Celebrating History: Home economics

By Emily Mayer

Just like today, during the winter months, gatherings of various sorts took place in Havre. Some were entertaining and others were educational. For several weeks, large advertisements were in the newspapers announcing a Short Course for farmers in the area. This week 100 years ago, a course in home economics was announced in the Feb. 3, 1917, issue of The Havre Plaindealer, and would be of particular interest to women in the area.

VALUABLE COURSE IN HOME ECONOMICS

Women Will Find Much Interest in Course

The event of next week for the women of the city will be the home economics short course that is being given in this city as part of the farmers’ short course. This will be the women’s part of the course and it will be open to all of the ladies of this city and from the surrounding territory who may care to attend. Lectures and demonstrations of every practical nature will be held each day and there will be abundant time for the asking and answering of questions. The extension department of the Montana state college will send home economics experts to take charge of the work and valuable assistance will be rendered by Miss Florence Poole of the home economics department of the Havre High School.

The meetings will be held each day of the week in the comfortable sewing room of the home economics department at the high school. Ample provision will be made for all of the ladies who may care to attend. The work will begin each day at 2 p.m .; a lecture and a demonstration will be given each day, and the program will be a varied one.

Montana State College is now Montana State University in Bozeman, and extension offices throughout the state still exist. One of the most interesting affiliations of the extension offices were clubs focusing on home economics. Hill County had many extension clubs; today there are only two, one in Kremlin and the other in Gildford. I remember my Grandma O’Donnell being a part of one of the clubs in Hill County. It’s too bad those have gone on the wayside.

Speaking of extension clubs and home economics, sometimes recipes are included in the women’s section of the newspaper. We all know that, while it seems like it will never get here, spring will come soon and with it, rhubarb. I thought some might be interested in rhubarb jelly:

Rhubarb Jelly

The new forced rhubarb makes a delicate and handsome jelly or sirup. For sirup we use two cups of sugar to one of juice, instead of one as for jelly. Wash the pink stalks of rhubarb and cut them in small pieces without peeling. To every three cups of rhubarb add one well washed Baldwin or greening apple, cut in pieces without peeling or coring. Cover the whole with boiling water and cook until the apple is tender. Drain in a jelly bag, cook down a little if necessary, then add measure for measure of sugar, if the rhubarb is tart, stir over the fire until this is dissolved, and cook until it jells. Strawberries, a few of the sour winter ones, cooked over the fire without water, gently shaking the pan occasionally over the lowest fire, will give a fine juice for flavoring rhubarb jelly.

I would suggest coring the apple and removing the stem if it is there! No one wants apple seeds or stem in their jelly.

Other gatherings in Havre included the Women’s Club, Presbyterian Church, St. Marks Guild, and these two events being hosted by the women of Havre:

Masque Ball.

The ladies of the Eastern Star are making preparations for a masquerade ball to be given Tuesday evening, Feb.6th. Invitations are extended to Masons and their families.

Musicale at M. E. Church.

The entertainment given by the ladies of the M. E. church on Monday eve of this week was a successful affair in every way. The program was one of exceptional merit and well rendered.

The men were not sitting aside and letting Havre’s social matrons do all of the work. They were organizing events, too:

The annual masquerade ball of the Havre lodge W. O. W. given each year on February 22nd, is being arranged for. This is one of the most enjoyable affairs given in the city, and the bell this year will be no exception to the many successes achieved by that order in the past.

The annual charity ball of the Havre lodge of Elks is scheduled for Monday evening, February 19, and the committees are busily engaged in the details of making this one of the best events of its kind ever given.

W. O. W. stands for Woodmen of the World, and like the Elks were a men-only fraternal organization at the time.