants and Cuisine in the Mid-Nineteenth Century, Paul Freedman wrote about some of the ingredients identified with certain regions of the country in the 1800s. At some lavish banquets, those dishes appeared on the same table.
“At a ball held in honor of Lord Napier, the British ambassador, on 26 February 1859 at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., an elegant super brought together Potomac River terrapin (turtle), James River oysters, canvasback ducks from the Delaware, reed birds from Savannah, wild turkeys from Kentucky, prairie vends from Iowa, mutton from the Cumberland mountains, venison from North Carolina, ‘and other Native American dishes,’ according to an account in Harper’s Weekly,” Freedman wrote.
We’ve also found glimpses of the dishes that successful Black caterers of the 19th century served. An ad for Caterer William G. Barron noted that his Charleston restaurant accepted orders for private parties, adding “The very best Oysters and all of the Delicacies of the season always on hand.”
And an advertisement for A.J. Caston, another Charleston confectioner and caterer, mentioned ice cream and fancy cakes, along with dressed poultry, oysters, all kinds of choice game, and New York celery and cauliflowers.
And what about San Francisco entrepreneur and cookbook author Abby Fisher — What dishes was she known for? The preface of her book provides an overview of the dishes she excelled at preparing.
“…I concluded to bring forward a book of my knowledge — based on an experience of upwards of thirty-five years — in the art of cooking Soups, Gumbos, Terrapin Stews, Meat Stews, Baked and Roast Meats, Pastries, Pies and Biscuits, making Jellies, Pickles, Sauces, Ice-Creams and Jams, preserving Fruits, etc. The book will be found a complete instructor, so that a child can understand it and learn the art of cooking.”